skills.rest
ttphats
ttphatsCOMMUNITY
Explore all skills by this author →
WebsiteGitHub

create-makefile

Generates modern GNU Makefiles with self-documenting help, Docker targets, and colored output.

Updated Jan 28, 2026
Search Tags:#devops#code generation#docker#build automation#gnu make#makefile#ci cd
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/ttphats/project-detedxs26 --skill create-makefile-ttphats
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: create-makefile
Source: https://github.com/ttphats/project-detedxs26/tree/main/.augment/skills/custom/create-makefile
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/ttphats/project-detedxs26 --skill create-makefile-ttphats

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Writing a Makefile from scratch is error-prone: developers often forget .PHONY declarations, use fragile shell defaults, skip help documentation, and hardcode values that should be configurable. This Skill generates a complete, modern Makefile following GNU Make 4.0+ best practices so projects get consistent build automation immediately. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Modern Make Configuration: Applies bash strict mode, .ONESHELL, .DELETE_ON_ERROR, and warning flags so recipes fail fast and multi-line scripts work correctly. - Self-Documenting Help Target: Auto-generates make help output from ## annotations grouped into sections like Build, Test, Docker, and Deployment. - Standard Target Library: Includes deps, build, test, docker-build, up, down, logs, deploy, lint, format, and clean targets with ANSI-colored status output and auto-detection of docker-compose v1/v2. - Use Case: A developer starting a new Go microservice asks for a Makefile and receives one with build, test, docker-build, and deploy targets, plus a companion usage guide saved to docs/MAKEFILE-USAGE.md. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to create a Makefile for your project, mentioning your app name and whether you need Docker or deployment targets.

Frequently Asked Questions about create-makefile

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I create a Makefile for my project?▼

Describe your project type and required targets, and the Skill generates a complete Makefile with build, test, Docker, and deployment sections. It auto-detects your language stack and asks for app name and registry before generating.

How to make a self-documenting Makefile with a help target?▼

Add `##` description comments after each target and `##@` section headers, then use an awk-based help target that parses these annotations. The generated template includes this pattern so `make help` lists all targets grouped by category.

Does the Makefile template support both docker-compose v1 and v2?▼

Yes, the template auto-detects the available command by checking for the docker-compose binary and falling back to the `docker compose` plugin syntax. The detected command is stored in the DOCKER_COMPOSE variable used by up, down, and logs targets.

Why should Makefile targets use .PHONY declarations?▼

Without .PHONY, Make skips a recipe if a file with the same name as the target exists in the directory. Declaring non-file targets like build, test, and clean as .PHONY ensures they always execute regardless of filesystem state.

What are common Makefile mistakes to avoid?▼

Common mistakes include using underscores instead of hyphens in target names, hardcoding values instead of ?= variables, missing .PHONY declarations, and skipping strict shell settings. The template prevents these by enforcing bash strict mode and kebab-case naming conventions.

Related Skills

Explore More Software Engineering Skills→
eavichayeavichay

git-initialize

Initialize a Git repository with an initial commit.

Community
Basic
LambdaTestLambdaTest
350

cicd-pipeline-skill

Generate CI/CD pipeline configurations for GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI, and Azure DevOps.

Official
Advanced
VilnaCRM-OrgVilnaCRM-Org
1

husky-pre-commit-bypass

Diagnoses Husky pre-commit hooks that sweep unrelated files into commits and restores clean staging.

Official
Intermediate
devkenidevkeni
1

makefile-validator

Validate Makefiles for syntax errors, best practices, and security.

Community
Advanced