Some projects require an extensive set of build instructions to ensure that each component is built with the appropriate options. With the Microsoft visual development environment, you can specify build instructions by source file, and you can have separate sets of instructions for the debug and release builds of a project. In the visual development environment, you select these options in a set of dialog boxes. For information on creating (exporting) a makefile from the visual development environment, see The Project Makefile.
When you build projects from the command line, you can put your build instructions into a special build file, and run the build process with NMAKE, the Microsoft Program Maintenance Utility. Other command-line building methods include using indirect command files (see DF Indirect Command File Use) and .BAT files.
The Microsoft Program Maintenance Utility (NMAKE.EXE) is a 32-bit tool that builds projects based on commands contained in a description file. This section discusses the following: