Build Tools
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Tools > Build Tools
Use the Build Tools dialog box to define external programs to be executed during a compile or from the Project Manager.
To associate a custom build tool with a specific file, see Adding a Custom Build Tool.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
|
Tools |
Lists the existing build tools that you have created, if any. Click New to add a new build tool. The initial name for the tool is CustomTool<n>. To change the name of a selected build tool, use the Name field. |
|
Name |
Enter the name you want to use for the build tool. |
|
Description |
Enter an optional description of the build tool. |
|
Command(s) |
Enter the command or commands that the build tool is to execute. To enter several commands, write one command per line. |
|
Output File(s) |
(Optional) Output file of your custom build tool. If specified, this output file is used for dependency checking. |
|
Macros |
Lists the macros that you can use in the command line. For example, |
Example
Suppose you enter the following custom tool command in the Command(s) field:
midl.exe $(InputFileName) /cstub $(InputFileName).c
This command runs the Microsoft IDL compiler using the macro $(InputFileName), which expands to the full path to the file in the project that is associated with this custom tool. The output is a file with the same name but with a .c file extension.
Enter in the Output File(s) edit box:
$(InputFileName).c
$(InputFileName) expands to the file name without the extension. This ensures that the command is run only when the output file is out of date with respect to the input file.