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arcb — an alternative to traditional build systems

arcb is built around a simple idea:
your build logic should be clear, predictable, and entirely under your control.

Where many build systems accumulate implicit rules, ad-hoc behavior, and oversized DSLs, arcb deliberately goes the opposite way.
It gives you a compact language that describes your build steps without noise and without pretending to be a programming language.

arcb is not trying to replace huge ecosystems.
It aims to be a tool you can read, understand, and maintain effortlessly.

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✨ Why arcb?

A minimal language you can actually read

arcb’s DSL is intentionally small:

• variables
• tasks
• attributes

That’s it.
No hidden logic, no flow control, no cryptic operators.

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Tasks

A task is a clear, explicit unit of work.
You write the commands; arcb handles orchestration:

task Compile() {
    gcc -c arcb::SOURCES.inline() -o arcb::TARGET
}

Inputs tell the engine what the task depends on, enabling precise caching.

Variables

Globbing that behaves naturally Patterns such as:

src/**/*.c

expand automatically at runtime. If a variable isn’t a glob, it is passed through unchanged.

Execution

Profiles without the usual complexity Switch build profiles cleanly:

arcb build -p Debug

or

arcb build -p Release

Profiles modify behavior without injecting conditional logic into the DSL.
Attributes that extend, not complicate.
Attributes add metadata to tasks: ordering, interpreters, multithreading, cache behavior, and more.
They enhance your workflow without adding hidden semantics.
Predictable caching.

arcb automatically checks whether a task’s inputs have changed:
unchanged → task skipped
modified → task executed

Use your preferred interpreter:
Task bodies run in the system’s interpreter (bash by default).

arcb does not embed its own programming language.
If your shell can run it, arcb can orchestrate it.

🧠 Philosophy

Transparency: no invisible rules.
Minimalism: a tool stays maintainable by staying small.
User control: you describe the build; arcb executes it.

🚀 Getting Started

Create an arcfile at your project root, by the generator.

arcb --generate

Then customize it and run:

arcb

Run a specific task:

arcb <task>

🧩 Who is arcb for?

arcb fits well for:

• developers who prefer explicit build logic over implicit rules
• small and medium projects that don’t need heavyweight ecosystems
• teams that want build scripts everyone can read
• users frustrated by Make, yet unwilling to adopt massive systems like CMake
• anyone who wants structured task orchestration without sacrificing shell freedom

If you want a builder that does its job without getting in your way, arcb fits perfectly.

📄 License

See the repository for license details.

Contributions, issues, and feature ideas are welcome.