Hello Here is a makefile, it is rather 'synthetic', just to illustrate the question. One variation:
%/dir: %; # mkdir $@ target/dir/dir/file: target/dir/dir; # touch $@ target:; # mkdir $@ The other: %/dir: %; # mkdir $@ %/dir2: %; # mkdir $@ target/dir/dir2/file: target/dir/dir2; # touch $@ target:; # mkdir $@ Is there any design rationale why 'make' does not like applying the same pattern rule more than once for the same target? It stops resolving potential graph paths with the error: ... Looking for a rule with intermediate file 'target/dir'. Avoiding implicit rule recursion for rule '%/dir: %'. No implicit rule found for 'target/dir'. ... I am sure there are legitimate cases where recursively (but not infinitely) applying pattern rules should be useful. Could this restriction be relaxed with an extra command line option? Or, this would create complications (internal logic, graph structures etc.)? Thanks, cheers