RAKE – Ruby Make

home: github.com/ruby/rake
bugs: github.com/ruby/rake/issues
docs: docs.seattlerb.org/rake

Description

Rake is a Make-like program implemented in Ruby. Tasks and dependencies are specified in standard Ruby syntax.

Rake has the following features:

Rakefiles (rake's version of Makefiles) are completely defined in standard Ruby syntax. No XML files to edit. No quirky Makefile syntax to worry about (is that a tab or a space?)
Users can specify tasks with prerequisites.
Rake supports rule patterns to synthesize implicit tasks.
Flexible FileLists that act like arrays but know about manipulating file names and paths.
A library of prepackaged tasks to make building rakefiles easier. For example, tasks for building tarballs and publishing to FTP or SSH sites. (Formerly tasks for building RDoc and Gems were included in rake but they're now available in RDoc and RubyGems respectively.)
Supports parallel execution of tasks.

Installation

Gem Installation

Download and install rake with the following.

gem install rake

Usage

Simple Example

First, you must write a “Rakefile” file which contains the build rules. Here's a simple example:

task default: %w[test]

task :test do
  ruby "test/unittest.rb"
end

This Rakefile has two tasks:

A task named “test”, which – upon invocation – will run a unit test file in Ruby.
A task named “default”. This task does nothing by itself, but it has exactly one dependency, namely the “test” task. Invoking the “default” task will cause Rake to invoke the “test” task as well.

Running the “rake” command without any options will cause it to run the “default” task in the Rakefile:

% ls
Rakefile     test/
% rake
(in /home/some_user/Projects/rake)
ruby test/unittest.rb
#....unit test output here...

Type “rake –help” for all available options.

Resources

Rake Information

{Rake command-line}
Writing Rakefiles
The original {Rake announcement}
Rake glossary

Presentations and Articles about Rake

Avdi Grimm's rake series:
Jim Weirich's 2003 RubyConf presentation: onestepback.org/articles/buildingwithrake/
Martin Fowler's article on Rake: martinfowler.com/articles/rake.html

Other Make Re-envisionings …

Rake is a late entry in the make replacement field. Here are links to other projects with similar (and not so similar) goals.

directory.fsf.org/bras.html – Bras, one of earliest implementations of “make in a scripting language”.
www.a-a-p.org – Make in Python
www.aromatic.com/tools/jam.txt – JAM, Java Automated Make
ant.apache.org – The Ant project
search.cpan.org/search?query=PerlBuildSystem – The Perl Build System
rubydoc.info/gems/rant/0.5.7/frames – Rant, another Ruby make tool.

Credits

Ryan Dlugosz: For the initial conversation that sparked Rake.
nobu.nokada@softhome.net: For the initial patch for rule support.
Tilman Sauerbeck <tilman@code-monkey.de>: For the recursive rule patch.
Eric Hodel: For aid in maintaining rake.

License

Rake is available under an MIT-style license.

:include: MIT-LICENSE

Other stuff

Author: Jim Weirich <jim.weirich@gmail.com>
Requires: Ruby 1.8.7 or later
License: Copyright Jim Weirich. Released under an MIT-style license. See the MIT-LICENSE file included in the distribution.

Warranty

This software is provided “as is” and without any express or implied warranties, including, without limitation, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.