--- name: "imake" section: "1x" platform: "linux" package: "xutils" version: "4.3.0.dfsg.1-14sarge7" release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/imake/1x" --- # imake(1x) C preprocessor interface to the make utility ## NAME imake - C preprocessor interface to the make utility ## SYNOPSIS **imake** \[ **-D***define* \] \[ **-I***dir* \] \[ **-U***define* \] \[ **-T***template* \] \[ **-f** *filename* \] \[ **-C** *filename* \] \[ **-s** *filename* \] \[ **-e** \] \[ **-v** \] ## DESCRIPTION *Imake* is used to generate *Makefiles* from a template, a set of *cpp* macro functions, and a per-directory input file called an *Imakefile*. This allows machine dependencies (such as compiler options, alternate command names, and special *make* rules) to be kept separate from the descriptions of the various items to be built. ## OPTIONS The following command line options may be passed to *imake*: - **-D*define*** This option is passed directly to *cpp*. It is typically used to set directory-specific variables. For example, the X Window System uses this flag to set *TOPDIR* to the name of the directory containing the top of the core distribution and *CURDIR* to the name of the current directory, relative to the top. - **-I*directory*** This option is passed directly to *cpp*. It is typically used to indicate the directory in which the *imake* template and configuration files may be found. - **-U*define*** This option is passed directly to *cpp*. It is typically used to unset variables when debugging *imake* configuration files. - **-T*template*** This option specifies the name of the master template file (which is usually located in the directory specified with *-I*) used by *cpp*. The default is *Imake.tmpl*. - **-f *filename*** This option specifies the name of the per-directory input file. The default is *Imakefile*. - **-C *filename*** This option specifies the name of the .c file that is constructed in the current directory. The default is *Imakefile.c*. - **-s *filename*** This option specifies the name of the *make* description file to be generated but *make* should not be invoked. If the *filename* is a dash (-), the output is written to *stdout*. The default is to generate, but not execute, a *Makefile*. - **-e** This option indicates the *imake* should execute the generated *Makefile*. The default is to leave this to the user. - **-v** This option indicates that *imake* should print the *cpp* command line that it is using to generate the *Makefile*. ## HOW IT WORKS *Imake* invokes *cpp* with any *-I* or *-D* flags passed on the command line and passes the name of a file containing the following 3 lines: ``` #define IMAKE_TEMPLATE "Imake.tmpl" #define INCLUDE_IMAKEFILE #include IMAKE_TEMPLATE ``` where *Imake.tmpl* and *Imakefile* may be overridden by the *-T* and *-f* command options, respectively. The IMAKE\_TEMPLATE typically reads in a file containing machine-dependent parameters (specified as *cpp* symbols), a site-specific parameters file, a file defining variables, a file containing *cpp* macro functions for generating *make* rules, and finally the *Imakefile* (specified by INCLUDE\_IMAKEFILE) in the current directory. The *Imakefile* uses the macro functions to indicate what targets should be built; *imake* takes care of generating the appropriate rules. *Imake* configuration files contain two types of variables, imake variables and make variables. The imake variables are interpreted by cpp when *imake* is run. By convention they are mixed case. The make variables are written into the *Makefile* for later interpretation by *make.* By convention make variables are upper case. The rules file (usually named *Imake.rules* in the configuration directory) contains a variety of *cpp* macro functions that are configured according to the current platform. *Imake* replaces any occurrences of the string \`\`@@'' with a newline to allow macros that generate more than one line of *make* rules. For example, the macro ``` #define program_target(program, objlist) @@\ program: objlist @@\ $(CC) -o $@ objlist $(LDFLAGS) ``` when called with *program\_target(foo, foo1.o foo2.o)* will expand to ``` foo: foo1.o foo2.o $(CC) -o $@ foo1.o foo2.o $(LDFLAGS) ``` *Imake* also replaces any occurrences of the word \`\`XCOMM'' with the character \`\`#'' to permit placing comments in the Makefile without causing \`\`invalid directive'' errors from the preprocessor. Some complex *imake* macros require generated *make* variables local to each invocation of the macro, often because their value depends on parameters passed to the macro. Such variables can be created by using an *imake* variable of the form **XVARdef***n*, where *n* is a single digit. A unique *make* variable will be substituted. Later occurrences of the variable **XVARuse***n* will be replaced by the variable created by the corresponding **XVARdef***n*. On systems whose *cpp* reduces multiple tabs and spaces to a single space, *imake* attempts to put back any necessary tabs (*make* is very picky about the difference between tabs and spaces). For this reason, colons (:) in command lines must be preceded by a backslash (\\). ## USE WITH THE X WINDOW SYSTEM The X Window System uses *imake* extensively, for both full builds within the source tree and external software. As mentioned above, two special variables, *TOPDIR* and *CURDIR,* are set to make referencing files using relative path names easier. For example, the following command is generated automatically to build the *Makefile* in the directory *lib/X/* (relative to the top of the sources): ``` % ../.././config/imake -I../.././config \ -DTOPDIR=../../. -DCURDIR=./lib/X ``` When building X programs outside the source tree, a special symbol *UseInstalled* is defined and *TOPDIR* and *CURDIR* are omitted. If the configuration files have been properly installed, the script [*xmkmf*(1)](/xmkmf/1.md) may be used. ## INPUT FILES Here is a summary of the files read by *imake* as used by X. The indentation shows what files include what other files. ``` Imake.tmpl generic variables site.def site-specific, BeforeVendorCF defined *.cf machine-specific *Lib.rules shared library rules site.def site-specific, AfterVendorCF defined Imake.rules rules Project.tmpl X-specific variables *Lib.tmpl shared library variables Imakefile Library.tmpl library rules Server.tmpl server rules Threads.tmpl multi-threaded rules ``` Note that *site.def* gets included twice, once before the *\*.cf* file and once after. Although most site customizations should be specified after the *\*.cf* file, some, such as the choice of compiler, need to be specified before, because other variable settings may depend on them. The first time *site.def* is included, the variable BeforeVendorCF is defined, and the second time, the variable AfterVendorCF is defined. All code in *site.def* should be inside an #ifdef for one of these symbols. ## FILES Imakefile.c temporary input file for cpp\ /tmp/Imf.XXXXXX temporary Makefile for -s\ /tmp/IIf.XXXXXX temporary Imakefile if specified Imakefile uses # comments\ /usr/bin/cpp default C preprocessor ## SEE ALSO [make(1)](/make/1.md), [xmkmf(1)](/xmkmf/1.md)\ S. I. Feldman, *Make — A Program for Maintaining Computer Programs* ## ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES The following environment variables may be set, however their use is not recommended as they introduce dependencies that are not readily apparent when *imake* is run: - **IMAKEINCLUDE** If defined, this specifies a \`\`-I'' include argument to pass to the C preprocessor. E.g., \`\`-I/usr/X11/config''. - **IMAKECPP** If defined, this should be a valid path to a preprocessor program. E.g., \`\`/usr/local/cpp''. By default, *imake* will use cc -E or /usr/bin/cpp, depending on the OS specific configuration. - **IMAKEMAKE** If defined, this should be a valid path to a make program, such as \`\`/usr/local/make''. By default, *imake* will use whatever *make* program is found using *[execvp(3)](/execvp/3.md).* This variable is only used if the \`\`-e'' option is specified. ## AUTHOR Todd Brunhoff, Tektronix and MIT Project Athena; Jim Fulton, MIT X Consortium