What problem does it solve? Makefiles often break due to subtle syntax errors, missing tabs, unescaped shell variables, or inconsistent target naming, making build automation fragile and hard to maintain across teams. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Syntax Standards: Enforces tab-indented recipes, .PHONY declarations, correct use of := and ?= assignment, and $$var shell variable escaping. - Standard Command Surface: Defines conventional targets like help, setup, test, lint, build, and clean, including a self-documenting help target using grep and awk. - Safety Guardrails: Requires variable validation before deploy or destructive targets and explicit handling of missing files. - Use Case: When setting up a new project's developer Makefile, apply these guidelines to produce a consistent, self-documenting build interface that any contributor can run immediately. ## Quick Start Ask the AI to create or review a Makefile for your project following these Makefile guidelines.