Is there a good way to do Emacs project?

Question

I use emacs to do some coding, and text editing. When I create a new coding project, I simply create a new folder, and add source code into it.

The problem is, with multi-folders, it is hard to change back to the top, and run the makefile.

Is there any good method to do project management like eclipse or other IDEs?

Answer 1

I know your problem. If you have a Makefile in the same folder as your source, and you are in a source buffer, then 'compile' will build correctly.

But if your source is in a different folder then emacs can't find the Makefile.

One solution is to specify the Makefile's location by setting the 'default-directory' variable as a file variable in each source file.

You do this by adding a line like this at the top of the file (and reload it).

// -*- mode: C++; default-directory: "c:/somewhere/yourmakefiledirectory/" -*-

Answer 2

Below is the ;; compilation section of my .emacs file. I use CTRL+F7 for make, and F7 for make clean. It will search in the current directory and then in .. and so on for a file called "Makefile" to run make on.

Also not that F8 jumps the source window to the first error and CTRL+F8 takes you to the previous error. (BTW, if you think this is awesome, you should see what I've done for GDB integration)... :)

;; Compilation
(setq compilation-scroll-output 1) ;; automatically scroll the compilation windo
w
(setq compilation-window-height 10) ;; Set the compilation window height...
(setq compilation-finish-function ;; Auto-dismiss compilation buffer...
      (lambda (buf str)
        (if (string-match "exited abnormally" str)
            (message "compilation errors, press F6 to visit")
          ; no errors, make the compilation window go away after 2.5 sec
          (run-at-time 2.5 nil 'delete-windows-on buf)
          (message "No compilation errors!"))))

(require 'cl) ; If you don't have it already
(defun* get-closest-pathname (&optional (file "Makefile"))
  "This function walks up the current path until it finds Makefile and then retu
rns the path to it."
  (let ((root (expand-file-name "/")))
    (expand-file-name file
              (loop
            for d = default-directory then (expand-file-name ".." d)
            if (file-exists-p (expand-file-name file d))
            return d
            if (equal d root)
           return nil))))

(defun my-compile-func ()
  "This function does a compile."
  (interactive)
  (compile (format "make -C %s" (file-name-directory (get-closest-pathname)))))

(defun my-compile-clean-func ()
  "This function does a clean compile."
  (interactive)
  (compile (format "make -C %s clean" (file-name-directory (get-closest-pathname
)))))

(defun my-compile-package-func ()
  "This function builds an Endura package."
  (interactive)
  (compile (format "make -C %s package" (file-name-directory (get-closest-pathna
me)))))

(global-set-key [f7] 'my-compile-clean-func)
(global-set-key [C-f7] 'my-compile-func)
(global-set-key [S-f7] 'my-compile-package-func)
(global-set-key [f8] 'next-error)
(global-set-key [C-f8] 'previous-error)