| Once the source and binary trees are separate, the ability to make a reference source tree read-only often comes for free if the only files generated by the build are the binary files placed in the output tree. However, if source files are generated, then we must take care that they are placed in the binary tree. In the simpler "compile from binary tree" approach, the generated files are written into the binary tree automatically because the yacc and lex programs are executed from the binary tree. In the "compile from source tree" approach, we are forced to provide explicit paths for our source and target files, so specifying the path to a binary tree file is no extra work, except that we must remember to do it. The other obstacles to making the reference source tree read only are usually self-imposed. Often a legacy build system will include actions that create files in the source tree because the original author had not considered the advantages to a read-only source tree. Examples include generated documentation, log files, and temporary files. Moving these files to the output tree can sometimes be arduous, but if building multiple binary trees from a single source is necessary, the alternative is to maintain multiple, identical source trees and keep them in sync. |
