chorelib 0.1.0

Python build automation framework with decorator-based DSL

chorelib

A Python build automation framework — like Make, but in Python. chorelib focuses on keeping Make-style speed and rebuild behavior while letting you write build logic in real Python.

chorelib uses a decorator-based DSL for defining build rules and tasks, with dependency management, parallel execution, and mtime-based rebuild detection.

Features

• Decorator-based DSL — Define build rules with @rule and tasks with @task, using familiar Python syntax
• Regex target patterns — Match multiple targets with regex and use backreferences (\1) in dependency specifications
• Async parallel execution — Run independent build steps concurrently with configurable worker count
• mtime-based rebuild — Skip up-to-date targets automatically, just like Make
• Custom mtime functions — Override mtime checking per target pattern to manage non-file resources (databases, S3 objects, etc.)
• Order-only prerequisites — needs dependencies ensure build order without triggering rebuilds
• Auto-generated help — -h shows usage with target documentation from docstrings, -l lists all available targets
• Zero dependencies — Pure Python, no external packages required

Best for: developers who want Make-like rebuild behavior but need Python for complex logic or non-file resources. It also works well as a simple task runner for everyday scripts.

Installation

pip install chorelib

Quick Start

Here is a Makefile and its chorelib equivalent side by side.

Makefile:

CC=gcc
CFLAGS=-I.
DEPS = hello.h
OBJS = main.o hello.o
.PHONY: clean

%.o: %.c $(DEPS)
	$(CC) -c -o $@ $< $(CFLAGS)

hello.exe: $(OBJS)
	$(CC) -o $@ $^

clean:
	rm -f $(OBJS) hello.exe

chorelib (make.py):

import re
from chorelib import Main, command, rule, task

APP = "hello.exe"
CC = "gcc"
CFLAGS = ["-c", "-I."]
DEPS = ["hello.h"]
OBJS = ["hello.o", "main.o"]

@rule(APP, depends=OBJS, default=True)
def link(target, deps, needs):
    """Build executable"""
    command(CC, "-o", target, deps)

@rule(re.compile(r"(.+)\.o"), depends=(r"\1.c", DEPS))
def compile(target, deps, needs):
    command(CC, "-o", target, deps[0], CFLAGS)

@task
def clean():
    """Remove the built files."""
    command("rm", "-f", OBJS, APP)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    Main().run()

uv run python make.py              # Build default target
uv run python make.py clean        # Run the clean task
uv run python make.py -w 4         # Build with 4 parallel workers
uv run python make.py -r           # Force rebuild all
uv run python make.py -h           # Show help with target docs
uv run python make.py -l           # List all available targets

-h displays usage information along with target documentation extracted from docstrings:

$ uv run python make.py -h
usage: make.py [-h] [-C DIRECTORY] [-w WORKERS] [-r] [-l] [-v] [-V] [targets ...]

Sample build script for building a C program using chorelib.

hello.exe [default]:
    Build executable

clean:
    Remove the built files.

rebuild:
    Clean and rebuild all files.

execute:
    Rebuild and execute the program.
...

-l lists all registered targets with their types, dependencies, and builder functions:

$ uv run python make.py -l
[rule] hello.exe:
  depends: hello.o, main.o
  needs:
  function: link

[rule] re: (.+)\.o:
  depends: \1.c, hello.h
  needs:
  function: compile

[task] clean:
  needs:
  builder: clean
...

Why chorelib over Make?

	Make	chorelib
Pattern rules	%.o: %.c	r"^(.+)\.o" with backreferences
Variables & logic	Limited macro language	Full Python
Parallel builds	make -j4	python make.py -w 4
Non-file targets	.PHONY	@task decorator
Custom mtime	Not supported	@mtime decorator for databases, remote objects, etc.
Dependencies	File-only	Files, functions, or any callable

License

MIT