FIX: BSCMAKE Fails When Project Contains Only Object Files

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The information in this article applies to:

• The Microsoft Visual Workbench, included with:

      - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, version 1.0
      - Microsoft FORTRAN PowerStation for Windows, version 1.0
  

SYMPTOMS

An attempt to run BSCMAKE on a project fails and BSCMAKE displays its usage screen.

CAUSE

The project contains only object files.

Visual Workbench creates a makefile for the project that contains an NMAKE macro called "SBRS" that holds the names of the .SBR files for BSCMAKE to process. Because the project does not contain any source files, SBRS is an empty string. When the makefile sends the empty string to BSCMAKE through an inline response file, the resulting command line is "BSCMAKE /o<project_name>.bsc"

The Visual Workbench creates a makefile for the project that contains an NMAKE macro called "SBRS". This macro is used to hold the names of the .SBR files to be fed into BSCMAKE via an inline response file. Since the project has no source files, the Visual Workbench assigns "SBRS" to an empty string. This empty string gets fed to BSCMAKE. The resulting command line is "bscmake /o<project_name>.bsc" which is invalid.

RESOLUTION

There are two methods to address this situation when you build a project that contains only OBJ files, as follows:

• Choose Project from the Options menu. Choose the Compiler button. Select the Listing Files option and remove the check from the Browser Information option.
• Edit the makefile to list the names of the .SBR files in the "SBRS" macro.

  NOTE: Making this manual modification converts the project makefile into an external makefile. Visual Workbench does not update an external makefile when new files are added or project options change.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Visual C++ 32-bit Edition, version 2.0.