What do $

Question

Can anybody please explain the meaning of `$<` and `$@` in a `Makefile`?

Accepted Answer

`$<` evaluates to the first "prerequisite" in the make rule, and `$@` evaluates to the "target" in the make rule.

Here's an example:

```
file.o : file.c
        $(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $< -o $@
```

In this case, `$<` will be replaced with `file.c` and `$@` will be `file.o`.

These are more useful in generic rules like this:

```
%.o : %.c
        $(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $< -o $@
```

See this manual for more info.

What do $< and $@ represent in a Makefile?