Make and libraries -- can it do it?

[Dan Packman]

It does seem more efficient and tidy to work with libraries rather than
a directory of files.  One way to easily update libraries element by element
is to use make and specify your dependency on each element: lib.a(foo.o)

Many of us poor slobs don't have a make that lives up to its man page.
The library construct works fine with SUN OS4.0 and their own version
of make.  The BSD 4.3 code also residing on that machine (and pyramid OSX4.0)
fail to properly recognize and update library elements.  The code has various
versions and dates on it such as the overall version in ident.c as
   2.61  13 Aug 1980
while the main program says 4.8 86/01/09.  What is really BSD4.3? Can it
properly handle libraries?

While there are clearly hacks to get around this problem, "make" itself
should be able to handle this construct.  If one uses a preprocessor,
then sources could be archived as well.  dbx and other tools could be
made aware of this structure.  Extending the construct to all source
and allowing editors to operate on libraries directly would allow one
to do away with regular text files entirely and have only libraries.  I'd
be happy enough if I didn't have so many object files to kick around.
Dan Packman     NCAR                         INTERNET: pack at acdpyr.UCAR.EDU
(303) 497-1427  P.O. Box 3000                   CSNET: pack at ncar.CSNET
                Boulder, CO  80307       DECNET  SPAN: 9.367::PACK