[WEB] Makefile: building with RAYLIB_LIBTYPE=SHARED silently creates STATIC library

[sleeptightAnsiC]

If you build raylib with src/Makefile, with PLATFORM_WEB and RAYLIB_LIBTYPE=SHARED, it will silently create STATIC library, instead of creating shared library or throwing an error.

If I understand right, shared libraries are not really a thing with Emscripten (it's just a fake static lib imitating .so for portability reasons): https://emscripten.org/docs/compiling/Building-Projects.html#faux-dynamic-linking
However, Makefile should not silently create STATIC lib when explicitly asked for SHARED.
It should EITHER: throw an error and exit OR create fake .so as asked.

I can easily patch it and propose PR, just tell me which behavior do you want (probably error would be better).

The code that dictates current behavior is here (it ignores $(RAYLIB_LIBTYPE) entirely):

raylib/src/Makefile

Lines 664 to 670 in d48b8af

	raylib: $(OBJS)
	ifeq ($(TARGET_PLATFORM),$(filter $(TARGET_PLATFORM),PLATFORM_WEB PLATFORM_WEB_RGFW))
	# Compile raylib libray for web
	#$(CC) $(OBJS) -r -o $(RAYLIB_RELEASE_PATH)/lib$(RAYLIB_LIB_NAME).bc
	$(AR) rcs $(RAYLIB_RELEASE_PATH)/lib$(RAYLIB_LIB_NAME).web.a $(OBJS)
	@echo "raylib library generated (lib$(RAYLIB_LIB_NAME).web.a)!"
	else

Environment

~ $ uname -a
Linux MAL200424 6.12.9-arch1-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:39:41 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux
~ $ emcc --version
emcc (Emscripten gcc/clang-like replacement + linker emulating GNU ld) 3.1.72-git (437140d149d9c977ffc8b09dbaf9b0f5a02db190)

Code Example

~ $ git clone https://github.com/raysan5/raylib
~ $ cd raylib/src
~/raylib/src $ make TARGET_PLATFORM=PLATFORM_WEB RAYLIB_LIBTYPE=SHARED
[...]
emar rcs ../src/libraylib.web.a rcore.o rshapes.o rtextures.o rtext.o utils.o  rmodels.o raudio.o
raylib library generated (libraylib.web.a)!

[Peter0x44]

Emscripten does not really support shared libs anyway.

https://emscripten.org/docs/compiling/Building-Projects.html

See "Faux shared libraries" on this page.

I'm wondering, what exactly is your use case?

[sleeptightAnsiC]

Din't you read the whole issue @Peter0x44 ?

I linked to the same page as you did, and mentioned the same information:

shared libraries are not really a thing with Emscripten (it's just a fake static lib imitating .so for portability reasons): https://emscripten.org/docs/compiling/Building-Projects.html#faux-dynamic-linking

I explained why current behavior is not right:

Makefile should not silently create STATIC lib when explicitly asked for SHARED.
It should EITHER: throw an error and exit OR create fake .so as asked.

Analogy: If you ask a waitress for a specific dish in a restaurant and the restaurant does not serve it at the moment, shouldn't waitress tell you about it instead of silently bringing you an entirely different dish?

I'm wondering, what exactly is your use case?

I have my own Makefile building the project. It queries raylib's Makefile in order to build raylib. I tested multiple raylib's configuration and noticed that this one does not work as expected.

This is not a severe issue though.

[Peter0x44]

My bad, I missed that, not sure how.

I am of the opinion "don't do this" as anyone relying on this probably has some fundamental misunderstanding of linking, but on the other hand I don't think an error is necessary either.
I will check what CMake does for this case.

[sleeptightAnsiC]

anyone relying on this probably has some fundamental misunderstanding of linking

That's why I want to have an error in said case.
Currently it just silently gives wrong library format and people may struggle with figuring what's going on.
And in the other hand, emcc can create .so files, they just aren't true shared libraries.

[Peter0x44]

CMake Warning (dev) at src/CMakeLists.txt:58 (add_library):
  ADD_LIBRARY called with SHARED option but the target platform does not
  support dynamic linking.  Building a STATIC library instead.  This may lead
  to problems.
This warning is for project developers.  Use -Wno-dev to suppress it.

CMake emits this warning, and then proceeds to create a static library. So I think for the best consistency, the makefile should do the same, that is emit a warning and proceed to create a static library anyway.

[sleeptightAnsiC]

To be fair I would also patch it in Cmake since this is not exactly what you want either and This may lead to problems BUT I do understand the problem of supporting multiple build systems and that it may not be suitable (e.g. some old Cmake recipes could break).

[sleeptightAnsiC]

I proposed PR and went with the error: #4718 (this is only touching Makefile, not Cmake)

I think it is fine for Cmake to report warning and keep execution because Cmake can recover from this. However, with Makefile you have to recover yourself so error and exit code 1 is more expected. Otherwise people may spend time debuging Makefile. With Cmake they may not even notice any problem.