Ceylon.build is a build tool that aims to provide an alternative to Ant, Maven, and Gradle. It allows defining goals (functions with names and dependencies) that can be run from the command line. Goals can depend on other goals, ensuring dependencies are run first before executing a goal. This provides type-safety and allows writing code instead of XML for build processes. The documentation provides details on the syntax, command line usage, importing goals, and managing dependencies between goals.

1. Introduction to ceylon.build
By Loïc Rouchon

2. Executive Summary
•
•
•
•
What is ceylon.build
Why ceylon.build
Definitions
Features

3. What is ceylon.build
• Tool to run goals from command line
• Aims to be an alternative to Ant / Maven
/ Gradle

4. Why ceylon.build
• Write code, not XML
• Type-safety
• Built-in module system

5. Definition
• Goal:
– A function
– With a name
– And dependencies on other goals

6. First syntax attempt
import ceylon.build.engine { build }
import ceylon.build.task { Goal }
import ceylon.build.tasks.misc { echo }
void run() {
build {
Goal {
name = "hello";
echo("hello")
},
Goal {
name = "bye";
echo("bye")
}
};
}

7. First syntax attempt
import ceylon.build.engine { build }
import ceylon.build.task { Goal }
import ceylon.build.tasks.misc { echo }
void run() {
build {
Goal {
name = "hello";
echo("hello")
},
Goal {
name = "bye";
echo("bye")
}
};
}
• Hard to read for
an IDE plugin

8. First syntax attempt
import ceylon.build.engine { build }
import ceylon.build.task { Goal }
import ceylon.build.tasks.misc { echo }
void run() {
value bar = Goal {
name = "bar";
echo("bar")
}
value foo = Goal {
name = "foo";
dependencies = [bar];
echo("foo")
}
build { foo, bar };
}
• Hard to read for
an IDE plugin
• Dependencies
break Tree-like
syntax

9. Future syntax
import ceylon.build.task { goal }
import ceylon.build.tasks.misc { echo }
"Say Hello"
goal shared void hello() {
echo("hello");
}
"Say Bye"
goal shared void bye() {
echo("bye");
}

10. Command line usage
Usage:
ceylon run ceylon.build.runner your.build.module [<goal...>]
Or, if your build module is in build folder: ceylon build [<goal...>]
$ ceylon build hello
$ ceylon build hello bye
## ceylon.build
# running goals: [hello] in order
# running hello()
hello world
## success ­ duration 0s
## ceylon.build
# running goals: [hello, bye] in order
# running hello()
hello
# running bye()
bye
## success ­ duration 0s

11. Import a set of goals
Goal set definition
Your build module
import ceylon.build.task { goal }
import ceylon.build.tasks.misc { echo }
import ceylon.build.task { include }
shared class FooBar() {
goal shared void foo() {
echo("foo");
}
goal shared void bar() {
echo("bar");
}
}
include shared fooBar = FooBar();

12. Dependency management
• A goal can define dependencies on other
goals
– Dependencies will be executed prior to this goal
– Each goal requested (directly or by dependency)
will only be executed once

13. Dependency management
import ceylon.build.task { goal }
import ceylon.build.tasks.misc { echo }
goal { dependencies = [`function bar`]; }
shared void foo() {
echo("foo");
}
goal shared void bar() {
echo("bar");
}
$ ceylon build foo
## ceylon.build
# running goals: [bar, foo] in order
# running bar()
bar
# running foo()
foo
## success ­ duration 0s

14. Useful links
• Github
– https://github.com/ceylon/ceylon.build
• Engine documentation:
– http://modules.ceylon-lang.org/repo/1/ceylon/build
/engine/1.0.0/module-doc/
• Task API documentation:
– http://modules.ceylon-lang.org/repo/1/ceylon/build
/task/1.0.0/module-doc/

15. Q&A
• Questions! Answers?