FIX: Visual Workbench Generates Dependencies for ODL Files

The information in this article applies to:

• The Visual Workbench, included with: Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, version 2.0 and 2.1

SYMPTOMS

Adding .ODL files to a make file in the Visual Workbench causes the Visual Workbench to unnecessarily generate dependencies for the .ODL file.

CAUSE

An .ODL file included in the project file list typically includes other .ODL files. The Visual Workbench dependency scanner adds a type library target for each .ODL file to the MTL_TLBS target in the project. NMAKE tries to build a type library for every target specified by the MTL_TLBS target.

RESOLUTION

To prevent the Visual Workbench from adding type library targets for each included .ODL file, change the file extensions inside the main .ODL file to something other than ODL.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was fixed in Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, version 4.0.

MORE INFORMATION

Consider this .ODL file (MYPROJ.ODL):

   // This is the master ODL file, MYPROJ.ODL
   #include "object1.odl"
   #include "object2.odl"
   // End of MYPROJ.ODL

   MTL_TLBS: $(OUTDIR)\MYPROJ.TLB .\OBJECT1.TLB .\OBJECT2.TLB

When the Visual Workbench is used to build the project, only MYPROJ.TLB is built. However, if NMAKE is used to build the project, all three type libraries specified by MTL_TLBS are built.