makefile default target

How does “make” app know default target to build if no target is specified?

$ make

which target to build?

By default, it begins by processing the first target that does not begin with a . aka the default goal; to do that, it may have to process other targets - specifically, ones the first target depends on.

The GNU Make Manual covers all this stuff, and is a surprisingly easy and informative read.

If you like to override this behavior, there is the .DEFAULT_GOAL: special target. An example from GNU make manual.

The following example illustrates these cases:

# Query the default goal.
ifeq ($(.DEFAULT_GOAL),)
$(warning no default goal is set)
endif

.PHONY: foo
foo: ; @echo $@

$(warning default goal is $(.DEFAULT_GOAL))

# Reset the default goal.
.DEFAULT_GOAL :=

.PHONY: bar
bar: ; @echo $@

$(warning default goal is $(.DEFAULT_GOAL))

# Set our own.
.DEFAULT_GOAL := foo


This makefile prints:

no default goal is set
default goal is foo
default goal is bar
foo

About .DEFAULT, have not understand it. there is a blog for it.

all:gao
    @echo "final"
.DEFAULT:
　　@echo "In default"

由于 gao 是一个前提条件，但是 makefile中没有一个名字为 gao的目的。

所以符合 .DEFAULT 目的的执行条件。

故执行结果为:

In default

final

完毕