Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SCons VS Please

Compare SCons VS Please and see what are their differences

SCons logo SCons

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

Please logo Please

A Cross-Language Build System
  • SCons Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-21
  • Please Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-11

SCons features and specs

  • Python Integration
    SCons uses Python scripts for build configuration, which allows users to leverage the full power of Pythonโ€™s capabilities, including libraries and modules, for more complex build scenarios.
  • Automatic Dependency Tracking
    SCons automatically tracks dependencies, ensuring that only the necessary parts of the project are rebuilt. This can lead to faster incremental builds and improved efficiency.
  • Cross-Platform
    SCons is cross-platform and works on various operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS, providing a consistent build environment across different platforms.
  • Wide Range of Tools
    SCons supports a wide range of tools and compilers out-of-the-box, making it easier to configure build environments for different programming languages and technologies.
  • Extensibility
    The use of Python makes SCons highly extensible. Users can write custom build targets, scanners, and actions to suit specific project needs.

Possible disadvantages of SCons

  • Performance
    SCons can be slower than other build systems, especially for larger projects, due to the overhead of Python and its dependency scanning mechanisms.
  • Complexity
    While Python scripting offers flexibility, it can also add complexity to the build system, especially for users who are not familiar with Python programming.
  • Learning Curve
    Users new to SCons may face a steep learning curve, due to the need to understand both the build system itself and Python if they are not already familiar with it.
  • Limited IDE Integration
    SCons has limited integration with some popular IDEs compared to other build systems like CMake, which can affect the development experience for some users.
  • Smaller Community
    SCons has a smaller user base and community compared to more widely adopted build systems like CMake, which can result in fewer readily available resources, tutorials, and community support.

Please features and specs

  • Performance
    Please build offers high performance build speeds, which can significantly reduce build times compared to other tools. This is achieved through parallel execution and efficient incremental builds.
  • Flexibility
    Please is highly configurable and flexible, allowing developers to tailor the build system to fit a wide range of project requirements and workflows.
  • Cross-platform
    It supports cross-platform builds, enabling developers to use a single build system for projects targeting multiple operating systems.
  • Minimal Dependencies
    Please requires minimal external dependencies, which simplifies setup and reduces the potential for version conflicts and other dependency-related issues.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, Please allows users to inspect, modify, and contribute to the codebase, fostering a collaborative community environment.

Possible disadvantages of Please

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users might find Please build's configuration and scripting style challenging to learn, especially if they are not familiar with build systems.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more established build tools, Please has a smaller ecosystem, which might result in fewer plugins, integrations, and community resources.
  • Complex Configuration
    For certain projects, the configuration might become complex, requiring careful management to maintain readability and manageability of build scripts.
  • Less Popular
    Please is not as widely adopted as some other build systems, potentially leading to fewer examples and support resources available online.

Analysis of SCons

Overall verdict

  • SCons is a good choice for those looking for a robust and flexible build automation tool, especially if they are comfortable with Python. It allows for a more streamlined and manageable build process, particularly for complex and multi-language projects.

Why this product is good

  • SCons is a software construction tool that is used for automating the build process. It is recognized for its ability to handle complex build requirements through a Python-based configuration language. This allows for greater flexibility and power compared to traditional make-based systems. SCons automatically handles dependencies, has a built-in cache system for faster builds, and is cross-platform, making it suitable for both small and large projects.

Recommended for

  • Software developers and engineers who need a flexible and powerful build system
  • Teams working with multi-language and complex codebases
  • Projects that require cross-platform support
  • Developers familiar with or interested in using Python for build configurations

SCons videos

Review Scons Baรฑados Dia %

Please videos

Chinese March: ่ฏทไฝ ๆฃ€้˜… - Please Review

More videos:

  • Review - Hong Kong March: ่ฏทไฝ ๆฃ€้˜… - Please Review (Instrumental)
  • Review - ่ฏทไฝ ๆฃ€้˜… (March ยซPlease, reviewยป)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SCons and Please)
Front End Package Manager
Action
0 0%
100% 100
JS Build Tools
100 100%
0% 0
JavaScript Package Manager

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

SCons might be a bit more popular than Please. We know about 16 links to it since March 2021 and only 12 links to Please. 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.

SCons mentions (16)

  • Modern CMake
    Scons is very easy and readable yet very powerful. It is Python based and extensible. https://scons.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Tired of Makefiles
    Has anyone tried SCONS? Came across someone using it in a place where I worked earlier. Python-based make-like tool. https://scons.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Show HN: Jeeves โ€“ A Pythonic Alternative to GNU Make
    The most comprehensive make alternative in python I've seen is Scons (https://scons.org/) It would be worth to see how they tackles some of the challenges you're looking into. Blurb from the website: SCons is an Open Source software construction tool. Think of SCons as an improved, cross-platform substitute for the classic Make utility with integrated functionality similar to autoconf/automake and compiler caches... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Taskfile: A Modern Alternative to Makefile
    Https://scons.org/ It has cache facility to speed up re-builds. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • What was used to build C++ programs before Cmake?
    SCons never got popular enough to escape the niches it grew up in. Source: about 3 years ago
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Please mentions (12)

  • What I wish I knew about Python when I started
    Pip is a command line package manager that comes with Python, but it is definitely not the only package manager. Other tools like pipenv, poetry, pdm, conda, and even some third-party applications like please can all manage Python dependencies. One common mistake beginners make is installing Python, and then running pip install (or even worse, sudo pip install), before moving forward. While this works in the... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Top programming languages created in the 2010's on GitHub by stars
    Iโ€™m not sure a JS library qualifies as a PL. Or automation software (SoftStack). Or an API description language. Or a build system. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Just Use a Monorepo
    Regarding your first point, a good alternative to Bazel is [Please][https://please.build/] - its build graph can solve exactly this problem in CI. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • Need to know about various distributed build tools available
    Checkout: https://please.build/ - CMake is not directly supported, but you can easily extend please.build to invoke cmake commands to build your targets. - It does supports both Windows(ehweee) and Linux - MIT - BONUS: it is fast. Really fast(||)! Single binary. It is also versatile. I am using it to build a repo with multiple programming languages(C++(Wasm),Go,Js, Flutter), while spinning up vagrant and... Source: almost 4 years ago
  • When to Use Bazel?
    > the best way forward is to take the ideas of Bazel (hermetic and deterministic builds) and package them as a good small build system, perhaps even compatible with Bazel so you don't have to rewrite build rules all the time. How does https://please.build measure up? - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing SCons and Please, 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.

Gradle - Accelerate developer productivity. Gradle helps teams build, automate and deliver better software, faster. DocsExplore the documentation of Gradle. Find installation ..

CMake - CMake is an open-source, cross-platform family of tools designed to build, test and package software.

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

Eyes โ€“ The Horror Game - Eyes โ€“ The Horror Game is an Action-Adventure, Horror, 1st-person Exploration and Single-player video game by Paulina Pabis and Michel Pabis.

SBT - SBT is a build tool for Scala, like Ant or Maven but with hieroglyphics.