---
name: "wml::mod::MakeMaker"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "wml"
version: "2.32.0~ds1-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/wml::mod::MakeMaker"
---

# wml::mod::MakeMaker(3)

A Makefile generator

## NAME

wml::mod::MakeMaker - A Makefile generator

## SYNOPSIS

```
 #!wml -o Makefile
 #use wml::mod::MakeMaker
 <write-makefile [attributes]>
```

## DESCRIPTION

This include file provides an easy way to write a Makefile to distribute your own WML modules. It is inspired by the `"ExtUtils::MakeMaker"` Perl module.

### Default targets

- **make all**

  This is the default target. It will build all include files and their documentation.

- **make install**

  Install include files and documentation in the locations given by \`\`wml -V2''.

- **make clean**

  Remove files generated by **make**.

- **make distclean**

  Like **make clean**, plus remove the *Makefile* too.

- **make dist**

  Build a distribution. Should only be used by the module maintainer. If there is a *MANIFEST* file, then the list of files to include is taken from this file. Otherwise the tarball contains all source files, plus *MakeMaker.wml*, *Makefile.wml*, *shtool* and *README* if these files exist.

### Overriding default targets

To build the *Makefile*, all targets are put in separate buffers during pass 3, and those buffers are diverted by pass 5. You can override this defaukt target by redefining buffer contents. Buffer names are explicit:

```
    MK_ALL MK_INSTALL MK_CLEAN MK_DISTCLEAN MK_CONFIG MK_RELEASE
```

### Defining new targets

The **MK\_USER** is empty and devoted to this task.

## ATTRIBUTES

The first three attributes are mandatory.

- **package**

  The name of the package

- **version**

  Its version number

- **modules**

  List of modules to build and install. This is a space separated list of filenames. Modules should reside in a sub-directory to be compliant with actual file hierarchy. For instance, the declaration

  ```
       modules="math/log.tmpl math/exp.tmpl"
  ```

  tells that after compilation, there are two modules which are `"math/log.tmpl"` and `"math/exp.tmpl"`. This modules will be installed to `"LibDir/include/math/log.tmpl"` and `"LibDir/include/math/exp.tmpl"`.

  These modules will then be called in a WML file by

  ```
      #use tmpl::math::log
      #use tmpl::math::exp
  ```

  Source files for these modules are obtained by replacing the suffix by *.src*.

- **src-ext**

  Defines an alternate suffix for the source files.

- **man-ext**

  Section number of the manual in which man files are put. Default is 3.

- **extradistfiles**

  Space separated list of files to include in a distribution. By default, all source files plus *MakeMaker.wml*, *Makefile.wml*,  *README* and *shtool* are included in a distribution.

## EXAMPLE

```
 <write-makefile
    package="log"
    version="3.14"
    modules="math/log.tmpl"
    source-ext="exp"
 >
```

This will build the **tmpl::math::log** include module from the *math/log.exp* source file. This source file will also produce the **tmpl::math::log(3)** manpage.

## NOTES

Please do \_not\_ use a `".wml"` suffix for your modules, they should be reserved for official WML modules shipped with WML. You may instead put your initials or anything else.

## AUTHOR

```
 Denis Barbier
 barbier@engelschall.com
```

## REQUIRES

```
 Internal: P1, P2, P3, P5
 External: --
```