Appendix C - The AUTOMAKE Configuration File Editor

The AUTOMAKE Configuration File Editor (AMEDIT) is a Windows based utility for creating and maintaining configuration files for use by AUTOMAKE. You can start it from a Windows command prompt by typing

      AMEDIT

to create a new file, or

      AMEDIT myproject.fig

to edit an existing one. AMEDIT is also started automatically when the Windows version of AUTOMAKE first runs in a directory with no AUTOMAKE.FIG.

If you are creating a new file, the editor first presents a dialog containing a set of options suitable for most simple projects. To proceed, select: -

• Which compiler and options to use. There is a drop down list containing commonly used alternatives.

• Which files to compile - typically *.f90 or *.for.

• The name of the executable file. The default (target.exe) can be changed by typing in the third box, or by using the file selection dialog (click on the button at the right of the box).

If your project is more complicated than that – for example if you have files in more than one directory, or you need special linker instructions – click on the Editor button; and a new dialog with many more possibilities is displayed.

The pane on the left hand side lists the sections in the AUTOMAKE.FIG file. When you click on the section in the left hand pane, details appear in the right hand pane. Typically there is a general section, which specifies options, such as debug switches, which relate to the entire process. One or more compilation sections follow this, each specifying a set of files to be compiled together with the compiler options. Finally, there is usually a link section, in which the link command is specified.

The link section, shown above, allows you to enter the executable file name and the link command (see the description of LINK= for an explanation of place markers such as %rf and %ex). There is a drop down list of linker options which, once selected, can be added to the Link command by clicking on the "+" button. Finally, you can add comments as required in the box at the bottom of the right hand pane.

Compilation sections are similar to link sections, but with a few more options:

This time, you must specify the files to be compiled (see FILES=) and the compile command (see COMPILE=). As in the LINK section, there is a drop down list of compiler options that can be appended to the compile command by clicking on the "+" button.

The other entries are all optional. They are:

• The directories to be searched for INCLUDE files (see INCLUDE=)
• The target directory for object files (see OBJDIR=)
• The object file extension (see OBJEXT=)
• The target directory for .MOD files (see MODULE=)
• Comments

New compilation sections can be added by clicking on Add Compilation, and deleted by clicking on Delete Phase. The order of compilation sections can be changed using the arrow buttons at the bottom left.

The General Section, includes three check-boxes:

• To specify whether AUTOMAKE should continue after a compilation error (see QUITONERROR and NOQUITONERROR)
• To specify whether debugging data should be written to a file called AUTOMAKE.DBG (see DEBUG)
• To specify whether a simple make file called AUTOMAKE.MAK should be written as an aid to debugging (see MAKEMAKE).

The Advanced button gives access to other infrequently used options (SYSINCLUDE, CHECK=, DEP=, LATESCAN and SALFORDOBJ).