What is the regex for makefile target?

The regex pattern for makefile target is `^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\s*:(?!=)`. This pattern validates makefile target definition (name followed by colon).

How do I use this regex in JavaScript?

In JavaScript, create the regex with `const regex = /^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\s*:(?!=)/;` and test with `regex.test(yourValue)`. It returns `true` if the value matches.

How do I use this regex in Python?

In Python, use `import re; re.match(r'^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\s*:(?!=)', value)`. The raw string prefix (`r`) prevents Python from interpreting backslashes as escape characters.

Is this regex case-sensitive?

By default, yes. To make it case-insensitive, add the `i` flag in JavaScript (`/^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\s*:(?!=)/i`) or use `re.IGNORECASE` in Python.

Regex for Makefile Target

Regex Pattern

^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\s*:(?!=)

Makefile target definition (name followed by colon)

Quick Answer

The regex pattern for makefile target is `^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\s*:(?!=)`. Makefile target definition (name followed by colon). This works in JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, Java, and most regex engines that support PCRE syntax.

Test Examples

Input	Result
build:	✓ Matches
test:	✓ Matches
clean:	✓ Matches
all:	✓ Matches
build command	✗ No match
# comment	✗ No match
VAR=value	✗ No match

Code Examples

javascript

const regex = /^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\s*:(?!=)/;
const isValid = regex.test(value);

python

import re
pattern = r'^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\s*:(?!=)'
if re.match(pattern, value):
    print("valid")

ruby

pattern = /^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\s*:(?!=)/
if value =~ pattern
  puts "valid"
end

php

if (preg_match('/^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\s*:(?!=)/', $value)) {
    echo "valid";
}

java

String pattern = "^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+\\s*:(?!=)";
boolean isValid = value.matches(pattern);

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Regex Patterns

JavaScript Variable Name

Valid JavaScript variable/identifier name

Python Variable Name

Valid Python identifier name

CSS Class Name

Valid CSS class name (starts with letter, underscore, or hyphen)

CSS ID Selector

CSS ID selector starting with #

JSON Key

JSON object key (quoted string followed by colon)

Semantic Version (Strict)

Strict semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH)