bld/Depends can get out of sync with dependencies in evolving code

[klindsay28]

During development, I usually have a stand-alone case that I do test builds and runs in, prior to invoking create_test. As I change code, I regularly run case.build to ensure that the new code compiles.

A recent change I made introduced a new dependency between Fortran modules, A.F90 now uses B.F90, where it did not before. The new dependency was not reflected in the bld/Depends file, because the Depends file was never updated. I also ran case.build --clean, which removed the .mod files. It turns out that make tried to compile A.F90 prior to compiling B.F90, and the compiler couldn't find B.mod. So I couldn't get the build to work. It did work when I setup a completely new case.

I think there needs to be a mechanism to rebuild the Depends file.

[gold2718]

You may not consider this a solution but here is my method for this situation (commands executed from case directory):

./case.build --clean-all
rm -rf bld
./case.setup --clean
./case.setup

[jedwards4b]

What @gold2718 said with the additional note that
./case.setup --clean
./case.setup

can be replaced by
./case.setup --reset

[mvertens]

I think it puts an undue burden on the developers to know that they actually have to issue a "rm -rf bld" command. Any user would naively assume that simply issuing a ./case.build --clean-all would be sufficient. Maybe a new argument such as --clean-bld would clarify that --clean-all does not remove the bld and therefore any dependencies that are in the bld directory and that you need a stronger command to ensure this. At least the user would be aware of this behavior from the help command.

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On Mon, Feb 13, 2017 at 6:52 PM, jedwards4b ***@***.***> wrote: What @gold2718 <https://github.com/gold2718> said with the additional note that ./case.setup --clean ./case.setup can be replaced by ./case.setup --reset — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#1138 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AHlxE5vrbOxw2x86bwmQV3TQCeVMD-a4ks5rcQjGgaJpZM4L_6VU> .

[gold2718]

I'm not sure why --clean-all does not remove bld or at least all the files in bld. @jedwards4b? @jgfouca?

[jgfouca]

@gold2718 good question, it seems like it should. Maybe there's some legacy reason why it doesn't.

[jedwards4b]

I think it just felt like overkill - we can try that change if you want.

[gold2718]

I agree about the overkill but right now, we have underkill which is worse because --clean-all does not work.

[jedwards4b]

Cleaning by simply removing the build directory is incorrect and causes problems in the case of tests that build two executables in the same directory. PR #1140 addresses this issue without removing the bld directory.