Pragmatic Automation

Rake: Not Your Father's Build Language

Martin Fowler has written an excellent article describing the strengths of using Rake as a build language, and how it compares to our old friends make and Ant.

Having used Rake extensively in recent months on a Rails project, I can’t underscore enough how handy it is to have a full-blown language at your fingertips when crafting a build system. I got a taste of this power when I experimented with using Groovy to script Ant. I didn’t get a chance to push those boundaries before moving on to Rake, but it’s the same concept: build systems have much to gain from the use of an internal domain-specific language.

A must read!

Is Your Build Agile?

SD Times just posted a new article concerning lengthy builds siphoning energy off agile processes.

I think we’ll continue to see the tools and processes of old getting in the way of the rapid feedback required to move quickly and confidently. It’s an opportunity to revisit the value of those tools and processes, and adjust accordingly.

Firefox Plugin for CruiseControl

Inspired by the recent Dashboard widget, Dmitri Maximovich wrote a Firefox plugin to monitor builds in CruiseControl. He’s looking for your feedback to help make it even better…

CruiseControl Widget

Put the CruiseControl Widget on your Dashboard and monitor builds at a glance.
more...

Project Dependencies Using Ant

How to use built-in Ant tasks to manage the build order of sub-projects.
more...

Ant 1.6.3 Available

Ant 1.6.3 is now available for your automation pleasure.
more...

Ant 1.6 Goody: <subant>

If you’re using Ant but have yet to upgrade to Ant 1.6, then you’re missing out. Here’s a quick example of the new <subant> task.
more...

Ant 1.6 Goody: <macrodef>

If you’re using Ant but have yet to upgrade to Ant 1.6, then you’re missing out. Here’s a quick example of the new <macrodef> task.
more...

Ant 1.6 Goody: <import>

If you’re using Ant but have yet to upgrade to Ant 1.6, then you’re missing out. Here’s a quick example of the new <import> task.
more...

Need an Ant Map?

Many are the build explorers who have hacked their way through the tangled undergrowth of Ant build files in search of target dependencies. The Ant Script Visualizer draws a map of target dependencies so you don’t disappear into the Ant 1.6 jungle.
more...

CruiseControl Action Movie

Every time I have an opportunity to talk to a group about continuous integration, I just fire up CruiseControl and act out a project episode. Here’s a 2-minute screen video of that demo.
more...

Making RSS Feeds Out of CruiseControl Log Files

Where’s the XSLT stylesheet mentioned in the book? Well, it’s available on the book’s web site, but slightly hidden. Here’s where to find it, and what to do with it when you do.
more...

Mini Build Server

I can’t help but think that the new Mac mini would be an ideal dedicated build server for some projects. It has everything you don’t need and everything you want in a build server, including a price tag that won’t dent your budget.
more...

Using CruiseControl with Subversion

One of the convenient things about Subversion is that it looks and feels like CVS. To demonstrate the similarities, I ported the CruiseControl configuration files included in the book to use Subversion.
more...

MobBuilding

When Mike Blake’s team used their own mobile application to serve up a fresh build of that same application, they made sure they had something to help wash the dog food down. Brilliant!
more...