NMAKE Always Evaluates Expressions in Square Brackets "[]"

 Last reviewed: January 24, 1995
Article ID: Q63146
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft NMAKE utility for MS-DOS, versions 1.1, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4
  • Microsoft NMAKE utility for OS/2, versions 1.01, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.21
  • Microsoft NMAKE Utility for Windows NT, versions 1.4 and 1.5

SUMMARY

In NMAKE, if you use the !IF directive with an expression in square brackets "[]", NMAKE evaluates the expression when it first reads the makefile, before it evaluates any dependency blocks or executes any commands.

MORE INFORMATION

NMAKE uses square brackets to run an application in an !IF expression.

NMAKE is designed to run all specified programs when it first starts, it does not matter whether they are contained in a dependency block. NMAKE uses the values returned by the programs to evaluate the !IF expression.

The following makefile displays this behavior: 

   test.exe: test.c
      !IF ( [check /f] < 3 )
         cl test.c
      !ENDIF
In this example, NMAKE runs the CHECK program each time it evaluates the makefile. It does not matter that TEST.EXE is up to date with TEST.C or not.

Additional reference words: kbinf kbinf 1.10 1.20 1.30 1.40 1.50
KBCategory: kbtool
KBSubcategory: NmakeIss

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Last reviewed: January 24, 1995
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