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### Basics of Variable References

To substitute a variable's value, write a dollar sign followed by the name of the variable in parentheses or braces: either `$(foo)` or `${foo}` is a valid reference to the variable `foo`. This special significance of `$` is why you must write `$$` to have the effect of a single dollar sign in a file name or command.

Variable references can be used in any context: targets, prerequisites, commands, most directives, and new variable values. Here is an example of a common case, where a variable holds the names of all the object files in a program:

         objects = program.o foo.o utils.o
         program : $(objects)
                 cc -o program $(objects)

         $(objects) : defs.h

Variable references work by strict textual substitution. Thus, the rule

         foo = c
         prog.o : prog.$(foo)
                 $(foo)$(foo) -$(foo) prog.$(foo)

could be used to compile a C program `prog.c`. Since spaces before the variable value are ignored in variable assignments, the value of `foo` is precisely `c`. (Don't actually write your makefiles this way!)

A dollar sign followed by a character other than a dollar sign, open-parenthesis or open-brace treats that single character as the variable name. Thus, you could reference the variable `x` with `$x`. However, this practice is strongly discouraged, except in the case of the automatic variables (see Automatic Variables).