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(make.info)Double-Colon

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Double-Colon Rules
==================

   "Double-colon" rules are rules written with `::' instead of `:'
after the target names.  They are handled differently from ordinary
rules when the same target appears in more than one rule.

   When a target appears in multiple rules, all the rules must be the
same type: all ordinary, or all double-colon.  If they are
double-colon, each of them is independent of the others.  Each
double-colon rule's commands are executed if the target is older than
any prerequisites of that rule.  This can result in executing none,
any, or all of the double-colon rules.

   Double-colon rules with the same target are in fact completely
separate from one another.  Each double-colon rule is processed
individually, just as rules with different targets are processed.

   The double-colon rules for a target are executed in the order they
appear in the makefile.  However, the cases where double-colon rules
really make sense are those where the order of executing the commands
would not matter.

   Double-colon rules are somewhat obscure and not often very useful;
they provide a mechanism for cases in which the method used to update a
target differs depending on which prerequisite files caused the update,
and such cases are rare.

   Each double-colon rule should specify commands; if it does not, an
implicit rule will be used if one applies.  *Note Using Implicit Rules:
Implicit Rules.