Makefile for C++ one file programs

[benasour]

I just started to learn C++ after I have been programing in C. I use vim and the GNU compiler in terminal to create my programs. When I was working in C I made a generic one-file Makefile so I did have to write out all the tags/switches every time I wanted to compile a program. Can someone look at my Makefile and tell me what I need to update for it to work in C++?

The old Makefile for C programs:
# Generic makefile for simple (one-file) C programs
CC=gcc
CFLAGS=-Wall -Werror -g -pedantic -ansi
LDFLAGS=-lm

[kako13]

I just started to learn C++ after I have been programing in C. I use vim and the GNU compiler in terminal to create my programs. When I was working in C I made a generic one-file Makefile so I did have to write out all the tags/switches every time I wanted to compile a program. Can someone look at my Makefile and tell me what I need to update for it to work in C++?

The old Makefile for C programs:
# Generic makefile for simple (one-file) C programs
CC=gcc
CFLAGS=-Wall -Werror -g -pedantic -ansi
LDFLAGS=-lm

Check if this help http://mrbook.org/tutorials/make/:

[Duoas]

Just change CC=gcc to CC=g++ Behold, the Make Anything Makefile:

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Make Anything Makefile
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# For use with GNU Make
#
# The only prerequisite to using this Makefile is that the program source
# files all reside in their own directory, with only ONE of these source
# files declaring main(). For example,
#
#   my_last_nameHW3/
#     Makefile                 <-- "make anything" makefile
#     linked_list.h
#     linked_list.cxx          <-- the file the student modifies
#     node.h
#     test_linked_list.cxx     <-- the file containing the main() function.
#
# This makefile will correctly identify the files and produce:
#
#   linked_list.o
#   test_linked_list.o
#
# and then the executable
#
#   test_linked_list*
#
# The orphan "node.h" is included in every source module's prerequisites,
# regardless of whether it is actually used by that module.
#
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# When MIXING C and C++ modules, this makefile will compile the C modules
# with the C compiler, and the C++ modules with the C++ compiler. Keep that
# in mind! (Also, the linking stage will be done with the C++ compiler.)
#
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# "make clean" works as usual.
# "make cleaner" works better than usual.
#
# --Michael
#

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# general options
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# These are the names of the C and C++ compilers to use, and options common
# to both compilers.
#
# If you want to specify an option specific to only one of the compilers,
# just place it after the compiler name. For example:
#   CPP = g++ -fno-elide-constructors
#
CCC     = gcc
CPP     = g++
CFLAGS  = -Wall
LDFLAGS =

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# valid C++ file extensions
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# These are the list of acceptable C++ extensions. If you want to support
# some non-standard C++ extension not listed here, just add it to this list.
#
CPP_EXTS = cpp cxx cc C c++

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# don't mess with these definitions
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
CCC_SOURCE_FILES = $(wildcard *.c)
CPP_SOURCE_FILES = $(wildcard $(foreach ext, $(CPP_EXTS), *.$(ext)))
SOURCE_FILES     = $(CCC_SOURCE_FILES) $(CPP_SOURCE_FILES)

ifeq ($(CPP_SOURCE_FILES),)
CC = $(CCC)
else
CC = $(CPP)
endif

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# orphan header files
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Any header files with no corresponding code file.
#
ORPHAN_H = $(filter-out $(addsuffix .h, $(basename $(SOURCE_FILES))), $(wildcard *.h))

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# object files
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# These lists are generated from the source code files, meaning that if
# "foo.cxx" (or whatever the specified extention is) exists then "foo.o"
# is included in this list.
#
CCC_OBJS = $(addsuffix .o, $(basename $(CCC_SOURCE_FILES)))
CPP_OBJS = $(addsuffix .o, $(basename $(CPP_SOURCE_FILES)))
ALL_OBJS = $(CCC_OBJS) $(CPP_OBJS)

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# exe name
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# This is the name of the executable we are creating. It is generated
# using the grep utility to find the file containing the main function.
#
# The regular expression is this:
#   beginning of line may contain whitespace
#   first non-whitespace character in line may not be /
#   any other non-whitespace characters OK
#   next word must be 'main'
#   followed by optional whitespace
#   followed by '('
#
# Limitations
#   This cannot account for multi-line comments where the word 'main' followed
#   by '(' appears and does not have a '/*' or '//' at the beginning of the
#   line.
#
grep_cmd = grep -l '^[ \t\v]*[^/]*.*\<main[ \t\v]*(' $(SOURCE_FILES)
BIN_NAME = $(basename $(shell $(grep_cmd)))

ifneq ($(words $(BIN_NAME)),1)
$(error Only one file may use the word 'main(' ))
endif

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# function to convert foo.o to foo.cpp
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# arguments
#   $(1)  the name of the object file, e.g. "foo.o"
#
obj_to_src = $(foreach name, $(foreach ext, $(CPP_EXTS), $(addsuffix .$(ext), $(basename $(1)))), $(filter $(name), $(CPP_SOURCE_FILES)))

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN MAIN
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# This rule is for the default target, which is to compile the program
# (whatever it may be). If the program itself has a header file it is
# listed as a prerequisite.
#
$(BIN_NAME): $(ALL_OBJS) $(filter $(BIN_NAME).h, $(wildcard *.h))
	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(ALL_OBJS) $(LDFLAGS) -o $(BIN_NAME)

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# individual source modules
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# This rule compiles each source file into an object file. If a header file
# corresponding to the source file exists (i.e. "code.cxx" and "code.h") it
# is included in the prerequisites. (That way the source file is properly
# recompiled if the header file is changed.)
#
ifneq ($(CCC_OBJS),)
$(CCC_OBJS): $(addsuffix .c, $(*F)) $(filter $(addsuffix .h, $(basename $@)), $(wildcard *.h)) $(ORPHAN_H)
	$(CCC) $(CFLAGS) -c $(addsuffix .c, $(*F)) -o $@
endif

ifneq ($(CPP_OBJS),)
$(CPP_OBJS): $(call obj_to_src, $@) $(filter $(addsuffix .h, $(basename $@)), $(wildcard *.h)) $(ORPHAN_H)
	$(CPP) $(CFLAGS) -c $(call obj_to_src, $@) -o $@
endif

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# cleanup
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
.PHONY: clean
clean: FORCE
	rm -f *.o

.PHONY: cleaner
cleaner: FORCE
	rm -f *.o $(BIN_NAME)

FORCE:

#end Makefile

Enjoy!

[Ancient Dragon]

OMG am I happy that I use Microsoft Visual Studio. All that makefile stuff makes my head swim. :)

[Duoas]

Me too. ;)

(I wrote this for students who couldn't write a ten-line makefile. This one is actually pretty straight-forward, but it uses a couple of GNU-specific tricks. You should see the reams of unreadable garbage that comes out of automated programs like automake and the like.)

[benasour]

Thanks Duoas! You can use this with multiple file programs, right? I used to just modify my Makefile with ALL/all/$(ALL) and tell the makefile which files to include then use make main.c. It seems you have to use a slightly different command. I created a class called Grid and have the interface in Grid.h and the implementation in Grid.cpp and the main in testGrid.cpp. I have all these files plus the Makefile in one folder and try the command make testGrid.cpp but I get the message " *** missing separator. Stop." How do you compile with this Makefile?

[Duoas]

Yes, just stick all your files in one directory and make sure only one file declares "main(".

You need to have the grep utility and gmake on your system. It will not work with other make programs.

To use it, just type gmake at the prompt.

Remember, this is just for simple projects. If you are compiling with anything unusual, like the math library or curses library or etc, you'll have to modify the "general options" section.

Enjoy.