[HN Gopher] Just: A Command Runner
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Just: A Command Runner
Author : tnorthcutt
Score : 61 points
Date : 2023-01-09 20:46 UTC (2 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (github.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
| xwowsersx wrote:
| The manual appears to be busted. The installation docs at
| https://just.systems/man/en/chapter_2.html#installation just (ha)
| shows an empty page.
| Jtsummers wrote:
| Try going to the subsections inside of Installation.
|
| https://just.systems/man/en/chapter_4.html
| xwowsersx wrote:
| Ah thank you
| JacobLinney wrote:
| I believe this is just due to how they're parsing the README.md
| on https://github.com/casey/just. (Though this should probably
| still be updated)
|
| The installation section has no direct body, but there are
| subheaders with the actual instructions.
|
| Ex. https://just.systems/man/en/chapter_3.html
| simonw wrote:
| I've been using this for about six months now and I absolutely
| love it.
|
| Make never stuck for me - I couldn't quite get it to fit inside
| my head.
|
| Just has the exact set of features I want.
|
| Here's one example of one of my Justfiles:
| https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/blob/fc221f9b62ed8624... -
| documented here: https://sqlite-
| utils.datasette.io/en/stable/contributing.htm...
|
| I also wrote about using Just with Django in this TIL:
| https://til.simonwillison.net/django/just-with-django
| rcarmo wrote:
| You don't need to use all of make's features (I've been using
| it for something like 30 years and still can't fathom sets of
| it). But TBH I just don't see anything in those Justfiles I
| couldn't do with make without needing to do anything special...
| 0cf8612b2e1e wrote:
| Getting the list of make targets by default is pretty nifty.
| As is not having to preface everything with PHONY.
|
| Do any of these make alternatives reinvent the paradigm? No,
| but they do offer some quality of life improvements I wish
| were within reach without jumping through hoops.
| simonw wrote:
| I'm sure you can do that stuff with Make. Like I said though,
| I have tried and failed to get Make to stick for me in the
| past.
|
| Maybe it's just that my brain has such a strong negative
| reaction to that PHONY hack that I was never able to get past
| it.
|
| Maybe Just's tagline should be "it's Make, but you don't have
| to remember what PHONY means".
| velcrovan wrote:
| One of the listed benefits of just is "Recipes can be listed from
| the command line."
|
| There is a nice trick that gives makefiles this ability:
| http://marmelab.com/blog/2016/02/29/auto-documented-makefile...
|
| Adding .PHONY targets and so forth is a bit inelegant, but I can
| share a makefile with confidence that any Linux/Mac OS/BSD user
| can use it without needing additional software, and I will never
| have to worry about make becoming unavailable or no longer
| maintained. Just my personal opinion.
| rcarmo wrote:
| Actually, I did a hack that does that too (this one is nicer,
| though). I can't find mine offhand (too many makefiles), but it
| is also a Makefile target that runs grep -B1 on the Makefile
| itself and spits out each target's name and the comment I
| usually add to it... And my Makefile template uses .env files
| too... I think I cover most of the list in my day-to-day use.
| user3939382 wrote:
| These issues are part of my daily work. I've started converting
| the make targets/commands to shell scripts because the hacks and
| ugliness that you have to do to provide make with arguments isn't
| worth it. It seems like the more advanced shell features you want
| to use in a makefile, the more make gets in your way.
|
| Not that I fault it. It's supposed to be for making programs
| hence the name. We're abusing it by turning into a script
| collection.
| rcarmo wrote:
| As someone who _extensively_ uses Makefiles everywhere to speed
| up things (why bother remembering how to start a server in a
| particular language when "make serve" will work anywhere), I
| almost understand why this exists, but then I remember that make
| is available everywhere and has tab auto completion and I have to
| wonder why...
| chungy wrote:
| Pretty much my reaction too. Seems like Make, reinvented.
| akdor1154 wrote:
| I've come across this a few times, it seems to cope very well
| with all the things I'm abusing Make to do. I'm hesitant to add
| niche tooling requirements to my projects though.
|
| Can anyone comment with their experience using this? (in
| particular the social ramifications)
| rcarmo wrote:
| Well, let me put it this way: I never use a tool that isn't
| bundled with the OS or the runtime I'm developing for, because
| I don't want my environment to be a special snowflake (and I
| develop stuff on Linux and macOS, with essentially the same CLI
| tools).
| 0cf8612b2e1e wrote:
| What would it take to unseat Make? Make is installed everywhere,
| so it is really hard for me to justify leaning on new tooling.
| Make is ok, but it has enough deficiencies that I longingly look
| at tools like this.
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(page generated 2023-01-09 23:00 UTC)