Makefile variable assignment error in echo

Question

I have make file target like this

foo: 
    i = 1
    @echo $(i)

when I run the make file like this:

$ make foo 
         


        

Answer 1

In the first case you instruct the make to run a shell command: i = 1.

If you want a variable inside Makefile you should set without leading spaces/tabs.

I assume you use GNU's make and you want to check Recipe Syntax (or similar for other makes):

A variable definition in a “rule context” which is indented by a tab as the first character on the line, will be considered part of a recipe, not a make variable definition, and passed to the shell.