makefile - Does a '%' in a pattern match an empty string? -

from docs:

a vpath pattern string containing % character. string must match file name of prerequisite being searched for, % character matching sequence of 0 or more characters (as in pattern rules).

now, although, true % match empty string (string of 0 length) in vpath pattern (vpath % foo), not true pattern-rules.

so, wrong documentation above, equate between them, as:

...the '%' character matching sequence of 0 or more characters (as in pattern rules.

as not true, evident following makefile:

all ::  al%l :     @echo '$@' 

.

executing, get:

# evident 'all' doesn't match 'al%l' $ make -r make: nothing done 'all'.  # but, 'all' match 'al%' $ make  -r -f makefile -f <(echo 'al% : ; echo $@') echo all 

.

in fact, documented:

for example, %.c pattern matches file name ends in .c. s.%.c pattern matches file name starts s., ends in .c , @ least 5 characters long. (there must @ least 1 character match %.) substring % matches called "stem".

agree?

yes, does.

the problem in example mixing , matching single vs. double colon recipes. explicitly not allowed, need 1 or other matching rules.

also, having different patterns not qualify being same target , specific match run , others ignored (even if 0 width match in example might present).