Introduction to Build Systems
- The concept of a “build process” in projects
- Sequence of operations from inputs to outputs
- The role of build systems in automating these processes
What is a Build System?
- A tool to define dependencies, targets, and rules
- Manages and optimizes the build process
- Examples include
make, specialized tools for languages or larger projects
The Make Build System
- One of the most common build systems
- Uses a
Makefile to define rules, targets, and dependencies
- Example of a simple
Makefile:
hello:
echo "Hello, World"
How make Works
- Determines the necessary steps to build a target
- Avoids redundant builds by checking dependencies
- Common operations like building a PDF from LaTeX sources
Dependency Management
- Projects depend on external code or libraries
- Repositories and tools manage these dependencies
- Versioning ensures compatibility and stability
Semantic Versioning
- Version format: major.minor.patch
- Rules for updating each number based on changes
- Helps maintain compatibility and predictability
Lock Files and Vendoring
- Lock files specify exact versions used in a project
- Vendoring involves copying dependencies into the project
- Ensures control and consistency over external code
Continuous Integration Systems
Overview of CI Systems
- Automate tasks that run on code changes
- Common in larger projects for testing, deployment, etc.
- Examples: Travis CI, Azure Pipelines, GitHub Actions
CI Configuration
- Defined through files in the repository
- Specifies actions on events like push or pull request
- Automates testing, building, deploying, and more
Example: GitHub Pages
- Automatic deployment of websites on push to
master
- Runs Jekyll to build the site, deploys to GitHub domain
- Simplifies website updates and maintenance