Re: problem with "silent include" and special target ".DEFAULT"

[Paul D. Smith]

%% Helmut Dipper <address@hidden> writes:

  hd> -include aaa
  hd> sinclude bbb

  hd> .DEFAULT:
  hd>         @echo "target: $@"

  hd> #------------------------------------------
  hd> and the results:
  hd> target: bbb
  hd> target: aaa
  hd> gmake: *** No targets.  Stop.

  hd> How can it be avoided that the rule with the special target
  hd> .DEFAULT is applied when trying to remade not existent
  hd> include-files?

You must declare a real rule for the makefiles; even a pattern rule will
do it.

  hd> Must "empty rules" be specified for each include- file which may
  hd> exist or not?

Yes, if you use .DEFAULT.  .DEFAULT can make any file, so it will apply
to _ANY_ file that make wants to build and which doesn't yet exist.

This is a very powerful, and at the some time somewhat uncontrolled,
capability.

-- 
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