OT: how to get make to run a script before each build

[Steve Franks]

On Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 5:46 PM, Mel
<fbsd.questions at rachie.is-a-geek.net> wrote:
>
> On Wednesday 12 March 2008 01:15:52 Steve Franks wrote:
>  > I'd like to keep track of how many times I've run make for a given
>  > source.  I'm sure someone knows how to get make to run a script before
>  > doing anything else, but using the regular build rules (aka. only if a
>  > source file has changed).  Of course typing any permutation of this
>  > question into google gives me 10^life of universe in microseconds
>  > hits.
>
>  mysource.c.o:
>         count=`cat /var/db/makecounter.${.IMPSRC}`
>         count=$$(($$count+1))
>         echo $$count >/var/db/makecounter.${.IMPSRC}
>         ${CC} ${CFLAGS} -c ${.IMPSRC}
>
>  or something to that effect, key being, change/override the compilation rule
>  for your specific or all files.
>  Default single/double suffix rules are in /usr/share/mk/sys.mk.
>  --
>  Mel
>
>  Problem with today's modular software: they start with the modules
>     and never get to the software part.
>

Ah!  Sorry, I was asking for the make rule, not the script.  Which is
to say, what am I doing wrong here:

%.elf:  $(TARGET)BuildNum $(AOBJARM) $(AOBJ) $(COBJARM) $(COBJ)
$(CPPOBJ) $(CPPOBJARM) $(LIBS)
...

#increment build number
$(TARGET)BuildNum: %$(TARGET)BuildNum : *.h *.hpp *.c *.cpp
	btracer $(TARGET)

gives:

gmake: *** No rule to make target `*.h', needed by `MainBuildNum'.  Stop.

Thanks,
Steve