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Buck2: Our open source build system

(engineering.fb.com)
392 points mfiguiere | 3 comments | 06 Apr 23 16:05 UTC | HN request time: 0.824s | source
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phendrenad2 ◴[06 Apr 23 21:48 UTC] No.35474996[source]▶
> Build systems stand between a programmer and running their code, so anything we can do to make the experience quicker or more productive directly impacts how effective a developer can be.

How about doing away with the build system entirely? Build systems seem like something that shouldn't exist. When I create a new C# .NET app in Visual Studio 2019, what "build system" does it use? You might have an academic answer, but that's beside the point. It doesn't matter. It just builds. Optimizing a build system feels like a lack of vision, and getting stuck in a local maxima where you think you're being more productive, but you're not seeing the bigger picture of what could be possible.

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0xcafefood ◴[06 Apr 23 22:15 UTC] No.35475272[source]▶
I guess you could write machine code by hand if you don't want to build it. Otherwise, what specifically do you propose to do away with build systems?
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1. phendrenad2 ◴[06 Apr 23 23:55 UTC] No.35476209[source]▶
Okay you got me, I don't want to get rid of build systems. I want to stop having to think about them, because it's a waste of my time.
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2. kristjansson ◴[07 Apr 23 03:50 UTC] No.35477839[source]▶
I think across this thread you're thinking about the run-a-graph-of-tasks aspect of build systems. I'd agree with you that's mostly-uninteresting. However, that's also the least significant aspect of what these build systems do. Most of the work is _determining_ the graph tasks that need to be run, and therefore a lot of the differentiation is in the ability to write new rules to guide that process and in the engine driving it.
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3. phendrenad2 ◴[07 Apr 23 08:12 UTC] No.35479406[source]▶
I think this is a case of YAGNI. Yes, there are cases where you have a big graph of sources and products and you can't plan up-front what you'll need. I.E. you're at a megacorp and your dependencies are created by some branch of the organization that is actively hostile to yours. I dunno. But I think that most people just don't have those problems.