Well, this works for me:

Jamfile:

Version what : cut perl yes ;

Rules file:

rule Version { NOTFILE what ; ALWAYS what ; DEPENDS $(<) : $(>) ; SEARCH on $(>) = /usr/bin ; }

actions quietly Version { /usr/bin/what $(>) ; }

Results:

commute1% jam what ...updating 1 target(s)... /usr/bin/cut Copyright (c) 1989, 1993 cut.c 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93 /usr/bin/perl malloc.c 4.3 (Berkeley) 9/16/83 yaccpar 1.9 (Berkeley) 02/21/93 /usr/bin/yes Copyright (c) 1987, 1993 yes.c 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93 ...updated 1 target(s)...

Note that you won't be able to 'what' an individual entity this way, unless you give each entity its own Jamfile entry.

Hope this helps,

Diane (dia...@whistle.com)

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I guess my real question is how to set up a target that doesn't have any real dependancies and only gets executed when it is explicitly specified. A simple example would be to have a Jamfile that compiles foo.c and stores it in a library libfoo.a by default. However, if I execute 'jam what' have jam issue the 'what' command on the library and the .c. The what target doesn't have dependancies and should only happen if I ask for it explicitly.

The first part (compile foo.c) is just the Library rule:

Library libfoo.a : foo.c ;

What I don't know how to do is set up the second half of the example. I have tried things like:

rule Version { What $(>) ; }

actions What { what $(<) }

NOTFILE what ; Version what : foo.o libfoo.a ;

But that doesn't work.

Thanks,

Walt

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Walt Hillis

Electronic Data Systems internet: wa...@fms2000.stl.gtd.eds.com M.S. 1015 phone: (314) 344-4156 13736 Riverport Dr. fax: (314) 344-5466 Maryland Hgts, MO 63043-4826

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