diff --git a/Lib/distutils/ccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/ccompiler.py
index 4c8b881..50246b8 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/ccompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/ccompiler.py
@@ -160,7 +160,6 @@
             setattr(self, key, value)
 
 
-
     def _find_macro (self, name):
         i = 0
         for defn in self.macros:
@@ -321,6 +320,100 @@
     # -- Private utility methods --------------------------------------
     # (here for the convenience of subclasses)
 
+    # Helper method to prep compiler in subclass compile() methods
+
+    def _setup_compile(self, outdir, macros, incdirs, sources, depends,
+                       extra):
+        """Process arguments and decide which source files to compile.
+
+        Merges _fix_compile_args() and _prep_compile().
+        """
+        if outdir is None:
+            outdir = self.output_dir
+        elif type(outdir) is not StringType:
+            raise TypeError, "'output_dir' must be a string or None"
+
+        if macros is None:
+            macros = self.macros
+        elif type(macros) is ListType:
+            macros = macros + (self.macros or [])
+        else:
+            raise TypeError, "'macros' (if supplied) must be a list of tuples"
+
+        if incdirs is None:
+            incdirs = self.include_dirs
+        elif type(incdirs) in (ListType, TupleType):
+            incdirs = list(incdirs) + (self.include_dirs or [])
+        else:
+            raise TypeError, \
+                  "'include_dirs' (if supplied) must be a list of strings"
+
+        if extra is None:
+            extra = []
+
+        # Get the list of expected output (object) files
+        objects = self.object_filenames(sources, 1, outdir)
+        assert len(objects) == len(sources)
+
+        # XXX should redo this code to eliminate skip_source entirely.
+        # XXX instead create build and issue skip messages inline
+
+        if self.force:
+            skip_source = {}            # rebuild everything
+            for source in sources:
+                skip_source[source] = 0
+        elif depends is None:
+            # If depends is None, figure out which source files we
+            # have to recompile according to a simplistic check. We
+            # just compare the source and object file, no deep
+            # dependency checking involving header files.
+            skip_source = {}            # rebuild everything
+            for source in sources:      # no wait, rebuild nothing
+                skip_source[source] = 1
+
+            n_sources, n_objects = newer_pairwise(sources, objects)
+            for source in n_sources:    # no really, only rebuild what's
+                skip_source[source] = 0 # out-of-date
+        else:
+            # If depends is a list of files, then do a different
+            # simplistic check.  Assume that each object depends on
+            # its source and all files in the depends list.
+            skip_source = {}
+            # L contains all the depends plus a spot at the end for a
+            # particular source file
+            L = depends[:] + [None]
+            for i in range(len(objects)):
+                source = sources[i]
+                L[-1] = source
+                if newer_group(L, objects[i]):
+                    skip_source[source] = 0
+                else:
+                    skip_source[source] = 1
+
+        pp_opts = gen_preprocess_options(macros, incdirs)
+
+        build = {}
+        for i in range(len(sources)):
+            src = sources[i]
+            obj = objects[i]
+            ext = os.path.splitext(src)[1]
+            self.mkpath(os.path.dirname(obj))
+            if skip_source[src]:
+                log.debug("skipping %s (%s up-to-date)", src, obj)
+            else:
+                build[obj] = src, ext
+
+        return macros, objects, extra, pp_opts, build
+
+    def _get_cc_args(self, pp_opts, debug, before):
+        # works for unixccompiler, emxccompiler, cygwinccompiler
+        cc_args = pp_opts + ['-c']
+        if debug:
+            cc_args[:0] = ['-g']
+        if before:
+            cc_args[:0] = before
+        return cc_args
+
     def _fix_compile_args (self, output_dir, macros, include_dirs):
         """Typecheck and fix-up some of the arguments to the 'compile()'
         method, and return fixed-up values.  Specifically: if 'output_dir'
@@ -341,8 +434,7 @@
         elif type (macros) is ListType:
             macros = macros + (self.macros or [])
         else:
-            raise TypeError, \
-                  "'macros' (if supplied) must be a list of tuples"
+            raise TypeError, "'macros' (if supplied) must be a list of tuples"
 
         if include_dirs is None:
             include_dirs = self.include_dirs
@@ -352,40 +444,57 @@
             raise TypeError, \
                   "'include_dirs' (if supplied) must be a list of strings"
 
