Rules.MK Validator?

[NickLitten]

I frequently face this same problem - compile fails with an unexpected error and a messy TOBi "makei" failure.

I've been making various file name changes and many source code updates... so I suspect this is a rules.mk syntax error somewhere?

My little AI buddies (both IBM BOB and COPILOT) both report the rules files are correct with no errors... Now it's time to sift through every one of the Rules.MK files, line by line. Frustrating and time consuming.

It would be great if we could (a) add better/descriptive error handling to MAKEi and, or, (b) some kind of validator step we can run before a build?

Thanks!!!!

[VyshnaviKB]

@NickLitten, Could you please provide a sample of your rules.mk file?
Also, can you please confirm if you are using wildcards and custom rules in it?

[NickLitten]

I can't provide sample because I eventually fixed it - I had one rules file in one of my subfolders which had MAKE format, rather than MAKEI (it had been updated incorrectly by my AI Assistant)

I had to go through all the Rules.mk files, one by one, until I found it: 27 Rules files, with wildcards (but no custom rules)

This is why a Rules.mk validator - would be an excellent tool :)

ps: these configs are at github: nick.litten.public

[NickLitten]

Interesting - I just replicated this error.

I copied in a folder (WIP) to the root of my repository. This folder was NOT referenced in my root Rules.mk which basically has one line saying SUBDIRS=MYSOURCE

But, the WIP folder does have various rules.mk files in it from previous adventures in coding. Obviously since /WIP is not referenced in the SUBDIRS command I assumed it would be ignored. However, it seems that just because the WIP folder, and subfolders within it, contain their own "work in progress" rules.mk files - this causes MAKEi to crash out with error when a build is attempted for the project.

SOLUTION - go into the WIP folder and rename all the rules.mk files to something else and the error goes away.

Not sure if I should report this as a bug now?

[NickLitten]

I can see that @VyshnaviKB has opened an issue and assigned it. #541
Thankyou so much - I look forward to seeing this implemented.
BRAVO!