GNU make empty recipe vs. no recipe
<p>Looking at the <a href="https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/make.html" rel="noreferrer">GNU make manual</a>, what exactly is the difference between an <a href="https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/make.html#Empty-Recipes" rel="noreferrer">empty recipe</a> and no recipe (for example see one instance in <a href="https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/make.html#Force-Targets" rel="noreferrer">Rules without Recipes or Prerequisites</a>)? More importantly, when should one use/avoid each of these two recipes?</p>

<p>In my current understanding, one should always use</p>

<pre><code>target: ;
</code></pre>

<p>because sometimes an implicit rule could defeat one's purpose of <strong>no rule</strong>.</p>