Software Build Tools

Software build tools are used to automate the creation of executable applications from source code. They script or automate a variety of tasks, such as downloading dependencies, compiling and packaging code, running tests, and deployment. They can be triggered through the command line, inside an IDE, or by continuous integration tools after checking the code out of a repository and onto a build machine. Different build systems exist for different languages. Usually, build systems use either a domain-specific language or XML to specify a build.

There are three types of build processes that enable developers to get their software builds done:

1. Continuous Integration (CI) builds: In this practice, developers merge their code to a centralized mainline several times a day. This prevents integration problems with incompatible or buggy code when all of the developers attempt to check in at the last minute prior to a release. While deployments involve simply preparing the code so it can be run, CI builds involve running the code against a test suite.

2. Gated check-in builds: Also known as gated commits, this is a software integration pattern where developers must request a gated commit from the CI server before committing the changes to the shared mainline. That way, they can observe whether the changes break the build before actually committing them.

3. Nightly builds: Also referred to as scheduled builds, the name pretty much describes the process. Builds are done at a scheduled time on a daily basis. This process usually occurs at night so that the code can be compiled by the build computer during off hours, then tested by developers the following morning.

In this section, we will generally be referring to CI builds and, to a lesser extent, gated check-in builds.

What are Software Build Tools?

Modern build automation tools don’t just compile code; they enable workflows by obtaining source code, deploying executables to be tested, and optimizing complex build processes. There are numerous build tools with all sorts of trade-offs between them, but usually they are based on a specific language. For an example, Maven and Ant are XML-based tools, Grunt is JSON-based, and sbt is Scala-based.

Build tool features might include: running ad-hoc commands, ordering the execution of commands based on dependencies, parallelizing different commands, overseeing file changes and running commands based on those changes, using external processes such as compilers, allowing configuration and re-configuration, and downloading dependencies.

Benefits of Software Build Tools

Build automation tools are crucial for moving towards a continuous delivery (CD) model. They allow you to build your project with the click of a button, which reduces errors from manually running steps, and also increases the consistency of the process. Automated builds make sure that the whole team knows almost immediately when something goes wrong, and who is responsible for the error. They are especially important in environments with multiple interdependent projects, helping to ensure that people don’t break anything when working concurrently on different projects. In addition, outside groups (such as marketing and beta customer sites) can pick a stable build and use it while the product or feature is still in progress.

When combined with a solid source control system, build tools allow developers to maintain an archive of builds so that they can backtrack and identify when a bug first appeared in the system. This improves communication and transparency in an organization. Some build tools can even capture metrics for code coverage, code complexity, and features complete that help developers to control code quality and track efficiency.

Add testing to the equation, and you’ll gain the ability to always know the state of your software. That way, you can safely decide whether or not to deploy to production without worrying about unforeseen bugs.