Make programs help to manage the complexity of building software programs from many source file and library components. Make programs read Makefiles, which are description files that specify the parts and processes that should be used to build a software product. Make programs have been the dominant programs for doing software builds for more than 25 years. The first make program was created in the mid-1970s. In the 1980s, make was extended with more advanced features. In the 1990s, several new make replacement programs were created to offer new description languages for makefiles.