[Semi-OT] On the topic of build tools

[Paul Backus]

On Tuesday, 10 August 2021 at 01:11:45 UTC, SealabJaster wrote:
> * It appears to be very difficult to make a build tool that 
> isn't just `make` with a pretty coat of paint?

I haven't actually tried it with a real project yet, but one 
build tool I find interesting in this regard is `redo`:

https://redo.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

With `redo`, you specify your project's build process as a 
collection of *imperative* scripts, which generate dependency 
information *as a side effect*. This ensures that your dependency 
graph is always up-to-date, without requiring any of the [crazy 
hacks][1] you'd need for GNU `make`.

[1]: 
http://make.mad-scientist.net/papers/advanced-auto-dependency-generation/