Outputs of C executables are not retrievable

[sc1478 (Steve Cohen)]

Continuing the discussion from Task outputs for lifecycle tasks:

@luke_daley

I’m not sure when you would want to use this.

What use case do you have in mind?

Four years later I have a use case for it:

I am trying to build and package in an RPM a collection of scripts. These scripts call an Executable which the old nmake system compiles and links. I can build the executable using the “Building An Executable” the User’s Guide “Native Software” section, but once it is built I cannot seem to refer to it when I need to copy it into the RPM I am packaging it with.

Apparently this is because the tasks created by these “Native Software” tools are “lifecycle tasks.” I’m not sure what that means, but the only way they can be referred to seems to be on the command line. I cannot make other tasks, such as my RPM packager dependent on them.

[sc1478 (Steve Cohen)]

This use case has become a theoretical use case for me. I have now learned that the C executable is actually no longer required, so I have no active need for a resolution to this, but I would still be interested to know how such a situation might be handled if it does arise.