makedepend ☆

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Description:
Creates dependencies in makefiles

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: build-system c c++ makefile developer-tools

Install: brew install makedepend

About:
Makedepend is a utility that analyzes C or C++ source files to determine their header dependencies. It generates a list of rules suitable for use in a Makefile, ensuring that targets are rebuilt when their dependencies change. This automates the tedious process of manually tracking #include statements.

Key Features:

Parses C/C++ source files for #include directives
Generates Makefile dependency rules automatically
Handles nested and system header dependencies
Integrates seamlessly with standard build systems

Use Cases:

Automating Makefile generation for C/C++ projects
Ensuring accurate rebuilds when header files are modified
Managing complex dependency trees in large codebases

Alternatives:

cc -M – Compiler flags that generate dependencies, but makedepend offers more granular control and standalone usage.
CMake – Modern build systems that handle dependencies implicitly, whereas makedepend is a lower-level tool for Make-based builds.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 10, 2025 6:16pm		0	VERSION_BUMP	f24e5e18