Module Management System (MMS)

Features

The VSI Module Management System is a utility in DECset similar to U*X make that automates and simplifies software production. It can build simple programs consisting of one or more source files or complex programs consisting of many source files, message files, and documentation files.

With MMS, you can specify exactly how a software system is to be built and rebuilt. You do this by using a description file in which you describe the components of the system and the file dependencies used to build and rebuild the system. A file dependency occurs when one or more files are needed to build another file. For example, the existence of an executable file depends on an object file.

Each time you run MMS, it follows the description file you have created, reads the components and dependencies, and builds the same system. MMS can also rebuild systems quickly when parts of the system change. MMS keeps track of source and include files. If any of the files in a software system change or are missing, MMS can determine which files are affected by the changed or missing files, then rebuild the affected portions of the system by using the sources for the changed or missing files. MMS does not rebuild portions of the system that have not changed, thus saving both processing time and storage space.

With MMS, you can also build and test modules locally before building or testing the modules in the source directory or library.