How to define global shell functions in a Makefile?

Question

I want to define a shell function

#!/bin/sh

test ()
{
  do_some_complicated_tests $1 $2;
  if something; then
    build_thisway $1 $2;
  else
    build_otherway         


        

Answer 1

Something tells me you'd be better off filtering the output of make -n, but what you ask is possible:

define test
  @echo do some tests with $(1) and $(2); \
  SOMETHING=$(1)_3 ; \
  if [ $$SOMETHING == foo_3 ]; then \
    echo build this way $(1) $(2); \
  else \
    echo build another way $(1) $(2) ; \
  fi
endef

someTarget:
    $(call test,foo,bar)

someOtherTarget:
    $(call test,baz,quartz)