.. index:: target
.. _target:

Examining Targets (`target`)
----------------------------

**target** [*target-name*] [*info1* [*info2*...]]

Show information about a *target-name*.

*target-name* is the name of a target or it can be a variable like `@`
(the current target) or `<` (first dependency). If *target-name* is
omitted use the current target.

When `remake` enters the debugger, `remake` spontaneously prints the
line and target name that is under consideration and the location of
this target.  Likewise, when you select a target frame, the default
target name is changed.


The following attributes names can be given after a target name:

* attributes: rule attributes
   - precious,
   - rule search,
   - and pattern stem
* commands:   shell commands that need to be run to update the target
* depends: all target dependencies, i.e. order and non-order
* expand: like 'commands', but Makefile variables are expanded
* nonorder:" non-order dependencies", i.e. dependencies that are not ordered
* order: "order dependencies", i.e. dependencies that have to be run in a particular order
* previous: previous target name when there are multiple double-colons
* state: target status:
   - successully updated
   - needs to be updated
   - failed to be udated
   - invalid, an error of some sort occurred
* time: last modification time and whether file has been updated. If
  the target is not up to date you will see the message "File is very
  old." If a target is "phony", i.e. doesn't have a file associated
  with it, the message "File does not exist."  will appear instead of
  the time. In some cases you may see "Modification time never
  checked."
* variables: automatically set variables such as `@` or  `<`

Note that there are other automatic variables defined based on
these. In particular those that have a `D` or `F` suffix, e.g. `$(@@D)`,
or `$(*F)`. These however are not listed here but can shown in a
`print` command or figured out from their corresponding
single-letter variable name.

.. seealso::

   :ref:`print <print>`.