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No it doesn’t. Makefiles define inputs, outputs and the commands that transform input to output. Make then compares the last modified timestamp of inputs with o
by bringtheaction 9y ago
No it doesn’t. Makefiles define inputs, outputs and the commands that transform input to output. Make then compares the last modified timestamp of inputs with outputs on each run and reruns the commands for the targets that are out of date.
Make is in no way limited to C or C++ projects and there is absolutely nothing wrong in using Make for a JavaScript project.
The only thing that sucks a bit is maintaining the list of inputs and outputs if you have a lot of files.
Well, that and the fact that Makefiles are not generally portable between GNU and BSD Make so if you use both Linux and a BSD you need to install either gmake on BSD or bmake on Linux and then remember to invoke that rather than just make for your project. Of course you could have a bash function that will look and pick GNU make if there is a GNUmakefile in your directory and BSD make if there is a BSDmakefile, but maintaining such things is a hassle as well.
It always comes down to picking the right tool and sometimes Make will be it and sometimes it won’t but whether the output is JavaScript or a PDF (e.g. from LaTeX documents) or JPEGs or whatever has very little to do with it.
- andrewmcwatters 9y ago> Make is in no way limited to C or C++ projects and there is absolutely nothing wrong in using Make for a JavaScript project. The fact that you have to acknowledge this proves how unorthodox it is, and ignores team concerns. So no, there is something wrong with using Make for a JavaScript project: people don't normally do it. > It always comes down to picking the right tool You're right, stick to the ones people actively use and don't pretend features exist in bubbles.
- markmark 9y agoI can't believe you've been down-voted for these two posts. If you convert your js projects to make you are going to be the only person on your team who ever touches them again for no pay off.
- andrewmcwatters 9y agoI've generally found that criticism, even if a reasonable sentiment, on Hacker News trends downwards. It seems to be more favorable to support something or stay silent, than to give critical commentary. It could also just be my tone. I'm sure my comments would be more popular if I ignored the realities of software development and only praised the novelties of it.
- wruza 9y ago“there is something wrong with using xxx for a yyy: people don't normally do it” seems like a logical fallacy even without considering the details, which even more people are not interested in.
- andrewmcwatters 9y agohow is that a logical fallacy at all? do you know what a logical fallacy is? it's a measurable fact nowhere does make show up on the top of the list of build tools for this ecosystem during regularly published analytics for the industry im astounded so many idiots have such high karma counts on hn, what a wonderful place to have discourse
- wruza 9y agoIf you’re about my karma, then it is not high as far as I care, nor am I too smart, as you noticed. Most of upvotes I got were stupid rants and complaints about modern ui and javascript with few points that I personally find important. I think we all differ in intelligency, understanding, style, etc, so my thought on karma is... it doesn’t matter; what matters is how one reacts to others meaning, both structured or emotional. I don’t see why your comments have to be grey at all, if that helps, just pointed out where few may have ‘misheard your tune’. But if it is unthoughtful, then it’s their problem, not yours. They’ll use make and suffer, isn’t it fair?
- detaro 9y agoNotably though how bambataa hasn't been downvoted with pretty much the same point, except conceding that that they are limited situations where it might work instead of blanket-declaring it always bad.
- vorotato 9y agoDrive by down votes, presumably because they thought you were incorrect but didn't even have the dignity to tell anyone why.
- bambataa 9y agoPerhaps if it's a project that only you and maybe a few other people will work on. But I think there's value in using tooling that other contributors from that ecosystem will be comfortable using. I say this as someone who doesn't really like the JS ecosystem and its churn. I suppose you could argue the JS community itself has valued novelty over using tooling others will be familiar with. But if you have two tools that do roughly the same thing, one known to a majority of contributors and one known to a minority, I would go with the more popular.
- boomlinde 9y ago> But I think there's value in using tooling that other contributors from that ecosystem will be comfortable using. I am a developer who works with other developers, so most of us will be comfortable with make.