GNU Make

Website

gnu.org

$ Details

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Categories

#Front End Package Manager #JavaScript Package Manager #JS Build Tools #Package Manager

Ninja Build

Website

ninja-build.org

$ Details

Categories

#Front End Package Manager #JavaScript Package Manager #JS Build Tools #Package Manager

GNU Make features and specs

• Portability
  GNU Make is highly portable and can be used across various Unix-like operating systems as well as on Windows.
• Dependency Management
  It efficiently handles complex dependencies between various parts of the software, ensuring that changes are propagated properly.
• Open Source
  Being open-source software, GNU Make is freely available and can be modified according to user needs.
• Wide Adoption
  It is widely adopted in the industry, which means that there is extensive documentation and a large community for support.
• Efficiency
  GNU Make speeds up the build process by only recompiling the necessary parts of the codebase.

Possible disadvantages of GNU Make

• Complex Syntax
  The syntax of GNU Makefiles can become very complex, especially for large projects, making them hard to read and maintain.
• Limited Cross-Platform Scripting
  While the tool itself is cross-platform, Makefiles can sometimes include shell commands that are not portable.
• Steep Learning Curve
  Beginners may find it challenging to grasp the concepts and syntax of GNU Make, leading to a steep learning curve.
• Debugging Difficulty
  Debugging Makefiles can be difficult, with limited tools available to trace or step through the make process.
• Performance Bottlenecks
  For extremely large projects, performance can become an issue, as the evaluation of dependencies might become slow.

Ninja Build features and specs

• Speed
  Ninja is designed for high performance, making it one of the fastest build systems available. It minimizes the time spent on tasks such as parsing, dependency resolution, and build command execution.
• Simplicity
  Ninja’s configuration syntax is straightforward and concise, reducing the complexity involved in setting up builds and allowing for a clear overview of build rules.
• Parallelism
  Ninja excels at handling parallel builds, leveraging multiple cores effectively to decrease overall build times.
• Incremental Builds
  Ninja efficiently handles incremental builds by only recompiling what is necessary, which significantly speeds up iterative development processes.
• Integration
  Ninja is often used as the backend for more complex build systems (e.g., CMake), making it a versatile tool within a larger toolchain.

Possible disadvantages of Ninja Build

• Limited Features
  Ninja is deliberately minimalist, lacking many of the features found in other build systems, such as built-in support for complex dependency management and custom build steps.
• Learning Curve
  While Ninja itself has a simple syntax, the learning curve can be steep for those unfamiliar with how build systems work or for those coming from more feature-rich environments.
• Dependency on Generators
  Ninja often requires an external generator (like CMake) to create its build files, which can add to the setup complexity and introduce dependencies on other tools.
• Limited Scripting Capabilities
  Unlike some build systems that offer extensive scripting support (e.g., Python in SCons), Ninja's functionality is largely limited to what its syntax and predefined rules allow.
• Less Flexibility
  Due to its minimalist nature, Ninja may not be as flexible as other build systems, potentially limiting its use in more complex or unusual build scenarios.

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FORTNITE STW: HERE IS THE BEST NINJA BUILD (AFTER MONTHS OF TESTING)