Makefile Characters

ƒ  Depends on  [Option-F]

The ƒ character is used only in makefiles, which are scripts that contain the commands that build a program. The ƒ character is used between two filenames to show that the file specified on the left depends on the file specified on the right. It can also be used between two directory names to show that the files in the directory specified on the left depend on the files in the directory specified on the right. The line that contains the ƒ character is called a dependency rule.

For example, the dependency rule

SillyBalls.c.o ƒ SillyBalls.c

specifies that the object file SillyBalls.c.o depends on the source file SillyBalls.c. In this case, SillyBalls.c.o is the target file, and SillyBalls.c is the prerequisite file. A dependency rule can contain more than one prerequisite file. If it does, the prerequisite files are compiled in the order in which they appear in the dependency rule.

ƒƒ  Depends on, with own build commands  [Option-F]

The ƒƒ character is used only in makefiles, which are scripts that contain the commands that build a program. The ƒƒ character is used between two filenames to show that the file named on the left depends on the file named on the right, but the file named on the right has its own build commands. The line that contains the ƒƒ character is called a dependency rule.

When a target file has more than one prerequisite file and some of the prerequisite files use different build commands than others, you must use the ƒƒ character, instead of the ƒ character, in a dependency rule. For example, the dependency rule

Sample ƒƒ Sample.r Sample.h Sample.make

shows that the application Sample depends on the files Sample.r, Sample.h, and Sample.make.