This is a small sample Makefile

{{{
EXCLUDE_DIRECTORIES=proc,dev,boot,home

TEXFILES=document.tex directories.tex

LITERATURE=literature.bib

.PHONY: directories.tex

.DEFAULT: all

all: document.pdf view

rebuild: clean all

directories.tex: dirs.py
        ./dirs.py ../../ $(EXCLDIRS) > $@

document.pdf: $(TEXFILES) $(LITERATURE)

view:
        acroread bericht.pdf &

clean:
        rm -f regdef.tex
        rm -f $(DIRS:=_dirs.tex)
        rm -f *.aux
        rm -f *.log
        rm -f *.lot
        rm -f *.lof
        rm -f *.toc
        rm -f *.bbl
        rm -f *.blg
        rm -f *.dvi
        rm -f dirs.tex
}}}