Icmake can be used as an alternative to make(1). 

Icmake allows the programmer to use a program language (closely resembling the
well-known C-programming language) to define the actions involved in (complex)
program maintenance. For this, icmake offers various special operators as well
as a set of support functions that have proven to be useful in program
maintenance.

Traditional make-utilities recompile sources once header files are
modified. In the context of C++ program development this is often a bad idea,
as adding a new member to a class does not normally require you to recompile
the class's sources. To handle class dependencies in a more sensible way,
icmake's CLASSES file may define dependencies among classes. By default,
class-dependencies are not interpreted.


To create the program from its sources, either descend into the icmake
directory, or unpack a created archive, cd into its top-level directory and
follow the instructions provided in the INSTALL file found there.

Alternatively, binary ready-to-install versions of icmake are available in
verious Linux distributions, in particular Debian. See, e.g.,
https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=icmake&searchon=names&suite=all&section=all

Github's web-pages for icmake are here: https://fbb-git.github.io/icmake