Erlang.mk User Guide

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Chapter 23. Why Erlang.mk

Why would you choose Erlang.mk, if not for its +many features? This chapter will +attempt to answer that.

23.1. Erlang.mk is fast

Erlang.mk is as fast as it gets.

Erlang.mk will group the compilation of files so as to avoid +running the BEAM more than necessary. This saves many seconds +compared to traditional Makefiles, even on small projects.

Erlang.mk will not try to be too smart. It provides a simple +solution that works for most people, and gives additional +options for projects that run into edge cases, often in the +form of extra variables or rules to be defined.

23.2. Erlang.mk gives you the full power of Unix

Erlang.mk is a Makefile.

You could use Erlang.mk directly without configuring anything +and it would just work. But you can also extend it greatly +either through configuration or hooks, and you can of course +add your own rules to the Makefile.

In all cases: for configuration, hooks or custom rules, you +have all the power of Unix at your disposal, and can call +any utility or even any language interpreter you want, +every time you need to. Erlang.mk also allows you to write +scripts in this small language called Erlang directly inside +your Makefile if you ever need to…

23.3. Erlang.mk is a text file

Erlang.mk is a Makefile.

Which means Erlang.mk is a simple text file. You can edit a +text file. Nothing stops you. If you run into any bug, or +behavior that does not suit you, you can just open the +erlang.mk file in your favorite editor, fix and/or comment +a few lines, save, and try again. It’s as simple as it gets.

Currently using a binary build tool? Good luck with that.

23.4. Erlang.mk can manage Erlang itself

Erlang.mk isn’t written in Erlang.

That’s not a good thing, you say? Well, here’s one thing +that Erlang.mk and Makefiles can do for you that Erlang +build tool can’t easily: choose what version of Erlang is +to be used for compiling the project.

This really is a one-liner in Erlang.mk (a few more lines +if you also let it download and build Erlang directly) +and allows for even greater things, like testing your +project across all supported Erlang versions in one small +command: make -k ci.

23.5. Erlang.mk can do more than Erlang

Erlang.mk doesn’t care what your dependencies are written in.

Erlang.mk will happily compile any dependency, as long as +they come with a Makefile. The dependency can be written +in C, C++ or even Javascript… Who cares, really? If you +need Erlang.mk to fetch it, then Erlang.mk will fetch it +and compile it as needed.

23.6. Erlang.mk integrates nicely in Make and Automake projects

If you are planning to put your project in the middle of +a Make or Automake-based build environment, then the most +logical thing to do is to use a Makefile.

Erlang.mk will happily sit in such an environment and behave +as you expect it to.

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