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Further ramblings in readme

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Casey Rodarmor 2016-09-28 22:07:03 -07:00
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README.md
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@ -6,21 +6,23 @@ j
getting started getting started
--------------- ---------------
Get `j` from `cargo`, the [rust language](https://www.rust-lang.org) package manager: Get `j` from cargo, the [rust language](https://www.rust-lang.org) package manager:
1. Get rust and cargo from [rustup.rs](https://www.rustup.rs) 1. Get rust and cargo from [rustup.rs](https://www.rustup.rs)
2. Run `cargo install j` 2. Run `cargo install j`
3. Add `~/.cargo/bin` to your PATH 3. Add `~/.cargo/bin` to your PATH
`j` depends on `make` or `gmake` to actually run commands, but hopefully if you're using unix, a make is already installed on your system. If not, you can get it from your friendly local package manager. `j` depends on `make` or `gmake` to actually run commands, but if you're using unix, a make is probably already installed on your system. If not, you can get it from your friendly local package manager.
Unfortunately, this makes `j` difficult to run on windows. A possible future goal is to stop depending on make and use a custom file format, discussed in [issue #1](https://github.com/casey/j/issues/1). Unfortunately, the dependency on `make` makes `j` difficult to run on windows. A possible future goal is to stop depending on make and use a custom file format, discussed in [issue #1](https://github.com/casey/j/issues/1).
Once you can run `j`, create a file called `justfile` in the root of your project, and start adding recipes to it. See an example `justfile` [https://github.com/casey/j/blob/master/justfile](here). Once you can run `j`, create a file called `justfile` in the root of your project, and start adding recipes to it. See an example `justfile` [here](https://github.com/casey/j/blob/master/justfile).
The first recipe in the `justfile` will be run when run `j` with no arguments, which makes it a good candidate for the command that you run most often, for example building and testing your project. Other recipes can be run by supplying their name as an argument, for example `j build` to run the `build` recipe. The first recipe in the `justfile` will be run when `j` is called with no arguments, which makes it a good candidate for the command that you run most often, for example building and testing your project. Other recipes can be run by supplying their name as an argument, for example `j build` to run the `build` recipe.
After that, the sky is the limit! Ideas for recipes include: After that, the sky is the limit!
Ideas for recipes include:
* Deploying/publishing the project * Deploying/publishing the project
* Building in release mode vs debug mode * Building in release mode vs debug mode
@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ After that, the sky is the limit! Ideas for recipes include:
how it works how it works
------------ ------------
`j` looks upward from the current directory for a file called `justfile` and then runs make with that file as the makefile. `j` also sets the current working directory to where it found the justfile, so your commands are executed from the root of your project and not from whatever subdirectory you happen to be in. `j` looks upward from the current directory for a file called `justfile` and then runs `make` with that file as the makefile. `j` also sets the current working directory to where it found the justfile, so your commands are executed from the root of your project and not from whatever subdirectory you happen to be in.
Makefile targets are called "recipes", and are simply lists of commands to run in sequence, making them very concise. Recipes stop if a command fails, like if you do `set -e` in a shell script. Recipes also print each command before running it. If you would like to supress this, you can prepend a line in a recipe with `@`. Makefile targets are called "recipes", and are simply lists of commands to run in sequence, making them very concise. Recipes stop if a command fails, like if you do `set -e` in a shell script. Recipes also print each command before running it. If you would like to supress this, you can prepend a line in a recipe with `@`.
@ -53,10 +55,12 @@ Arguments after `--` are exported to environment variables`ARG0`, `ARG1`, ..., `
`just compile -- bar baz` `just compile -- bar baz`
yes, but why? further ramblings
------------- -----------------
`j` is a trivial program, but I personally find it enormously useful, and wind up writing a `justfile` for almost every project, big or small. `j` is a trivial program, but I personally find it enormously useful and write a `justfile` for almost every project, big or small.
For one, `j` is a full 5 characters shorter than `./main`, and 3 characters shorter than `make`.
On a big project with multiple contributers, it's very useful to have a file with all the commands needed to work on the project. There are probably different commands to test, build, lint, deploy, and the like, and having them all in one place is useful and cuts down on the time you have to spend telling people which commands to run and how to type them. And, with an easy place to put commands, it's likely that you'll come up with other useful things which are part of the project's collective wisdom, but which aren't written down anywhere, like the arcane commands needed for your project's revision control workflow, for updating dependencies, or all the random flags you might need to pass to the build system. On a big project with multiple contributers, it's very useful to have a file with all the commands needed to work on the project. There are probably different commands to test, build, lint, deploy, and the like, and having them all in one place is useful and cuts down on the time you have to spend telling people which commands to run and how to type them. And, with an easy place to put commands, it's likely that you'll come up with other useful things which are part of the project's collective wisdom, but which aren't written down anywhere, like the arcane commands needed for your project's revision control workflow, for updating dependencies, or all the random flags you might need to pass to the build system.