Re: Pros & Cons of makefiles vs. i4gl

Jonathan Leffler wrote: > > Schaeflein, Paul wrote: > > I have implemented makefiles - primarily so that the make/compile > > process will get the 4gl source from the sccs directory with the > > identification codes. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: C. Paige Miller [mailto:cpaigemiller@mindspring.com] > > Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 1998 3:24 PM > > To: informix-list@iiug.org > > Subject: Pros & Cons of makefiles vs. i4gl > > > > I'm at a client site that has a gang of developers split on > > migrating from i4gl's way of building a program to > > makefiles. Can I get some succinct input from various experts > > out here about pros, cons, & getcha's of makefiles > > vs. i4gl's? > > In addition to Paul's reason, which is excellent, I'd add: > * Make can build forms and message files > * Make does better dependency checking > * Make can be told to recompile after tables are modified > (see an article I wrote in Tech Notes about 4 years ago) > * Make can be told to install software > * Make can be run overnight -- automatically > * Make handles arbitrarily long sets of options to link programs > * Make can build the entire project if set up right > * Makefiles can be put under CM control (SCCS, RCS, ...) > * Makefiles don't get forgotten when porting to a new box > > About the only advantage of I4GL or R4GL is the edit/compile/fix > cycle for forms and source -- and you can use either the D4GL program > from the D4GL corner of the IDN web-site (http://www.informix.com/idn) > or the base program from which that was derived, called J4GL. I'm not > sure that's out on the web yet; ask, and ye shall (most probably) > receive. Both programs work with make but provide the convenient > edit/compile/fix cycle from i4gl and r4gl. > > -- > Jonathan Leffler (jleffler@informix.com, jleffler@earthlink.net) > Guardian of DBD::Informix v0.60 -- see http://www.perl.com/CPAN > #include <disclaimer.h> I agree. I use make. You can get around the edit/compile/fix loop faster with a vi map (or emacs command) to jump to the correct position in the *.err file. Another advantage: make allows use of long filenames (where Informix tools allow them...). -- Peter Lancashire Information Systems Specialist, Bayer plc Eastern Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32 7AH, UK Tel: +44-1635-562258, Fax: +44-1635-562281 --- If all else fails, read the instructions and the release notes. Join Infuse, the UK Informix User Group at http://www.infuse.org.uk/ ---