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. It can be used beyond programs 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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