All the examples work for Make versions 3 and 4, which are nearly equivalent other than some esoteric differences. However, it's specifically written for GNU Make, which is the standard implementation on Linux and MacOS. There are a variety of implementations of Make, but most of this guide will work on whatever version you're using. When the program runs, the most recent version of the file is used. But when files in interpreted languages change, nothing needs to get recompiled. The goal of Makefiles is to compile whatever files need to be compiled, based on what files have changed. Interpreted languages like Python, Ruby, and Javascript don't require an analogue to Makefiles.

Other languages like Go and Rust have their own build tools. For Java, there's Ant, Maven, and Gradle. Some code editors like Microsoft Visual Studio have their own built in build tools. Popular C/C++ alternative build systems are SCons, CMake, Bazel, and Ninja. If any file's dependencies changes, then the file will get recompiled: Here's an example dependency graph that you might build with Make. This tutorial will focus on the C/C++ compilation use case. Make can also be used beyond compilation too, when you need a series of instructions to run depending on what files have changed. Other languages typically have their own tools that serve a similar purpose as Make. In the vast majority of cases, C or C++ files are compiled. Makefiles are used to help decide which parts of a large program need to be recompiled. Good luck, and I hope you are able to slay the confusing world of Makefiles! Getting Started Why do Makefiles exist?

If you mostly understand Make, consider checking out the Makefile Cookbook, which has a template for medium sized projects with ample comments about what each part of the Makefile is doing. Each topic has a brief description and a self contained example that you can run yourself. I've condensed the most critical knowledge into this guide. To solve this, I sat down for several weekends and read everything I could about Makefiles. They seemed awash with hidden rules and esoteric symbols, and asking simple questions didn’t yield simple answers. I built this guide because I could never quite wrap my head around Makefiles.

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