Make autoconf "check" target without running it

Question

Is there a way to compile the "check" target of an autoconf project without running it?

I have Eclipse Juno with the "C/C++ Unit Test" plugin. I would like to be able to make the check target, then run it in the context of the plugin so that I can take advantage of its conveniences.

Currently I have set up the project configuration to build "make check" then run the "test" binary that it creates. This has 2 problems.

1) It is redundant and slows the process (the test runs twice)

2) A test failure causes a build failure. Eclipse doesn't know the difference. I have to pay attention to the output, then run in the unit test plugin anyway to get what I want out of it.

If there is no way to just compile the check target, is there some other way of setting up autoconf / automake to allow me to build the test target without creating a special config that builds the test as part of "make all"? Basically, I want to have all 3 options in a single configuration:

make unitTest (for development)
make check    (for automated testing)
make all      (for release)

EDIT: Just to clarify a bit, I know I can run "make targetName" from the target directory to compile that target (project/src/test> make myUnitTests). I'm looking for a generic way to do it from the project's base directory (project> make check_PROGRAMS).

Eveliaevelin

Answer 1

make check TESTS=

will run the check target but not invoke any tests.

Offense

This is the correct answer to my base question, and for the generic use case because most people will probably want to compile the main application before the test. I really like adl's answer and it applies to my specific use case, but it only works if the "check" test is disconnected from the main app. In my case, I have gtests that exercise the app source files without needing the app compiled. – Eveliaevelin

Nice! This is the best automake hack I have found to date to solve the common compilation issue. It works with "foreign" layouts too where the tests are stored in subdirs. – Eartha

Answer 2

How about adding a new rule you your root Makefile.am?

.PHONY: unitTest
unitTest:
        cd src/test && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) myUnitTests

and if make myUnitTests should build all $(check_PROGRAMS) from src/test/Makefile.am, just add such a rule in src/test/Makefile.am:

.PHONY: myUnitTests
myUnitTests: $(check_PROGRAMS)

Straitlaced

+1 ... I accepted @WilliamPursell's answer because it answers my top question, but this is the answer for my specific situation where I don't want to compile the main app, just the test app alone. Wish I could accept both. :-) – Eveliaevelin