How do I check if file exists in Makefile so I can delete it?

Question

In the clean section of my Makefile I am trying to check if the file exists before deleting permanently. I use this code but I receive errors.

What\'s w

Answer 1

test ! -f README.md || echo 'Support OpenSource!' >> README.md

"If README.md does not exist, do nothing (and exit successfully). Otherwise, append text to the end."

If you use && instead of || then you generate an error when the file doesn't exist:

Makefile:42: recipe for target 'dostuff' failed
make: *** [dostuff] Error 1