How about a PowerShell based 'make' file?

[Paebbels]

Hello,

the generated make.bat is kind of outdated on modern Windows machines. At first batch files are called command files (*.cmd) since more than 15 years (Windows 2000). Second, the old Windows command line (cmd.exe) is also outdated. Windows is shipped with PowerShell since Windows Vista.

So how about a PowerShell based make.ps1 file with self-documentation (integrated help page)?

I could provide a basic file with a selection of "build targets". I don't use all target nor have I a full setup to test them all. So I could provide a start for further feature additions.

Kind regards
Patrick Lehmann

[tk0miya]

I'm not a Windows user, so I don't have strong opinion for this.
It's okay to move to powershell if anyone sends pull request to us.

@shimizukawa what do you think?

[Paebbels]

I just found out that the next PowerShell version (6.0) will be released for "all" operating system (incl. Linux). The project is hosted on GitHub. I'll check how good this port is and if it supports Windows PowerShell files also on Linux (e.g. the path separator problem ...).

[shimizukawa]

Now Makefile/make.bat become simpler than earlier. So I'm OK to have PowerShell based one.

Memo: CPython venv module also includes Activate.ps1 https://github.com/python/cpython/tree/master/Lib/venv/scripts/nt for PowerShell users.

[Paebbels]

What for is the configuration option make_mode in quickstart.py:446? Why are there two template files?

According to quickstart.py:611 this option applies only to Windows batch files, but in quickstart.py:446 both (makefile and batchfile) are effected.

Addendum:

Which syntax is preferred?

Example 1:
.\make.ps1 -html

Example 2:
.\make.ps1 html

While the second can be implemented, I would prefer the first, because this is available via tab completion and is equivalent to the displayed help page by man make.ps1.

[Paebbels]

Pull request #3153 should implement a first version of a new build script written in PowerShell.

[Kilo59]

Has this issue been abandoned?

[Paebbels]

Sorry, I haven't had time to continue on this PR. You can take over and finish it if you like. It's hard to fulfill all requirements drawn up by sphinx-doc.

[cblegare]

Since Sphinx is fading out Makefiles, should this issue be closed as wontfix?

[Paebbels]

@cblegare how are make files replaced?

The problem was not the Makefile itself, the problem of Sphinx is, it provides outdated *.bat files for Windows. At first, these files should be called *.cmd since more then 20 years. At second, since 15 years, scripting on Windows should use PowerShell instead of the outdated Command Prompt.

[cblegare]

@Paebbels I absolutely agree that *.bat are artifacts from another era.

From the issue above (#5618)

The goal of this issue is "Makefile-less sphinx project".

My question was simply based on the fact that since in more than 5 years nobody contributed a patch for a make.ps1 script and that the project maintainers are looking into making these scripts (including the actual Makefile itself) irrelevant anyways, maybe one could find it appropriate to close this issue.

[AA-Turner]

Closing in favour of #5618.

A