equivalent command for gnumake (for...do, if exist,del) - shell

Question

I'm converting a makefile so it can be used with gnu make. In the other make program (can't find what was the version...) this part was executed :
#******************************************************************************
# Explicit Rules
#******************************************************************************
#
# This section contents the explicit rules to create the Virtual File system.
# This file system actualy contains the files used by the Web interface.
#
#******************************************************************************
CFGFILE = $(WEBDST)/vfs.cfg
# Compiling vfsdata
$(OBJDIR)vfsdata.o : vfsdata.c
#echo .
#echo ::. COMPILING1 : vfsdata.c
#echo ::::.
$(NOECHOC)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(DEBUGFLASG) $(subst \,/,$(VFSDIR))/vfsdata.c -o"$#" $(INCLUDE)
# Dependance of vfsdata.c
vfsdata.c : $(addprefix $(WEBSRC)\,$(WEBGLOBAL)) $(addprefix $(WEBDST)\,$(WEBLOCAL))
# Make vfsdata.c writable
#if exist $(VFSDIR)\vfsdata.c \
chmod 777 $(VFSDIR)\vfsdata.c
#
# Generate the configuration file needed by vfscomp
#
#echo [general] > $(CFGFILE)
#echo vfs_root_dir = $(WEBDST)>> $(CFGFILE)
#echo vfs_data_file = $(VFSDIR)\vfsdata>> $(CFGFILE)
#echo vfs_image_var = vfsimage>> $(CFGFILE)
#echo far_pointer = yes>> $(CFGFILE)
#echo compress = yes>> $(CFGFILE)
#echo [file] >> $(CFGFILE)
#echo $(sort $(WEBGLOBAL) $(WEBLOCAL)) | $(TR) -s " " "[\n*]" \
| $(SED) "s/gif/gif -u/g" \
>> $(CFGFILE)
#
# Create the local directory tree
#
#for %%f in ($(subst /,\,$(dir $(WEBGLOBAL)))) do \
if not exist $(WEBDST)\%%f mkdir $(WEBDST)\%%f
#
# Copy the WEB pages directory tree localy
#
#for %%f in ($(subst /,\,$(WEBGLOBAL))) do \
cp -rf $(WEBSRC)\%%f $(WEBDST)\%%f
#
# Generate the virtual file system
#
#$(TOOLDIR)/vfscomp $(subst \,/,$(CFGFILE))
#
# Delete the local directory tree
#
#delete the directory recursively exept the one in the exclusion list
#for %%f in ($(filter-out $(EXCLUSION), $(WEBDIR))) do \
if exist $(WEBDST)\%%f \
rm -rf $(WEBDST)\%%f
#delete the remaining files.
#for %%f in ($(subst /,\,$(WEBGLOBAL))) do \
if exist $(WEBDST)\%%f \
rm -f $(WEBDST)\%%f
#del $(subst /,\,$(CFGFILE))
When I build my code, I get this error
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
I have the feeling that some commands like #for #del #if exist are command that are not supported(or with a different syntax) in the gnu make.
I checked in the online GNU make documentation but I didn't found commands that are similar to those used below.
Is there any equivalent in gnu make to the command used in this part of the makefile?
Thanks in advance!
EDIT :
I removed the # and executed make. I can see when the message "The syntax of the command is incorrect" appear :
if exist ../Pa/Filesys\vfsdata.c \
chmod 777 ../Pa/Filesys\vfsdata.c
echo [general] > ../Pa/Filesys/vfs.cfg
echo vfs_root_dir = ../Pa/Filesys>> ../Pa/Filesys/vfs.cfg
echo vfs_data_file = ../Pa/Filesys\vfsdata>> ../Pa/Filesys/vfs.cfg
echo vfs_image_var = vfsimage>> ../Pa/Filesys/vfs.cfg
echo far_pointer = yes>> ../Pa/Filesys/vfs.cfg
echo compress = yes>> ../Pa/Filesys/vfs.cfg
echo [file] >> ../Pa/Filesys/vfs.cfg
echo behavior/datasync/datasync.htc behavior/defered/defered.htc behavior/inputs/indirect.htc behavior/inputs/inputs.htc behavior/progress/progress.htc behavior/slider/slBottom.gif behavior/slider/slLeft.gif behavior/slider/slRight.gif behavior/slider/slTop.gif behavior/slider/slider.htc css/env.css html/cfgmain.html html/changepass.html html/diagpa.html html/firmhlp.html html/firmware.html html/home.html html/logpage.html html/progressend.html html/progressstart.html html/soundhlp.html html/support.html html/uplmain.html html/uploadstart.html img/button.gif img/logo.gif index.html xslt/activate.xslt xslt/main.xslt xslt/netmenu.xslt xslt/page.xslt xslt/page_func.xslt xslt/progress.xslt xslt/tlmenu.xslt xslt/upload.xslt | tr -s " " "[\n*]" \
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
| sed "s/gif/gif -u/g" \
>> ../Pa/Filesys/vfs.cfg
for %%f in (.\ css\ img\ img\ xslt\ xslt\ xslt\ xslt\ xslt\ xslt\ xslt\ xslt\ html\ html\ html\ html\ html\ html\ html\ html\ html\ html\ html\ html\ behavior\slider\ behavior\slider\ behavior\slider\ behavior\slider\ behavior\slider\ behavior\datasync\ behavior\progress\ behavior\inputs\ behavior\inputs\ behavior\defered\) do \
It appear that the syntax error is somewhere on the line
echo $(sort $(WEBGLOBAL) $(WEBLOCAL)) | $(TR) -s " " "[\n*]" \
| $(SED) "s/gif/gif -u/g" \

