ghc-pkg

[Simon Marlow]

> Additionally, ghc --make lacks (AFAIK) several useful=20
> features found in=20
> other make tools (although not all in the same tool...):
>
>    1. The ability to distingush directories containing source=20
> code to be
>       compiled from directories containing previously compiled code
>       (hmake has the flags -P and -i, hbcmake has -i and -I). (I guess
>       you could use -package-conf as a cumbersome substitute, though.)
>
>    2. The ability to specify compiler flags for individual modules
>       without putting them in the source code. (Some flags=20
> are 'static'
>       and can not be put in the source code.)
>    3. The ability to compile several modules in parallel, on a
>       multi-processor machine, or a network of workstations.
>    4. The ability to automatically invoke program generators=20
> (e.g. happy)...
>    5. A graphical user interface.

All valid arguments, of course.  But in --make's favour, it *is* much
faster than individual compiles.  In a little test I did today, ghc
--make beats hmake/nhc98 on a reasonably sized program
(nofib/real/anna).  I timed both with -H32m and no optimisation, ghc
--make compiled it in 48 seconds compared to 51 seconds for hmake/nhc98.
On small individual modules, nhc98 wins hands down though.

Ok, so speed isn't everything, and I hear the arguments you enumerated
above.  Most of these can be achieved through extra compiler support,
and the last one (a make GUI) should actually be easier with GHC once we
get around to specifying the compiler's programmatic API more precisely.

Cheers,
	Simon