Creator is a simple, pure Python meta build system for ninja with focus on an organised and comprehensible way of specifying the build rules. Unlike GNU Make, Creator is fully modular with namespaces and global and local variables. Build definitions are Python scripts we call Units.

Check out the Wiki for more information!

Important: Creator is in a very early stage and everything can be subject to change! If you want to use Creator, make sure to always use the latest version from the master branch.

Get Started

Check out the Creator Tutorial in the Wiki!

Features

• Creator is simple (and pure Python)
• Exports ninja build rules
• Easily extensible, even from a Unit Python script
• Modular approach to build definitions
• Built-in set of Unit Scripts for platform independency
• Full control over the build process from the command-line
• Mix build definitions with custom tasks (Python functions)

Install

To always use the latest version, clone the repository and install via pip remotely:

git clone https://github.com/creator-build/creator.git && cd creator
sudo pip3 install -e .

Or to install it correctly do either of the two commands

sudo pip3 install .
sudo python3 setup.py install

Example

In an empty hello_world directory create 'src/main.cpp'

~/Desktop/hello_world $ cat src/main.cpp
#include <stdio.h>

int main(void) {
    printf("Hello, World!\n");
    return 0;
}

Create a '.creator' file in hello_world:

~/Desktop/hello_world $ cat .creator
# @creator.unit.name = creator.hello_world.cpp

load('platform', 'p')
load('compiler', 'c')

if not defined('BuildDir'):
  define('BuildDir', '$ProjectPath/build')
define('Sources', '$(wildcard $ProjectPath/src/*.cpp)')
define('Objects', '$(p:obj $(move $Sources, $ProjectPath/src, $BuildDir/obj))')
define('Program', '$(p:bin $BuildDir/main)')

@target()
def objects():
  objects.build_each(
    '$Sources', '$Objects', '$c:cpp $c:compileonly $(c:objout $@) $(quote $<)')

@target(objects)
def program():
  program.build('$Objects', '$Program', '$c:cpp $(c:binout $@) $(quotesplit $<)')

@task(program)
def run():
  shell('$(quote $Program)')

Use creator to build and run the program

niklas ~/Desktop/hello_world_cpp $ creator run
creator: exporting to: build.ninja
creator: running: ninja -f build.ninja creator_hello_world_cpp_objects
[1/1] cl /nologo /c /FoC:\Users\niklas\repos\creator-...klas\repos\creator-build\hello_world.cpp\src\main.cpp
main.cpp
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\VC\INCLUDE\xlocale(336) : warning C4530: C++ exception handler used, but unwind semantics are not enabled. Specify /EHsc
creator: running: ninja -f build.ninja creator_hello_world_cpp_program
[1/1] cl /nologo /FeC:\Users\niklas\repos\creator-bui...epos\creator-build\hello_world.cpp\build\obj\main.obj
creator: running task 'creator.hello_world.cpp:run'
Hello, World!

See also: creator-build/hello_world.cpp

Requirements

• Python 3
• setuptools
• glob2
• colorama (optional)
• ninja