This is an extension by Gnu make (gmake), but nearly every make, especially on Linux, is gmake now. They are similar to suffix rules.

Gmake contains built-in pattern rules so it can handle common cases if you do not write your own rules. For example, to compile a C code it will by default use

%.o : %.c
        $(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $< -o $@

A pattern rule that is particularly useful for Fortran 90+:

%.mod: %.o 

This can be helpful because make’s default pattern rule for .mod is for a programming language called Modula, but Fortran uses .mod for compiled module interface files. Adding this pattern rule overrides the built-in rule for that suffix.

Make Options

Files with names other than makefile or Makefile can be used with the -f option

make -f Make.linux 

Make creates the first target in the file unless a specific target is specified.(Some Makefiles are written to require a target.). To generate a different target, provide its name on the command line.

make pw.x