-        return (output_dir, macros, include_dirs)
+        return output_dir, macros, include_dirs
 
     # _fix_compile_args ()
 
 
-    def _prep_compile (self, sources, output_dir):
-        """Determine the list of object files corresponding to 'sources',
-        and figure out which ones really need to be recompiled.  Return a
-        list of all object files and a dictionary telling which source
-        files can be skipped.
+    def _prep_compile(self, sources, output_dir, depends=None):
+        """Decide which souce files must be recompiled.
+
+        Determine the list of object files corresponding to 'sources',
+        and figure out which ones really need to be recompiled.
+        Return a list of all object files and a dictionary telling
+        which source files can be skipped.
         """
         # Get the list of expected output (object) files
-        objects = self.object_filenames (sources,
-                                         strip_dir=1,
-                                         output_dir=output_dir)
+        objects = self.object_filenames(sources, strip_dir=1,
+                                        output_dir=output_dir)
+        assert len(objects) == len(sources)
 
         if self.force:
             skip_source = {}            # rebuild everything
             for source in sources:
                 skip_source[source] = 0
-        else:
-            # Figure out which source files we have to recompile according
-            # to a simplistic check -- we just compare the source and
-            # object file, no deep dependency checking involving header
-            # files.
+        elif depends is None:
+            # If depends is None, figure out which source files we
+            # have to recompile according to a simplistic check. We
+            # just compare the source and object file, no deep
+            # dependency checking involving header files.
             skip_source = {}            # rebuild everything
             for source in sources:      # no wait, rebuild nothing
                 skip_source[source] = 1
 
-            (n_sources, n_objects) = newer_pairwise (sources, objects)
+            n_sources, n_objects = newer_pairwise(sources, objects)
             for source in n_sources:    # no really, only rebuild what's
                 skip_source[source] = 0 # out-of-date
+        else:
+            # If depends is a list of files, then do a different
+            # simplistic check.  Assume that each object depends on
+            # its source and all files in the depends list.
+            skip_source = {}
+            # L contains all the depends plus a spot at the end for a
+            # particular source file
+            L = depends[:] + [None]
+            for i in range(len(objects)):
+                source = sources[i]
+                L[-1] = source
+                if newer_group(L, objects[i]):
+                    skip_source[source] = 0
+                else:
+                    skip_source[source] = 1
 
-        return (objects, skip_source)
+        return objects, skip_source
 
     # _prep_compile ()
 
@@ -484,22 +593,19 @@
         """
         pass
 
-    def compile (self,
-                 sources,
-                 output_dir=None,
-                 macros=None,
-                 include_dirs=None,
-                 debug=0,
-                 extra_preargs=None,
-                 extra_postargs=None):
-        """Compile one or more source files.  'sources' must be a list of
-        filenames, most likely C/C++ files, but in reality anything that
-        can be handled by a particular compiler and compiler class
-        (eg. MSVCCompiler can handle resource files in 'sources').  Return
-        a list of object filenames, one per source filename in 'sources'.
-        Depending on the implementation, not all source files will
-        necessarily be compiled, but all corresponding object filenames
-        will be returned.
+    def compile(self, sources, output_dir=None, macros=None,
+                include_dirs=None, debug=0, extra_preargs=None,
+                extra_postargs=None, depends=None):
+        """Compile one or more source files.
+
+        'sources' must be a list of filenames, most likely C/C++
+        files, but in reality anything that can be handled by a
+        particular compiler and compiler class (eg. MSVCCompiler can
+        handle resource files in 'sources').  Return a list of object
+        filenames, one per source filename in 'sources'.  Depending on
+        the implementation, not all source files will necessarily be
+        compiled, but all corresponding object filenames will be
+        returned.
 