Answer 1

To be clear, none of the commands you mention are make commands. They are all shell commands. Make is invoking a shell and passing those commands to the shell. As mentioned elsewhere, the "#" is a special command to make (supported by all POSIX-based make implementations including GNU make) that tells make to not print the command before sending it to the shell (the "#" is removed by make before sending the command to the shell).
Second, the error message "the syntax of the command is incorrect" is not anything GNU make ever prints. Either you have paraphrased the error message rather than repeating it verbatim (never a good idea when asking for help), or that message is being printed not by make but by some shell command that make invokes.

Answer 2

This will take a few iterations (especially since you haven't given us a complete sample).
There are two rules here; try them separately.
Try the second rule with only the first command:
# Make vfsdata.c writable
#if exist $(VFSDIR)\vfsdata.c \
chmod 777 $(VFSDIR)\vfsdata.c
Let us know the results of these experiments, and we'll go from there.
EDIT:
Interesting. I'd guess that either tr doesn't like your syntax, or the length of that command has exceeded some limit of your Make or OS.
Try doing it from the command line:
echo behavior/datasync/datasync.htc behavior/defered/defered.htc behavior/inputs/indirect.htc behavior/inputs/inputs.htc behavior/progress/progress.htc behavior/slider/slBottom.gif behavior/slider/slLeft.gif behavior/slider/slRight.gif behavior/slider/slTop.gif behavior/slider/slider.htc css/env.css html/cfgmain.html html/changepass.html html/diagpa.html html/firmhlp.html html/firmware.html html/home.html html/logpage.html html/progressend.html html/progressstart.html html/soundhlp.html html/support.html html/uplmain.html html/uploadstart.html img/button.gif img/logo.gif index.html xslt/activate.xslt xslt/main.xslt xslt/netmenu.xslt xslt/page.xslt xslt/page_func.xslt xslt/progress.xslt xslt/tlmenu.xslt xslt/upload.xslt | tr -s " " "[\n*]" \
| sed "s/gif/gif -u/g" \
>> ../Pa/Filesys/vfs.cfg
If that succeeds, it's a Make length limit; try with fewer file names.If it fails, try omitting the last term:
echo blah blah blah \
| sed "s/gif/gif -u/g"
Tell us the results, and we'll proceed...