Rant

Looking for a flexible build tool? Look no further than Rant. With the ability to function as an equivalent to a Makefile for make, Rant is a must-have tool for any Ruby developer. The Rantfile is a valid Ruby script that is read in by the rant command, so you can easily integrate it into your workflow.

Rant boasts an array of features, including automated testing, packaging, and RDoc generation for Ruby applications and libraries. The tool also includes creation of gzipped tar and zip archives on all supported platforms without additional software, recognition of file changes based on MD5 checksums, and dependency checking for C/C++ source files (makedepend is not required), and more.

In addition to its many features, Rant also offers the ability to generate a script tailored to the needs of a specific project, which can be used instead of an Rant installation so that users aren't dependent on Rant. Key features of Rant include defining custom tasks, creating monolithic scripts tailored to specific projects, and optional recognition of file changes based on MD5 checksums instead of file modification times. The tool also has primitive support for compiling C# sources with csc, cscc and mcs, as well as dependency checking for C/C++ source files (integrated makedepend replacement).

In the latest release, Rant fixes bugs in its packaging tasks and dependency checking for C/C++ source files. Additionally, the C::Dependencies task accepts a new option suitable for case-insensitive file systems. If you're looking for a versatile and easy-to-use build tool, Rant is definitely worth checking out.