Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ninja Build VS Scriptable

Compare Ninja Build VS Scriptable and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Ninja Build logo Ninja Build

Ninja is a small build system with a focus on speed.

Scriptable logo Scriptable

Automate iOS using JavaScript
  • Ninja Build Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-14
  • Scriptable Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-19

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
    Ninjaโ€™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.

Scriptable features and specs

  • Custom Automation
    Scriptable allows users to create custom iOS scripts using JavaScript, enabling automation of tasks and integration with various apps.
  • Extensive API Access
    The app provides extensive access to iOS APIs, allowing users to interact with system functions like calendar, reminders, and files.
  • Widget Support
    Scriptable supports the creation of custom widgets on the iOS home screen, offering personalized information and functionality.
  • Community and Examples
    There is a strong community around Scriptable, with ample examples and shared scripts that help new users get started quickly.
  • No Need for Developer Account
    Users do not need a paid Apple developer account to use Scriptable, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

Possible disadvantages of Scriptable

  • Learning Curve
    While powerful, Scriptable requires users to have some programming knowledge, which can be a barrier for beginners.
  • Limited to JavaScript
    The app only supports JavaScript for scripting, which may not be ideal for users familiar with other programming languages.
  • iOS-only
    Scriptable is exclusively available for iOS, limiting its use to Apple devices and excluding Android or Windows users.
  • Complexity for Simple Tasks
    For users looking to automate very simple tasks, Scriptable might be seen as overly complex compared to dedicated automation apps.
  • Performance Limitations
    Scripts running on mobile devices might face performance limitations, particularly for computation-heavy tasks.

Analysis of Ninja Build

Overall verdict

  • Ninja Build is considered a strong choice for users seeking a fast, reliable, and efficient build system. Its simplicity and focus on performance make it appealing to developers working on projects where build speed is critical.

Why this product is good

  • Ninja Build is a high-performance build system designed to handle complex build processes efficiently. It is known for its minimalistic yet powerful design, which allows for faster build times compared to traditional build systems like Make. Its approach to dependency tracking and parallelism is optimized for modern build environments, making it suitable for large codebases and incremental builds.

Recommended for

    Ninja Build is recommended for developers working on large-scale projects with complex build processes, particularly in environments where build speed and efficiency are prioritized. It is especially beneficial for projects that are continuously integrated or require frequent incremental builds.

Ninja Build videos

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

Scriptable videos

Daily Review Using iOS Shortcut and Scriptable

More videos:

  • Review - LIVE: Let's talk about Scriptable Objects - Should you use them?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ninja Build and Scriptable)
Front End Package Manager
Web Service Automation
0 0%
100% 100
JS Build Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Automation
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Ninja Build and Scriptable. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Scriptable might be a bit more popular than Ninja Build. We know about 27 links to it since March 2021 and only 23 links to Ninja Build. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Ninja Build mentions (23)

  • CMake Made Simple: A Reusable Template for Your First C++ Project
    On Windows, download the binaries from the cmake and Ninja websites. After that, add the executables to your PATH. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • TypeScript's Successor is Waiting, and You'll Never Want to Turn Back
    Under the hood, Rescript uses a build system called Ninja. Ninja is similar to Make, but cross-platform and more minimal/performant. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Using Make โ€“ writing less Makefile
    Ninja was super easy to pick up even after using make for some time (10+ years). GN is just a ninja generator that is optional. https://gn.googlesource.com/gn/+/main/docs/quick_start.md https://ninja-build.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: What outdated tech are you still using and are perfectly happy with?
    Really? I thought most new projects were switching to ninja[^1] and have never used it. [^1]: https://ninja-build.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • What was used to build C++ programs before Cmake?
    Ninja showed real promise for a while, but then CMake grew up and people stopped seeing a reason to leave it behind. Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

Scriptable mentions (27)

  • BITCOIN G2A SCAM
    r/Scriptable is for Scriptable, an automation app for iOS, not scripts in general. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Trying to Automate Calls ands Answering within Microsoft Teams
    This sub is for the Scriptable app which uses Javascript. You can check your script with folks over at r/PowerShell. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Loader Script thing in Roblox Studio
    Hi! This subreddit is for Scriptable, an app for iOS automation using JavaScript. Itโ€™s not for general-purpose scripting topics like Roblox Studio. I hope another community that focuses on what youโ€™re looking for is able to point you in the right direction! Source: over 3 years ago
  • Right way to retrieve a specific element from Data Jar
    If you know some Javascript, Scriptable would be a good use for this. From the same developer as Data Jar. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Shortcut to open Apollo AS a certain user
    This is one of things on my Apollo wish list too. As well as being able to post via Shortcuts. Although I was able to do the latter using Scriptable. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ninja Build and Scriptable, you can also consider the following products

GNU Make - GNU Make is a tool which controls the generation of executables and other non-source files of a program from the program's source files.

ifttt - IFTTT puts the internet to work for you. Create simple connections between the products you use every day.

SCons - SCons is an Open Source software construction toolโ€”that is, a next-generation build tool.

n8n.io - Free and open fair-code licensed node based Workflow Automation Tool. Easily automate tasks across different services.

npm - npm is a package manager for Node.

Microsoft Power Automate - Microsoft Power Automate is an automation platform that integrates DPA, RPA, and process mining. It lets you automate your organization at scale using low-code and AI.