Hi,

In the win32/makefile.mk, pertaining to the building of perl with 64-bit 
Microsoft compilers (in particular "Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows 
Server 2003 R2"), we have:

.IF "$(WIN64)" == "define"
LIBBASEFILES    = $(LIBBASEFILES) bufferoverflowU.lib
.ENDIF

With nmake there's no problem with that but, to dmake, that middle line is 
an error because of the circularity regarding LIBBASEFILES. (Sorry, I've 
lost the exact error message, though I can easily re-create it if that's 
important.)

Is there a simple way of rewriting that middle line that both keeps dmake 
happy && has the desired effect ?

I'm currently working around the problem by replacing (in makefile.mk):

#####################################
LIBBASEFILES = $(CRYPT_LIB)   oldnames.lib kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib   
comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib   netapi32.lib uuid.lib ws2_32.
lib mpr.lib winmm.lib   version.lib odbc32.lib odbccp32.lib

# The 64 bit Platform SDK compilers contain a runtime library that doesn't
# include the buffer overrun verification code used by the /GS switch.
# Since the code links against libraries that are compiled with /GS, this
# "security cookie verification" must be included via bufferoverlow.lib.
.IF "$(WIN64)" == "define"
LIBBASEFILES    = $(LIBBASEFILES) bufferoverflowU.lib
.ENDIF
#####################################
with:
#####################################
# The 64 bit Platform SDK compilers contain a runtime library that doesn't
# include the buffer overrun verification code used by the /GS switch.
# Since the code links against libraries that are compiled with /GS, this
# "security cookie verification" must be included via bufferoverlow.lib.
.IF "$(WIN64)" == "define"
LIBBASEFILES = $(CRYPT_LIB)   oldnames.lib kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib   
comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib   netapi32.lib uuid.lib ws2_32.
lib mpr.lib winmm.lib   version.lib odbc32.lib odbccp32.lib bufferoverflowU.lib
.ELSE
LIBBASEFILES = $(CRYPT_LIB)   oldnames.lib kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib   
comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib   netapi32.lib uuid.lib ws2_32.
lib mpr.lib winmm.lib   version.lib odbc32.lib odbccp32.lib
.ENDIF
#####################################

But my solution is a bit long-winded if there's a simpler way of getting the 
required result.

(I'd provide the 'diff -u', except that it would be clouded by all of the 
other changes I've made to the makefile.mk that I'm working with.)

Two other things come to mind:

1) Why do we try to retain support for MS compilers in the makefile.mk ? 
Since those compilers ship with nmake, wouldn't it make sense to decree that 
the makefile.mk is for dmake only ? ... and decree that the MS compilers use 
nmake and the win32/Makefile exclusively ? (Maybe not ... I've heard a 
rumour that perl supports TIMTOWTDI :-)

2) Should the win32 makefile(s) be rewritten to cater for the possibility 
that the MS compiler being used to build perl does *not* necessarily require 
a link to bufferoverflowU.lib ? (For some 64-bit MS compilers attempting to 
link to bufferoverflowU.lib is a fatal error, as that library does not exist 
for them.)

Cheers,
Rob