Give it a go:
git clone https://gist.github.com/6200029.git make-asset-compilation
cd make-asset-compilation
npm install
node_modules/.bin/bower install
mkdir -p javascripts sass public
echo 'console.log("Hello world");' > javascripts/myapp.js
echo 'html { background: papayawhip; }' > sass/myapp.scss
make
And then look in public
to see your compiled files.
To watch it auto-recompile on file change, run make watch
and then edit javascripts/myapp.js
or sass/myapp.scss
Awesome use of Make! It's somewhat more difficult to configure, but the advantages are clear.