Differences between MMK and DEC/MMS

MMK does not support FMS forms libraries or CDD/Repository libraries.

MMK does not honor the “; action” syntax on dependency rule lines that can be used with DEC/MMS. Make sure all actions are on separate lines.

MMK does not handle wildcard dependency rules.

MMK does not support all of the command qualifiers supported by DEC/MMS. In addition, the MMK's /GENERATION qualifier is completely different from DEC/MMS's /GENERATE qualifier.

MMK does not have a DECwindows interface.

MMK does not automatically load the MMS$RULES file if that logical name is defined or that file exists in the current directory; you must specify /RULES on the MMK command to have it loaded. Use the MMK_LOCAL_RULES or MMK_PERSONAL_RULES logical names to have rules automatically loaded by MMK.

MMK gives you more options for rules files, and is set up to allow multiple rules files to be present. Rule file processing follows this sequence:

These rules-processing features, coupled with the ability to redefine macros defined in rules files, make it easier to customize MMK's behavior when needed.

MMK trims blanks out of $(MMS$SOURCE_LIST).

MMK includes support for the following special local macros:

MMK will display activity in the subprocess while action lines are being executed when you press CTRL/T.

MMK allows you to redefine macros.

MMK, in most cases, has more flexible syntax rules for its description files, allowing blanks where MMS does not (e.g., in library module specifications).

MMK pre-defines the macros __VAX__ for builds on VAX systems, __AXP__ for builds on Alpha systems, __I64__ for builds on IA64 systems, and __X86__ and __X86_64__ for builds on x86-64 systems.

MMK supports prefixed inference rules (described in Section 2.3, “Defining Inference Rules”).

When used with DEC/CMS, MMK will “double-infer” a dependency on a non-existent source file, if that file currently resides in a CMS library.

MMK includes a /DUMP qualifier for debugging problems with makefiles.

MMK provides a /GENERATION qualifier on the MMK command for specifying the default CMS generation to be used when elements are checked for revisions and fetched out of CMS.

MMK provides the /WORKING_DIRECTORY qualifier.

MMK allows "generic" targets (those that do not refer to an actual file) to have null action lists. MMS requires all targets to have an action list.

MMK adds the ${name} syntax for deferring resolution of macros on the right-hand side of a macro definition.

MMK adds a generic string-substitution function for macro references.

MMK allows any rule, including built-in rules, to override the .DEFAULT actions. DEC/MMS lets .DEFAULT actions override built-in rules.

When a build action does not update a target, MMK will issue an information message, except for generic targets. DEC/MMS only issues such messages in certain cases.

MMK explicitly builds dependency rules for files on which library modules depend, even if those files are not mentioned in the description file. This may lead to MMK behaving differently from DEC/MMS, although if the description file is correct, the end result will be the same.

MMK parses comments and continuation lines differently, so that a hyphen at the end of a comment is not considered a continuation of the comment.

MMK is more lenient about applying inference rules. It only checks for a match on the suffix and, if present, the prefix. If you have a dependency with an explicit target and source that match by suffix (and possibly prefix), even if the base names do not match, the inference rule can be applied. MMS requires that base names match to apply an inference rule. Note that MMK's behavior may change to match MMS in a future release.