Subject: How Does .ORDER Work in Makefiles?
To: None <netbsd-help@netbsd.org>
From: Chris Jepeway <jepeway@blasted-heath.com>
List: netbsd-help
Date: 10/28/2001 17:57:20
Hi:

Based on my reading of make(1), I'd expect the special target
.ORDER to specify the order in which listed dependencies were
to be built.  So, eg, a line like:

		.ORDER : 3 2 1

would cause the targets 3, 2 and 1 to be built in that order:
3 first, then 2, then 1.  However, the following Makefile

		numbers = 1 2 3
		.ORDER: 3 2 1

		all: $(numbers)


		$(numbers):
			: $@

prints out

		: 1
		: 2
		: 3

instead of 

		: 3
		: 2
		: 1

as I'd expect.  I've tried moving the .ORDER line around
to every position in the file, but the output doesn't
change.

So, I guess I'm missing something.  How is .ORDER supposed to be used?

Chris <jepeway@blasted-heath.com>.