From: bc@freeuk.com   
      
   On 31/10/2025 01:16, Keith Thompson wrote:   
   > bart  writes:   
   >> On 30/10/2025 23:44, Keith Thompson wrote:   
   >>> bart  writes:   
   > [...]   
   >>>> What do you mean by incremental rebuilding? I usually talk about   
   >>>> /independent/ compilation.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Then incremental builds might be about deciding which modules to   
   >>>> recompile, except that that is so obvious, you didn't give it a name.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Compile the one file you've just edited. If it might impact on any   
   >>>> others (you work on a project for months, you will know it   
   >>>> intimately), then you just compile the lot.   
   >>> I'll assume that was a serious question.  Even if you don't care,   
   >>> others might.   
   > [...]   
   >>   
   >> I never came across any version of 'make' in the DEC OSes I used in   
   >> the 1970s, in the 1980s did see it either.   
   >>   
   >> In any case it wouldn't have worked with my compiler, as it was not a   
   >> discrete program: it was memory-resident together with an editor, as   
   >> part of my IDE.   
   >>   
   >> This helped to get fast turnarounds even on floppy-based 8-bit systems.   
   >>   
   >> Plus, I wouldn't have felt the issue was of any great importance:   
   > [...]   
   >   
   > You asked what incremental building means.  I told you.  Your only   
   > response is to let us all know that you don't find it useful.   
      
   Actually I didn't mention 'make'. I said what I thought it meant, and I   
   expanded on that in my reply to you.   
      
   You mentioned 'make', and I also explained why it wouldn't have been any   
   good to me.   
      
   In any case, you still have to give that dependency information to   
   'make', and maintain it, as well as all info about the constituent files   
   of the project.   
      
   Since I used project files from a very early stage, much of that   
   information is already present (and is used to browse the source files   
   and to do full compiles and linking).   
      
   If I wanted automatic dependency handling, then it would have made sense   
   to add that to the project file, than use an external tool with arcane   
   syntax.   
      
   The project file also had the task of doing test runs of the   
   application, applying suitable inputs, and at one point, also dealing   
   with overlays.   
      
   Sometimes, the generated program was downloaded to a separate   
   microprocessor to in other to test on bare hardware.   
      
   The picture I'm giving is that there was lots going on, centrally   
   controlled, compared with the minor aspects that a makefile could help   
   with, but which would have needed a duplicate lot of information.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)