Makefile question

[FJ Hirsch]

I have a makefile question:

Say my makefile makes a .o file from a .c file, but it cannot
find the .c file in the current directory so it dies saying:

Make:  Don't know how to make bss.o.  Stop.

What I want it to do is:
if the .c file is there go on as usual
if it is not there - go get it!

Ie pretend there is the rule:

?.c:
	goget magicplace $*.c

?.h:	
	<or do something smart>


where <or do something smart> is user defined and ?.X means if .X not found 
then <or do something smart> (to beat it into the ground).

And then I might want SCCS to get involved as well (eg ?~.c: )

BUT
I really don't want to change makefile SO

has someone solved this problem already?

If I learn something interesting I'll post it.
Thanks. :-)

<*> Fred Hirsch <*> AT&T Bell Laboratories <*> eagle!pyuxbb!fjh <*>