Placing Dependent & Target Files in Different Directories

 Last reviewed: January 24, 1995
Article ID: Q46354
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS, versions 1.01, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4
  • Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2, versions 1.01, 1.11, and 1.21
  • Microsoft NMAKE Utility for Windows NT, versions 1.4 and 1.5

SUMMARY

To place a target file into a directory other than its dependent file, you must explicitly specify the path for the target and/or the dependents. To place an object file into a different directory using a Microsoft language compiler, specify the /Fo compiler option switch and the destination path for the object file. To place an executable file in a directory other than the directory that contains the source files, specify the full pathname for the EXE file parameter when linking, or use the /Fe compiler switch if you compile and link your application in the same step.

MORE INFORMATION

The following makefile demonstrates placing an object file in a different directory than the source file.

Sample Makefile

# Build options required: None 

ObjDir    = c:\obj^\
SourceDir = c:\src^\

$(ObjDir)pixel.obj : $(SourceDir)pixel.c 

   cl /Fo$(ObjDir) /c $*
NOTE: When you use a macro in the makefile to specify a pathname, you must specify a caret (^) before the backslash (\) character that ends the line. Otherwise, NMAKE interprets the trailing backslash as a line- continuation character.

Additional reference words: kbinf kbinf 1.20 1.30 1.40 1.50
KBCategory: kbtool
KBSubcategory: NmakeIss

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Last reviewed: January 24, 1995
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