rake

= RAKE -- Ruby Make

home :: https://github.com/ruby/rake
bugs :: https://github.com/ruby/rake/issues
docs :: https://ruby.github.io/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. (Formerly
  tasks for building RDoc, Gems, and publishing to FTP were included in rake but they're now
  available in RDoc, RubyGems, and rake-contrib 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}[rdoc-ref:doc/command_line_usage.rdoc]
* {Writing Rakefiles}[rdoc-ref:doc/rakefile.rdoc]
* The original {Rake announcement}[rdoc-ref:doc/rational.rdoc]
* Rake {glossary}[rdoc-ref:doc/glossary.rdoc]

=== Presentations and Articles about Rake

* Avdi Grimm's rake series:
  1. {Rake Basics}[https://avdi.codes/rake-part-1-basics/]
  2. {Rake File Lists}[https://avdi.codes/rake-part-2-file-lists-2/]
  3. {Rake Rules}[https://avdi.codes/rake-part-3-rules/]
  4. {Rake Pathmap}[https://avdi.codes/rake-part-4-pathmap/]
  5. {File Operations}[https://avdi.codes/rake-part-5-file-operations/]
  6. {Clean and Clobber}[https://avdi.codes/rake-part-6-clean-and-clobber/]
  7. {MultiTask}[https://avdi.codes/rake-part-7-multitask/]
* {Jim Weirich's 2003 RubyConf presentation}[https://web.archive.org/web/20140221123354/http://onestepback.org/articles/buildingwithrake/]
* Martin Fowler's article on Rake: https://martinfowler.com/articles/rake.html

== Other Make Re-envisionings ...

Rake is a late entry in the make replac