[Python-Dev] addressing distutils inability to track file dependencies

[Guido van Rossum]

> "gcc -M" gives you all dependencies.  "gcc -MM" gives you just the
> stuff included via '#include "file"' and omits the headers included
> via '#include <file>'.  Programmers use <file> and "file"
> inconsistently enough that it's probably better to just use -M and
> eliminate the files you don't care about (or leave them in and have
> Python rebuild automatically after OS upgrades).  There are several
> other variants as well.  Search the GCC man page for "-M".

Cool.

> It seems to me that distutils' base compiler class could provide a generic
> makedepend-like method which could be overridden in subclasses where
> specific compilers have better builtin schemes for dependency generation.

Care to whip up a patch?

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)