(make.info.gz) Empty Commands

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 5.9 Using Empty Commands
 ========================
 
 It is sometimes useful to define commands which do nothing.  This is
 done simply by giving a command that consists of nothing but
 whitespace.  For example:
 
      target: ;
 
 defines an empty command string for `target'.  You could also use a
 line beginning with a tab character to define an empty command string,
 but this would be confusing because such a line looks empty.
 
    You may be wondering why you would want to define a command string
 that does nothing.  The only reason this is useful is to prevent a
 target from getting implicit commands (from implicit rules or the
 `.DEFAULT' special target;  Implicit Rules and  Defining
 Last-Resort Default Rules Last Resort.).
 
    You may be inclined to define empty command strings for targets that
 are not actual files, but only exist so that their prerequisites can be
 remade.  However, this is not the best way to do that, because the
 prerequisites may not be remade properly if the target file actually
 does exist.   Phony Targets Phony Targets, for a better way to do
 this.
 

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