Makefile Workflow

Makefile Workflow

Create or refine Makefiles that encode a reliable developer workflow. Mirror the project's existing tooling (Go, Node, Bazel, Supabase, etc.) and use low-noise output for successful runs.

Instructions

1. Ask for essentials if missing:
   • Primary language(s) and tooling (Go, Node, Bazel, Python, etc.)
   • Lint/format/test commands already in use
   • Whether the project wants all, check, and fix targets
2. Start with a clear, consistent target taxonomy:
   • all: full local workflow (format + fix + tests + build + check-* targets)
   • check: CI-friendly checks (no mutation), prefer check-* targets
   • format + check-format
   • lint + fix
   • test, build, coverage, clean
3. Use the stricter naming convention for non-mutating checks:
   • Prefer check-* over names like type-check, bundle-check
   • Example: check-astro, check-bundle
4. Reduce output noise for successful runs:
   • If the repo has scripts/quiet-run.sh, wrap commands like: @./scripts/quiet-run.sh "Label" <command>
   • Only use it where the project already does; don't invent a helper without asking.
5. Use .PHONY for non-file targets and group related sections with comments.
6. Keep shell-safe loops and cross-platform sed where needed:
   • Prefer rg for file lists.
   • Avoid scanning node_modules or vendor directories.
7. For Go projects, include golangci-lint verification hashes if .golangci.yml is present.
8. For frontend projects, prefer npm run <task> or pnpm run <task> to preserve project scripts.
9. If generation or formatting changes files, add check-generated or check-format that fails on a dirty git diff.
10. For large repos, consider stamp files to avoid repeated work.
11. Ensure Makefiles work correctly with make -j (parallel execution):
    • Targets that modify files (e.g., format, fix) must declare dependencies to prevent concurrent writes. For example, fix should depend on format since both write to the same files.
    • Validation or check targets that run after writes should depend on the write targets. For example, validate-full should depend on fix.
    • Read-only targets (e.g., check-format, lint, test) are safe to run in parallel and need no extra ordering.
    • If correct ordering cannot be expressed through dependencies, add .NOTPARALLEL to the Makefile.

Recommended target patterns

Minimal workflow

• all: format fix test build
• check: check-format lint test build
• Parallel-safety deps: fix: format (both mutate files)

Go + linters

• lint-golangci, fix-golangci, verify-golangci-config
• coverage, coverage-html, coverage-report, clean-coverage

Frontend + Supabase

• check-astro, check-bundle, test-e2e, db-push, db-reset, db-status, db-gen-types

Output expectations

When asked to create or update a Makefile:

• Produce a ready-to-run Makefile tailored to the project.
• Preserve existing targets and semantics; only add or adjust as needed.
• Call out any assumptions (package manager, tools, coverage thresholds).

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