OS independent build results

[Andreas Otto-5]

Hi,

  currently I try to improve my build environment. I want to add "OS"
  independent build results like

        java "class" files or mono "clr" libraries/excutable

  into the distribution
       
  1) the problem is the VPATH build. the files from above are
      in the "srcdir" and not in the "builddir" (1'st location)

  2) if one of the "prerequisite" file are touched
        (java -> *.java", mono -> *.cs")
     the "new" class or clr file(s) are in the "builddir" (2'nd location)
    after the build

  -> now I have 2 locations from which the "dist" or a other command
     like the java "jar" can take the files
 
  3) only for case 2) the VPATH build have to clean up the files

  4) for a very special vase VB.NET CLR files can only be compiled
    on a special OS (Windows). A non-Windows OS should use
    the dist files and print a WARNING message if a build have to be
    done


is a solution available?


one solution would be that vor a VPATH build I can specify a set
of dirs/files (in a variable) to COPIED first from the srcdir
into the builddir, these copied files have to be removed in a
"distclean" -> attention the copy have only be done if the
target of the same name is not available



mfg

  Andreas Otto

[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hello Andreas,

* Andreas Otto wrote on Sun, Oct 25, 2009 at 07:20:16PM CET:
>   currently I try to improve my build environment. I want to add "OS"
>   independent build results like
>
> java "class" files or mono "clr" libraries/excutable
>
>   into the distribution
>
>   1) the problem is the VPATH build. the files from above are
>       in the "srcdir" and not in the "builddir" (1'st location)

If the tools needing them are from you, you can peek at how automake-
generated rules deal with files that can be in both trees, by trying
first the build dir file and then falling back on prepending $(srcdir)/.

If you need a compiler or other tool to find files, either you may be
able to pass some flags like -I$(srcdir) or so, or you copy (or symlink;
you can use $(LN_S) to have the latter but fall back to the former; see
'info Autoconf --index LN_S' for more info).

Yet another possibility is to just update all files in the source tree:
as long as a shipping tarball won't ever change for a user building from
the tarball, and the generated files are not system-dependent, that
should work.

>   2) if one of the "prerequisite" file are touched
> (java -> *.java", mono -> *.cs")
>      the "new" class or clr file(s) are in the "builddir" (2'nd location)
>     after the build
>
>   -> now I have 2 locations from which the "dist" or a other command
>      like the java "jar" can take the files

>   3) only for case 2) the VPATH build have to clean up the files

Recent Automake has an internal variable CONFIG_CLEAN_VPATH_FILES.
Files listed in this variable are removed only if $(srcdir) != ".".
If this would help you, we can try to make a public API for this
variable.

>   4) for a very special vase VB.NET CLR files can only be compiled
>     on a special OS (Windows). A non-Windows OS should use
>     the dist files and print a WARNING message if a build have to be
>     done

You can turn on system-dependent parts of a makefile with conditionals,
see 'info Automake Conditionals'.  You can extend installation with
install-{data,exec}-{local,hook}, see 'info Automake Extending'.

> one solution would be that vor a VPATH build I can specify a set
> of dirs/files (in a variable) to COPIED first from the srcdir
> into the builddir, these copied files have to be removed in a
> "distclean" -> attention the copy have only be done if the
> target of the same name is not available

You can loop over files and use 'test -f' on the target file.

If you have problems with a specific rule, please show the code you
have.

HTH.  Cheers,
Ralf

[Andreas Otto-5]

Hi,

  this is my solution:

  this add a new target ".vpath_hook" to the build environment and this target
  copy the files/directories listed in "VPATH_FILES" from the src into the
  build environment. the "copy" is necessary because tools like "JAR"
  expect the files in the "build" directory. ".vpath_hook" is the FIRST
  target in BUILT_SOURCES to garantee that the copy is done before
  any furter action are done.


1. acinclude.m4

#------------------------------------------------------------------------
# SC_SET_VPATH_HOOK --
#
#       add support for VPATH build
#
# Arguments:
#       none
#       need variable "VPATH_FILES" be defined
#
# Results:
#
#       Add a new variable VPATH_HOOK/CLEANUP/DIST  to automake
#
#------------------------------------------------------------------------

AC_DEFUN([SC_SET_VPATH_HOOK], [
    AC_MSG_CHECKING([add VPATH hook])
    AC_SUBST([VPATH_HOOK], ['@if test ! -f .vpath_files -a "$(srcdir)" != "."
; then (cd "$(srcdir)" && cp -r $(VPATH_FILES) "$(abs_builddir)";) && touch
".vpath_files" && chmod -R u+w $(VPATH_FILES) && echo "VPATH copy"; else true;
fi && touch ".vpath_hook"'])
    AC_SUBST([VPATH_HOOK_CLEANUP], ['-rm -f .vpath_hook; test -f .vpath_files
&& rm -fr .vpath_files $(VPATH_FILES)'])
    AC_SUBST([VPATH_HOOK_DIST], ['-rm -f $(distdir)/.vpath_hook'])
])

2. example java Automake.am:

...
#####################################################################################
## VPATH setup

.vpath_hook:
        $(VPATH_HOOK)
....
VPATH_FILES = javamsgque javamsgque_MqS.h javamsgque_MqBufferS.h
javamsgque_MqS_WAIT.h javamsgque.jar
....
BUILT_SOURCES = .vpath_hook $(mqs_DATA) javamsgque_MqS.h
javamsgque_MqBufferS.h
MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = $(BUILT_SOURCES) javamsgque_MqS_WAIT.h
javamsgque/*.class
...

distclean-local:
        $(VPATH_HOOK_CLEANUP)

dist-hook: $(MQS_MAIN)
        $(VPATH_HOOK_DIST)
        mkdir "$(distdir)/javamsgque"
        chmod u+w "$(distdir)/javamsgque"
        cp javamsgque/*.class "$(distdir)/javamsgque"
        chmod u+w $(distdir)/javamsgque/*.class



!important! is that "make clean" should not clean the *.class files.
I use the "MAINTAINERCLEANFILES" to clean this files also

[Ralf Wildenhues]

* Andreas Otto wrote on Sun, Nov 01, 2009 at 12:17:05PM CET:
>   this add a new target ".vpath_hook" to the build environment and this target
>   copy the files/directories listed in "VPATH_FILES" from the src into the
>   build environment. the "copy" is necessary because tools like "JAR"
>   expect the files in the "build" directory. ".vpath_hook" is the FIRST
>   target in BUILT_SOURCES to garantee that the copy is done before
>   any furter action are done.

Note that parallel make (make -jN) does not guarantee that .vpath_hook
is completed before the other BUILT_SOURCES are updated.  Not sure if
you need that, but if you do, you could make the former a prerequisite
of the latter ones.

Cheers,
Ralf