VMS Help MMS, Qualifiers, /DESCRIPTION  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    /DESCRIPTION[=filespec...](D)
    /NODESCRIPTION target

    Controls whether MMS looks for a description file to update the
    target. These qualifiers affect the behavior of MMS, but not the
    execution of action lines.

    The filespec is an OpenVMS file specification or a logical name
    that identifies the description file. The default file type is
    .MMS. If a tilde (~)  follows the file specification, MMS fetches
    the description file from the default CMS library even if the
    description file exists in the default directory. The target is
    an OpenVMS file specification or a mnemonic name that designates
    the target to be built.

    When you specify more than one description file, separate the
    file specifications with either commas (,)  or plus signs (+)  and
    enclose them in parentheses or quotation marks.

    If you use commas, the description files are processed separately
    and the list of files must be enclosed in parentheses. For
    example:

    $ MMS/DESCRIPTION=(A, B)

    If you use plus signs, the description files are concatenated
    and processed as one file. The list of files must be enclosed in
    quotation marks. For example:

    $ MMS/DESCRIPTION="A + B"

    You can combine separate description files with description files
    to be concatenated and processed as one file. For example:

    $ MMS/DESCRIPTION=("A + B", CLEANUP)

    This command line directs MMS to process A.MMS and B.MMS as
    one file, and CLEANUP.MMS as another. In this case, there are
    two default targets: the first one is in either A.MMS or B.MMS
    (depending on the contents of the two files) and the second one
    is in CLEANUP.MMS.

    If you specify a list of description files in parentheses and a
    list of targets, the rules for updating all the listed targets
    must occur in all the listed description files. For example:

    $ MMS/DESC=(A,B) X,Y,Z

    In this case, the rules for updating X, Y, and Z must appear in
    both description files, A.MMS and B.MMS.

    If you specify a concatenated list of description files and a
    list of targets, the rules for updating all the listed targets
    must occur in the concatenated description file. For example:

    $ MMS/DESC="A + B" X,Y,Z

    In this case, the description file formed by the concatenation of
    A.MMS and B.MMS must contain the rules for updating X, Y, and Z.

    If you specify the /DESCRIPTION qualifier without a file
    specification or if you do not specify /DESCRIPTION, MMS looks
    first for the default description file DESCRIP.MMS. If it cannot
    locate that file, it looks for one called MAKEFILE.; if it
    cannot find MAKEFILE., it looks for target-name.MMS. If MMS
    finds target-name.MMS, it does not update the first target in
    the description file, but instead attempts to directly update the
    target indicated by target-name.MMS. For example:

    $ MMS MAIN.EXE

    In this example, if DESCRIP.MMS and MAKEFILE. are not present,
    MMS looks for a file named MAIN.MMS. If MAIN.MMS exists, MMS
    directly processes the target you specified on the command
    line, MAIN.EXE.

    If MMS cannot find any one of these files, it attempts to use
    built-in rules to build the target.

    If you use the /NODESCRIPTION qualifier, you must specify a
    target on the command line. /NODESCRIPTION directs MMS to ignore
    all description files and to build the target specified on the
    command line.

    For information on using the /DESCRIPTION qualifier with the
    description-file generator, refer to the /GENERATE qualifier.