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

I was trying:

[ -f $(PROGRAM) ] && cp -f $(PROGRAM) $(INSTALLDIR)

And the positive case worked but my ubuntu bash shell calls this TRUE and breaks on the copy:

[ -f  ] && cp -f  /home/user/proto/../bin/
cp: missing destination file operand after '/home/user/proto/../bin/'

After getting this error, I google how to check if a file exists in make, and this is the answer...