How to have GNU make explicitly test for failure?

Question

After years of not using make, I find myself needing it again, the gnu version now. I\'m pretty sure I should be able to do what I want, but haven\'t figured out how, or fo

Answer 1

The proper solution if you want to require the target to fail is to negate its exit code.

# Makefile
# 
test:
    myProg -h > test.log              # Display help
    myProg good_input >> test.log     # should run fine
    ! myProg bad_input1 >> test.log      # Error 1
    ! myProg bad_input2 >> test.log      # Error 2

Now, it is an error to succeed in those two cases.