Automake
Automake is a tool for automatically generating Makefile.am files that comply with the GNU coding standards. It simplifies the creation and maintenance of Makefiles for complex software projects.
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Automake: Automate GNU Coding Standards Compliance
Automake is a tool for automatically generating Makefile.am files that comply with the GNU coding standards. It simplifies the creation and maintenance of Makefiles for complex software projects.
What is Automake?
Automake is a software development tool that assists in creating and maintaining portable Makefiles for projects that use Autoconf. It enforces the GNU coding standards for Makefiles and simplifies the process of creating standards-compliant Makefiles for complex software projects.
Some key features of Automake include:
- Automatic generation of Makefile.am files from Automake template files
- Automatic dependency tracking and generation of Makefile rules
- Support for parallel builds and other GNU make capabilities
- Integration with Autoconf to create configure scripts
- Portability across UNIX-like systems
- Flexible syntax for defining Makefile variables, targets, and more
Automake saves developers time and effort by taking care of many of the tedious details involved in crafting robust, reusable Makefiles. It encourages the use of best practices for Makefiles across large, complex software projects consisting of many packages and libraries.
Automake Features
Features
- Automatically generates Makefile.am files from Makefile.in files
- Supports automatic dependency tracking and parallel builds
- Integrates with Autoconf to provide a full build environment
- Supports various languages like C, C++, Fortran, Java, Objective-C
- Handles library dependencies and subdirectories seamlessly
- Allows overriding defaults and customization through config files
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Saves time by automating Makefile creation
Promotes standardization and best practices for builds
Simplifies build configuration for large, complex projects
Easy to integrate with build tools like Autoconf and Libtool
Actively maintained and well-documented
Cons
Yet another build tool to learn
Limited flexibility compared to handwritten Makefiles
Not as feature-rich as some alternatives like CMake
Requires GNU build tools and may not work on all platforms
Can have a steep learning curve
Official Links
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