how to write a makefile for c program multiple files

Introduction What is the purpose of a Makefile? In the entire series of these articles we will be building out a fully functional Makefile that can handle medium sized C/C++ projects.

At the end of this article you will have a fully functional Makefile for a small C program. I am writing this article based on the knowledge I gained working in my first role as a software engineer to help others who may be stuck in the same boat of not being able to wrap their heads around Makefiles. I was lost to say the least, but luckily I had a team full of some of the most intelligent people Huntsville, Alabama had to offer. I was given VIM and hundreds of Makefiles that controlled compilation of numerous simulation models. There was no such thing as an IDE or any tool like it.

As a matter of fact, I had never heard of a Makefile until my first day on the job working for a large defense contractor. I never once touched a Makefile in those four years or even during graduate school. At that time, I was spoiled with multiple IDEs in the course mainly utilizing XCode and Eclipse. My first programming language while pursuing my undergraduate degree in Computer Science was C++.

How to write a makefile for c program multiple files