Provided by: icmake_8.01.00-1_amd64 
NAME
icmconf - Configuration file for the icmbuild(1) program maintenance script
DESCRIPTION
The icmconf configuration file is used to specify and fine-tune the characteristics of program
maintenance performed by the icmbuild(1) script. It can be used to activate and specify various
directives that determine how the program or library maintenance is performed.
The directives are biased towards the construction of a C++ program, but program maintenance for other
languages (e.g., C) can also easily be configured.
The icmbuild(1) script ignores empty lines and lines whose first non-blank character is a hash-mark (#)
as well as lines whose first non-blank characters are two consecutive forward slashes (//). Long lines
can be split over multiple lines by using a final backslash character at lines continuing at the next
line (refer to the icmake(1) man-page for further details).
CLASS DEPENDENCIES
Traditional make-utilities recompile all dependent sources once header files are modified. When
developing C++ programs this is hardly ever requird, as adding a new member function to a class does not
require you to recompile already existing source files. Recompilation is required when modifying the data
member organization of classes.
To handle class dependencies in a more sensible way, icmake(1)’s CLASSES file may define dependencies
among classes.
By default, class-dependencies are not interpreted. To activate class-dependencoes recognition then the
line
//#define USE_ALL "a"
in the icmconf file must be uncommented:
#define USE_ALL "a"
If a class Y depends on class X as in:
class Y: public X
{
...
};
or as in:
class Y
{
X d_y;
...
};
then the sources of class Y should be recompiled if X’s data organization has changed. In such cases Y
depends on X.
Such class dependencies can be specified in the CLASSES file using the form:
y x
where x and y are the names of the directories in which the respective class sources are found. If
icmconf contains a line
#define USE_ALL "a"
then, after modifying X’s data organization, do ’touch x/a’, followed by ’icmbuild program’. Icmbuild now
compiles all of x’s sources as well as the sources in directories (in)directly depending on x (in the
example: the sources in the y directory).
Multiple dependencies can also be specified. If the class organization looks like this:
class Z: public Y
{
X d_x;
};
then Z depends on both Y and X. In the CLASSES file this is configured like this:
z x y
Indirect dependencies are automatically recognized. After changing X’s data organization where CLASSES
contains the lines
x
y x
z y
then icmbuild recompiles all source files in directories x, y and z.
ICMCONF PARAMETERS
o #define ADD_LIBRARIES ""
When a program must be linked against additional libraries (other than the name of the program’s
library itself, if specified at LIBRARY) then those libraries should be specified, blank space
separated, here. E.g., when a program is linked against libbobcat then the specification is:
#define ADD_LIBRARIES "bobcat"
o #define ADD_LIBRARY_PATHS ""
When the additional libraries (specified at ADD_LIBRARIES) are located in non-standard library
locations (e.g., not in /lib and /usr/lib) then these additional paths are (blank space separated)
specified here. Specify only the paths, not the -L flags.
o #define CLS
The clear screen directive. If defined tput clear is called to clear the terminal screen before
starting the compilation. By default it is not defined.
o #define CXX "g++"
The C++ compiler to use. For a C compiler use, e.g., #define CC "gcc". Its setting is overruled by
an identically named environment variable.
o #define CXXFLAGS "--std=c++14 -Wall -O2"
The compiler options to use. The default options are shown. When the C compiler is used, use
#define CFLAGS rather than CXXFLAGS. Its setting is overruled by an identically named environment
variable.
o #define DEFCOM "..."
A DEFCOM directive may be added to the icmconf file (the icmstart(1) script can do this for you).
It may be defined as:
#define DEFCOM "program"
in which case icmbuild will do program maintenance. It may also be defined as:
#define DEFCOM "program strip"
in which case icmbuild does program maintenance, creating a stripped binary program.
Alternatively it may also be defined as:
#define DEFCOM "library"
in which case icmbuild does library maintenance.
o #define IH ".ih"
The extension used for internal header files. See #define PRECOMP below.
o #define LDFLAGS ""
The linker options to use. By default no options are passed to the linker. Its setting is
overruled by an identically named environment variable.
o #define LIBRARY "modules"
By default this directive is not defined. If defined a local library is constructed. When a binary
program is built it will be linked against this library rather than to the individual object
modules.
If a library must be constructed (see also the DEFCOM directive), then the LIBRARY directive must
specify the library’s base name (without the lib prefix and without the .a extension).
After a library has been constructed icmbuild install static dir installs the static library at
dir, while icmbuild install shared dir installs the shared library (see below at #define SHARED)
at dir.
o #define MAIN "main.cc"
The source file in which the int main function is defined. This specification may be left as-is or
may completely be removed if icmbuild(1) is used for library maintenance rather than program
maintenance.
o #define OBJ_EXT ".o"
The extension of object modules created by the compiler.
o //#define PRECOMP "-x c++-header"
When activated internal header files (see #define IH) are precompiled when they are more recent
than their precompiled versions. They are removed again by icmbuild clean. To specify internal
header files for other languages change the -x specification accordingly. By default this #define
is not active.
o #define REFRESH
Define REFRESH to relink the binary program at every icmbuild program call. By default REFRESH is
not defined.
o #define SHARED
This directive is only interpreted if LIBRARY was also specified. If defined a static library
(extension .a) as well as a shared library (extension .so*) is built. If not specified, but
LIBRARY was specified, only the static library is built. By default SHARED is not defined.
