jmsellens@watmath.UUCP (John M Sellens) (09/01/84)
Hi! Remember me? I'm the guy that wrote and posted a simple version of
make for the PC a while ago. If anyone wants a copy, requests must now
be made directly to me (see below).
I noticed an annoying bug/feature today in the exec() routine supplied
by DeSmet. It seems to truncate the argument part of a command line
after the 79th character, so if your command lines are too long, they
will get truncated. I don't know if this is a restriction built in to
PC-DOS but I will investigate (any opinions from Microsoft??). So you'll
have to do what I just did - rename some of your files to shorter names.
Now, I have been working diligently recently on improving and expanding
my make program to be more like UNIX make, to handle (almost?) the same
makefiles and flags. New improved and salient features:
- make variables, including $@ and $? e.g. compiler = c88
- continuation lines with '\'
- comment lines with '#'
- a touch command (stand-alone and built-in)
- some useful DOS commands built-in e.g. cd, echo, rename
- only looks for a command once. For example, if you're doing a make in
which you have several things to compile, the previous version looked
down the PATH to find your compiler each time. The new version
remembers where it found things so it saves a bunch of disk accesses.
- only looks for files if it needs them. Previous version got the date
and time of each defined file as it read the makefile. Saves more disk
accesses.
- can take makefile from the standard input i.e. make -f -
- other things that I've forgotten
That is where it is now. Soon to come (I hope):
- builtin rules
- .IGNORE, .DEFAULT, etc.
- double-colon description lines (does anybody use these???)
- documentation
Any other ideas gratefully acknowledged.
Now the bad news: This one will be in exchange for suitable donations
(just like the first one) except that now the donations will have to come in
advance i.e. it will be for sale. Price will be moderate - probably
somewhere in the range of $25 to $50 (per copy).
Official notice: I hereby forbid any person or organization who has my
program to further distribute any more copies of it (source, object or
executable) without specific permission from myself (which will not be
easy to come by). I would appreciate it if you would pass the word on.
For the time being, I will allow you to continue using my program.
Please do not disregard this notice - I like causing trouble and can't
wait for a chance to sue someone (1/2 :-) ). I am aware that it is impossible
to enforce this on people who are not aware of it (but now at least you are).
I will mail information (when it makes sense to) to people who are on my
"mailing list". Enquiries always welcome.
Is anyone at DeSmet or C-Ware on the net? - please mail me.
John M Sellens
UUCP: {decvax|utzoo|ihnp4|allegra|clyde}!watmath!jmsellens
CSNET: jmsellens%watmath@waterloo.csnet
ARPA: jmsellens%watmath%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa
107 - 180 Brybeck Cres, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2M 5G4, phone 519-579-8278
or c/o 1135 Lansdowne Ave SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2S 1A4