         If 'output_dir' is given, object files will be put under it, while
         retaining their original path component.  That is, "foo/bar.c"
@@ -530,6 +636,12 @@
         for those occasions when the abstract compiler framework doesn't
         cut the mustard.
 
+        'depends', if given, is a list of filenames that all targets
+        depend on.  If a source file is older than any file in
+        depends, then the source file will be recompiled.  This
+        supports dependency tracking, but only at a coarse
+        granularity.
+
         Raises CompileError on failure.
         """
         pass
@@ -710,7 +822,6 @@
         """
         raise NotImplementedError
 
-
     # -- Filename generation methods -----------------------------------
 
     # The default implementation of the filename generating methods are
@@ -745,63 +856,46 @@
     #   * exe_extension -
     #     extension for executable files, eg. '' or '.exe'
 
-    def object_filenames (self,
-                          source_filenames,
-                          strip_dir=0,
-                          output_dir=''):
-        if output_dir is None: output_dir = ''
+    def object_filenames(self, source_filenames, strip_dir=0, output_dir=''):
+        assert output_dir is not None
         obj_names = []
         for src_name in source_filenames:
-            (base, ext) = os.path.splitext (src_name)
+            base, ext = os.path.splitext(src_name)
             if ext not in self.src_extensions:
                 raise UnknownFileError, \
-                      "unknown file type '%s' (from '%s')" % \
-                      (ext, src_name)
+                      "unknown file type '%s' (from '%s')" % (ext, src_name)
             if strip_dir:
-                base = os.path.basename (base)
-            obj_names.append (os.path.join (output_dir,
-                                            base + self.obj_extension))
+                base = os.path.basename(base)
+            obj_names.append(os.path.join(output_dir,
+                                          base + self.obj_extension))
         return obj_names
 
-    # object_filenames ()
-
-
-    def shared_object_filename (self,
-                                basename,
-                                strip_dir=0,
-                                output_dir=''):
-        if output_dir is None: output_dir = ''
+    def shared_object_filename(self, basename, strip_dir=0, output_dir=''):
+        assert output_dir is not None
         if strip_dir:
             basename = os.path.basename (basename)
-        return os.path.join (output_dir, basename + self.shared_lib_extension)
+        return os.path.join(output_dir, basename + self.shared_lib_extension)
 
-    def executable_filename (self,
-                                basename,
-                                strip_dir=0,
-                                output_dir=''):
-        if output_dir is None: output_dir = ''
+    def executable_filename(self, basename, strip_dir=0, output_dir=''):
+        assert output_dir is not None
         if strip_dir:
             basename = os.path.basename (basename)
         return os.path.join(output_dir, basename + (self.exe_extension or ''))
 
-    def library_filename (self,
-                          libname,
-                          lib_type='static',     # or 'shared'
-                          strip_dir=0,
-                          output_dir=''):
-
-        if output_dir is None: output_dir = ''
-        if lib_type not in ("static","shared","dylib"):
+    def library_filename(self, libname, lib_type='static',     # or 'shared'
+                         strip_dir=0, output_dir=''):
+        assert output_dir is not None
+        if lib_type not in ("static", "shared", "dylib"):
             raise ValueError, "'lib_type' must be \"static\", \"shared\" or \"dylib\""
-        fmt = getattr (self, lib_type + "_lib_format")
-        ext = getattr (self, lib_type + "_lib_extension")
+        fmt = getattr(self, lib_type + "_lib_format")
+        ext = getattr(self, lib_type + "_lib_extension")
 
-        (dir, base) = os.path.split (libname)
+        dir, base = os.path.split (libname)
         filename = fmt % (base, ext)
         if strip_dir:
             dir = ''
 
-        return os.path.join (output_dir, dir, filename)
+        return os.path.join(output_dir, dir, filename)
 
 
     # -- Utility methods -----------------------------------------------