The shared library receives as its major version number VERSION’s major version number, and
receives VERSION as its full version number. E.g., if VERSION is defined as 1.02.03 and LIBRARY is
defined as demo then the shared library libdemo.so.1.02.03 is constructed, with libdemo.so.1
soft-linking to it, with libdemo.so in turn soft-linking to libdemo.so.1.
o #define SHAREDREQ ""
When creating a shared library SHAREDREQ specifies the names of libraries and library paths that
are required by the shared library. E.g., if a library is found in /usr/lib/special, assuming
that the name of the required library is libspecial.so, then use the specification
"-L/usr/lib/special -lspecial". The /lib and /usr/lib paths are usually predefined and need not
be specified. This directive is only interpreted if SHARED and LIBRARY were also defined.
o #define SOURCES "*.cc"
The pattern to locate sources in a directory. The default value is shown.
o #define TMP_DIR "tmp"
The directory in which intermediate results are stored. Relative to the current working directory
unless an absolute path is specified.
o #define USE_ALL "a"
After defining this directive (by default it is not defined) a class dependency setup defined in
the CLASSES file is interpreted. In this case, when a directory contains a file named at the
USE_ALL directive, then all sources of that class as well as all sources of all classes depending
on it are (re)compiled. The program’s root directory is assumed to depend on all other
directories.
Class dependencies in CLASSES consist of the class name (as the first word on a line) optionally
followed by additional class names, which are the classes on which the line’s first class name
depends.
Assuming that a program uses five classes One, Two, Three, Four and Five, whose sources are in,
respectively, directories one, two, three, four, and five. If class Three depends on class Two,
which in turn depends on class One, while class Five depends on Three and Four, then the file
CLASSES may reflect these dependencies as follows:
one
two one
three two
four
five three four
Afer touching (creating) the file two/a (using e.g., the command touch two/a) all sources of the
classes Two, Three and Five as well as all the sources in the program’s root directory are
recompiled: Two is recompiled because of the existence of two/a, Three is recompiled because it
depends on Two, Five is recompiled because it depends on Three, the sources in the program’s root
directory are recompiled because at least one directory was recompiled.
Following the recompilations the s specified at #define USE_ALL are removed.
When the USE_ALL directive was defined the command icmbuild clean also removes any leftover
USE_ALL files from the program’s direct subdirectories.
o #define USE_ECHO ON
When specified as ON (rather than OFF) commands executed by icmbuild are echoed.
o #define USE_VERSION
If defined (which is the default) the file VERSION is read by icmconf to determine the
program/library’s version, and the project’s release years.
PARSER MAINTENANCE
The following directives are available in cases where a program uses a parser generator creating a
parser class from a grammar specification:
o #define PARSER_DIR ""
The subdirectory containing the parser’s specification file.
If parser maintenance is not required, then this directive can be omitted. If omitted, then all
other directives, that begin with PARS, can also be omitted.
o #define PARSFILES ""
If the parser specification file named at PARSSPEC itself includes additional specification files,
then patterns matching these additional grammar specification files should be specified here. The
pattern is interpreted in the directory specified at PARSER_DIR and could contain a subdirectory
name (e.g. specs/*). When files matching the pattern are modified then a new parser will be
created. By default no additional specification files are used.
o #define PARSFLAGS "-V"
The flags to use when calling the program specified at PARSGEN.
o #define PARSGEN "bisonc++"
The name of the program generating the parser.
o #define PARSOUT "parse.cc"
The name of the file generated by the parser generator (which is used by icmbuild to compare the
timestamps of the parser specification s against).
o #define PARSSPEC "grammar"
The name of the parser specification file. This file is expected in the directory specified at
PARSER_DIR.
SCANNER MAINTENANCE
The following directives are available in cases where a program uses a scanner generator creating a
lexical scanner class from a set of regular expressions:
o #define SCANNER_DIR ""
The subdirectory containing the scanner’s specification file.
If lexical scanner maintenance is not required, then this directive can be omitted. If omitted,
then all other directives, that begin with SCAN, can also be omitted.
o #define SCANFILES ""
If the lexical scanner specification file named at SCANSPEC itself includes additional
specification files, then patterns matching these additional lexer specification files should be
specified here. The pattern is interpreted in the directory specified at SCANNER_DIR and could
contain a subdirectory name (e.g. specs/*). When files matching the pattern are modified then a
new lexical scanner will be created. By default no additional specification files are used.
o #define SCANFLAGS ""
The flags to use when calling the program specified at SCANGEN.
o #define SCANGEN "flexc++"
The name of the program generating the lexical scanner.
o #define SCANOUT "lex.cc"
The name of the file generated by the lexical scanner (which is used by icmbuild to compare the
timestamps of the scanner specification s against).
o #define SCANSPEC "lexer"
The name of the lexical scanner specification file. This file is expected in the directory
specified at SCANNER_DIR.
FILES
The mentioned paths are sugestive only and may be installation dependent:
o /usr/share/icmake/CLASSES
Example of an icmconf CLASSES file.
o /usr/share/icmake/icmconf
Default skeleton icmbuild resource file.
o /etc/icmake
Directory containing the default system-wide icmake(1) configuration files (like VERSION and
icmstart.rc)
o $HOME/.icmake
Optional directory containing user-defined specifications overruling the system-wide definitions.
This directory is the proper location for a file AUTHOR defining the AUTHOR directive with the
user’s name. E.g., my .icmake/AUTHOR file contains:
#define AUTHOR "Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl)";
SEE ALSO
icmake(1), icmbuild(1), icmstart(1), icmstart.rc(7).
BUGS
icmbuild(1) ends displaying a fatal error message if the current working directory does not contain a file icmconf.
COPYRIGHT
This is free software, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).
AUTHOR
Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl).