man macros distributed with 4.1BSD

[unix-history] / usr / src / old / make / make.1

diff --git a/usr/src/old/make/make.1 b/usr/src/old/make/make.1
index 971a9de..1ede43f 100644 (file)
--- a/usr/src/old/make/make.1
+++ b/usr/src/old/make/make.1
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 .\" All rights reserved.  The Berkeley software License Agreement
 .\" specifies the terms and conditions for redistribution.
 .\"
 .\" All rights reserved.  The Berkeley software License Agreement
 .\" specifies the terms and conditions for redistribution.
 .\"

-.\"    @(#)make.1      6.1 (Berkeley) %G%
+.\"    @(#)make.1      6.2 (Berkeley) %G%

 .\"
 .TH MAKE 1 ""
 .UC 4
 .\"
 .TH MAKE 1 ""
 .UC 4


@@ -185,6 +185,25 @@ on makefiles in subdirectories and pass along useful options
 such as
 .BR \-k .
 .PP
 such as
 .BR \-k .
 .PP

+Another special macro is `VPATH'.
+The `VPATH' macro should be set to a list of directories separated by colons.
+When
+.I make
+searches for a file as a result of a dependency relation, it will
+first search the current directory and then each of the directories on the
+`VPATH' list.
+If the file is found, the actual path to the file will be used, rather than
+just the filename.
+If `VPATH' is not defined, then only the current directory is searched.
+.PP
+One use for `VPATH' is when one has several programs that compile from the
+same source.
+The source can be kept in one directory and each set of
+object files (along with a separate
+.IR makefile )
+would be in a separate subdirectory.
+The `VPATH' macro would point to the source directory in this case.
+.PP

 Command lines are executed one at a time, each by its
 own shell.
 A line is printed when it is executed unless
 Command lines are executed one at a time, each by its
 own shell.
 A line is printed when it is executed unless


@@ -252,4 +271,6 @@ notably
 .IR  cd (1),
 are ineffectual across newlines in
 .I make.
 .IR  cd (1),
 are ineffectual across newlines in
 .I make.

-
+.PP
+`VPATH' is intended to act like the System V `VPATH' support,
+but there is no guarantee that it functions identically.