> or you use special pattern rules<p>I used make for years before I understood pattern rules, even though they're pretty simple. I kept trying to use foreach loops all over the place. If you're using foreach loops, check whether a pattern rule can do the job.<p>> The popular clamour is that the autovars are too short & confusing.<p>I finally realized, after years of using make and then learning pattern rules, that the three autovars listed here are visual mnemonics. $@ looks like a target, a ring with a bullseye. $< is pointing left, so it's the first prereq. $^ is like a horizontal bracket that groups all prereqs.