Add a help target to a Makefile that will allow all targets to be self documenting

Makefile-AutoHelp

# Add the following 'help' target to your Makefile
# And add help text after each target name starting with '\#\#'
 
help: ## Show help
	@IFS=$$'\n' ; \
	help_lines=(`fgrep -h "##" $(MAKEFILE_LIST) | fgrep -v fgrep | sed -e 's/\\$$//' | sed -e 's/##/:/'`); \
	printf "%-10s %s\n" "target" "help" ; \
	printf "%-10s %s\n" "------" "----" ; \
	for help_line in $${help_lines[@]}; do \
		IFS=$$':' ; \
		help_split=($$help_line) ; \
		help_command=`echo $${help_split[0]} | sed -e 's/^ *//' -e 's/ *$$//'` ; \
		help_info=`echo $${help_split[2]} | sed -e 's/^ *//' -e 's/ *$$//'` ; \
		printf '\033[36m'; \
		printf "%-10s %s" $$help_command ; \
		printf '\033[0m'; \
		printf "%s\n" $$help_info; \
	done
 
# Everything below is an example
 
target00:       ## This message will show up when typing 'make help'
	@echo does nothing
 
target01:       ## This message will also show up when typing 'make help'
	@echo does something
 
# Remember that targets can have multiple entries (if your target specifications are very long, etc.)
target02:       ## This message will show up too!!!
target02: target00 target01
	@echo does even more

Help in ANSI color