One of the most enduring elements of both Unix and other operating systems is the utility known simply as make. Make, which was first developed in the 1970s, is still used today as the primary engine in the majority of programming projects and is even used to create the Linux kernel.
The third edition of the venerable book Managing Projects with GNU make explains why this tool has remained at the top of the project build software field despite having numerous more recent rivals.
The basic idea behind make is straightforward: when you modify source files and wish to rebuild your program or other output files, make examines timestamps to determine what has changed and only rebuilds the files you actually need, saving you time. But on top of this straightforward idea, give layers a deep set of choices that help you work from numerous folders, create applications for several platforms, and further personalize your builds.
The GNU version of make, which has rightfully emerged as the industry standard, is the primary emphasis of this edition. This book explores the robust extensions that come with GNU make. The fact that it is free software and offers versions for practically every platform, including a version for Microsoft Windows as part of the open-source Cygwin project, contributes to its popularity. The third edition of Managing Projects with GNU create offers recommendations for handling the demands of big, contemporary projects. A number of fascinating advanced subjects have also been included, including portability, parallelism, and use with Java.
