adeshmukh/create-makefile

Create Makefile

Generate a self-documenting Makefile tailored to the current project.

Steps

Phase 1: Analyze the project

Examine the project to determine its language, runtime, frameworks, and tooling. Read the following files if they exist:

Package/config files:

• pyproject.toml, setup.py, setup.cfg, requirements.txt — Python
• package.json — Node.js/JavaScript/TypeScript
• Cargo.toml — Rust
• go.mod — Go
• pom.xml, build.gradle, build.gradle.kts — Java/Kotlin
• Gemfile — Ruby
• composer.json — PHP
• Makefile — already exists (warn user, ask to overwrite)

Tooling indicators:

• Dockerfile, docker-compose.yml, docker-compose.yaml — Docker
• .github/workflows/ — CI/CD
• Procfile, fly.toml, vercel.json, netlify.toml — deploy configs
• alembic.ini, prisma/, migrations/ — database migrations
• .eslintrc*, ruff.toml, .flake8, .golangci.yml — linters
• jest.config*, pytest.ini, vitest.config*, *_test.go — test frameworks

Record your findings as a structured summary:

• Language(s)
• Package manager
• Framework(s)
• Has tests: yes/no
• Has linter/formatter: yes/no
• Has Docker: yes/no
• Has database: yes/no
• Has deploy config: yes/no
• Project type: library, service, CLI, static site, monorepo, script

Phase 2: Select targets

Based on the analysis, select appropriate targets from these categories. Only include categories that are relevant to the project.

Setup / Install

Include if the project has dependencies to install.

• setup / install — install dependencies and set up the development environment

Build / Clean

Include for compiled languages, TypeScript, Docker, or anything with a build step.

• build — compile/bundle the project
• clean — remove build artifacts

Dev / Run

Include for projects with a development server or runnable scripts.

• dev — start in development mode (hot reload if applicable)
• run — run the main entry point

Lifecycle (services only)

Include only for service-type projects (web servers, APIs, background workers).

• start — start the service
• stop — stop the service
• restart — restart the service
• status — check service status

Quality

Include if the project has linters, formatters, or type checkers.

• lint — run linter(s)
• fmt — run formatter(s)
• check — run all quality checks (lint + fmt + type check)

Test

Include if the project has tests.

• test — run all tests
• test-unit — run unit tests only (if distinguishable)
• test-integration — run integration tests only (if distinguishable)

Database

Include if the project uses database migrations.

• db-up — start local database
• db-migrate — run migrations
• db-seed — seed the database

Deploy

Include if the project has deployment configuration.

• deploy — deploy to target environment
• release — tag and release a version

Phase 3: Present targets for approval

Before writing anything, present the proposed Makefile to the user:

1. Show the project analysis summary
2. List the selected targets grouped by category, with a one-line description for each
3. Ask the user to confirm, or to add/remove/modify targets

Wait for user approval before proceeding.

Phase 4: Write the Makefile

Write the Makefile following these conventions:

Header:

.DEFAULT_GOAL := help

Variables section (if needed):

Define variables for repeated values at the top:

PYTHON := uv run python
RUFF := uv run ruff

Self-documenting help target (always first):

##@ General

.PHONY: help
help: ## Show this help message
	@grep -E '^[a-zA-Z_-]+:.*?## .*$$' $(MAKEFILE_LIST) | awk 'BEGIN {FS = ":.*?## "}; {printf "  \033[36m%-20s\033[0m %s\n", $$1, $$2}'

Target format:

Every target MUST follow this pattern:

##@ Section Header

.PHONY: target-name
target-name: ## Short description of what this target does
	command1
	command2

Rules:

• Every target must be declared .PHONY (unless it produces a file)
• Every target must have a ## description comment on the same line as the target name
• Group targets under ##@ Section Header comments
• Use tabs for indentation in recipes (Makefile requirement)
• Use $(VARIABLE) for repeated tool paths
• Keep recipes concise — prefer single commands or short pipelines
• Use @ prefix for commands that should not be echoed (e.g. @echo)

Phase 5: Report

Tell the user:

• The Makefile has been created
• Run make or make help to see available targets
• Briefly list the targets that were generated