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

    /SKIP_INTERMEDIATE
    /NOSKIP_INTERMEDIATE (D)

    Controls whether MMS builds intermediate source or target
    files. These qualifiers affect the behavior of MMS, but not the
    execution of action lines.

    The /SKIP_INTERMEDIATE qualifier directs MMS to determine whether
    a target is up-to-date without rebuilding intermediate files,
    unless they need to be updated.

    MMS first checks the target date against the dates of its
    sources. If the target is newer than its sources, MMS determines
    that the target does not need to be rebuilt; if MMS cannot find
    some intermediate files, it acts as though they already exist,
    and skips over them to check their sources, and so on.

    For example, if you have a .C file and an .EXE file, but no .OBJ
    file, and the time of the .EXE file is more recent than that
    of the .C file, the /SKIP_INTERMEDIATE qualifier prevents MMS
    from building the .OBJ file and the .EXE file because the target
    is already up-to-date with regard to its nearest source. Using
    /SKIP_INTERMEDIATE saves time and disk space.

    If the target is older than its sources, MMS determines that
    the target does need to be rebuilt. It then ensures that all of
    the target's immediate sources exist; if any do not, MMS works
    from the bottom up by first rebuilding the missing sources, then
    rebuilding the target. If the sources contain include files that
    have changed, are located in a CMS library, or both, MMS also
    fetches the include files and recompiles the source files, then
    rebuilds the system. For example:

    !
    ! SYSTEM2.MMS
    !
    SYSTEM2 : MAIN.EXE, MOD.EXE
    MAIN.EXE : MAIN.OBJ
    MAIN.OBJ : MAIN.C, DEFS1.H, DEFS2.H
    MOD.OBJ : MOD.C, DEFS2.H

    If the include file DEFS1.H changes, MMS does the following when
    you specify the /SKIP_INTERMEDIATE qualifier:

    1. Determines that one of the target's sources is newer than the
       target, and that the target must be rebuilt.

    2. Verifies that MAIN.OBJ depends on MAIN.C, which contains the
       include files DEFS1.H and DEFS2.H.

    3. Fetches MAIN.C, DEFS1.H, and DEFS2.H from the CMS library and
       recompiles MAIN.C.

    4. Because MAIN.OBJ is now newer than MAIN.EXE, MMS rebuilds
       MAIN.EXE.

    5. Because none of the sources for MOD.EXE have changed, MMS does
       not need to fetch them from CMS, and target SYSTEM2 is now
       up-to-date.

    The /NOSKIP_INTERMEDIATE qualifier directs MMS to ensure that
    all intermediate source files exist and are up-to-date. If any
    intermediate source files do not exist, MMS builds them. This is
    the default.