Placing Dependent & Target Files in Different Directories (46354)

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.01
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.11
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.12
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.13
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.2
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.3
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.4
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2 1.01
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2 1.11
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2 1.21
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for Windows NT 1.4
Microsoft NMAKE Utility for Windows NT 1.5

This article was previously published under Q46354

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.

Modification Type:	Major	Last Reviewed:	12/1/2003
Keywords:	KB46354