AKBS: The All Knowing Build System for C, C++ and Assembly

Requirements

Python 3>=

Installation

# Linux
python3 -m pip install akbs
# Windows (UNSUPPORTED!)
python -m pip install akbs


# Usage
python3 -m akbs

Speed

To test the build system, I made a build script for basic_math_operations,

Operating System: Debian Bullseye Host: Linux 5.10.102.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2 Architecture: x86_64

AKBS: Version: 1.0.5 Time: 1.351s

CMake w/ Makefile: CMake Version: 3.26.0 Make Version: 4.3 Time: 3.360s

CMake w/ Ninja: CMake Version: 3.26.0 Ninja Version: 1.11.1 Time: 2.750s

The build.akbs file is as follows

set(C_STD, 17)
set(CXX_STD, 17)
set(FILES, wildcard$(src/library/**/*.cpp) wildcard$(src/library/**/*.c))
set(OUTPUT_DIR, dist)
set(BUILD_DIR, build)

if(eq$($PLATFORM, POSIX))
set(FILES, wildcard$(src/library/linux/*.asm) remove$($FILES, src/library/cross-platform/addp.c, src/library/cross-platform/multiply_whole.c))
endif

check_for(C, CXX, ASM_INTEL, SHARED, STATIC)

set(OUTPUT, libbasic_math_operations.so)
compile(SHARED, $FILES)
set(OUTPUT, libbasic_math_operations.a)
compile(STATIC, $FILES)

Note: The remove$() helper function is used because the multiply_whole and addp functions are already present in Assembly for Linux, not for Windows

How do you use AKBS?

By default, the build script is called build.akbs, similar to Makefile and CMakeLists.txt However, you can use the --file option to specify a file

To enable languages, you use the check_for function

check_for(C, CXX, ASM_INTEL, ASM_ATT, STATIC, SHARED)

Right now, only these 4 languages (and a static and shared library linker) (3 if you count AT&T and Intel syntax Assembly as one language) are supported

If you want to set the standard of C and C++, set the C_STD or CXX_STD variable

set(C_STD, 17)
set(CXX_STD, 17)

To compile a list of files, use the compile function

compile(SHARED/STATIC, src/a.c src/b.c src/c.c)

To print a statement you can use the print function and to exit a program, use exit

print($PLATFORM)
exit(1)

To use a variable, use $VARIABLENAME

The $PLATFORM variable comes predefined and is set to os.name

For conditions, use if (else and else if are not implemented yet) and endif.

if(set$(PLATFORM))
print($PLATFORM)
if(eq$($PLATFORM, UNIX))
print Yay, we're in UNIX land
endif
endif

Also, there is a rudimentary pre-processor, with %define

%define ifend endif
if(set$(PLATFORM))
ifend

Comments work by adding a semi-colon at the start of the line

; these   
; lines   
; will    
; be      
; skipped 

Comments will also work at the end of a line

print($PLATFORM) ; this text will be ignored, and is merely a comment

There is also a list of helper functions

Function Name	Arguments	Description	Introduced
wildcard$	str1	Evaluates a list of space separated globs into a space separated list of files	v1.0.0
remove$	str1, str2, str3...	Removes str2 onwards from a space separated list of strings	v1.0.0
replace$	str1, str2, str3...	Replaces str2,4,6,8... with str3,5,7,9... in str1	v1.0.3
eq$	arg1, arg2	Checks if two strings are equal	v1.0.0
neq$	arg1, arg2	Checks if two strings are unequal	v1.0.3
gt$	arg1, arg2	Checks if arg1 is greater than arg2	v1.0.3
lt$	arg1, arg2	Checks if arg1 is lesser than arg2	v1.0.3
gte$	arg1, arg2	Checks if arg1 is greater than or equal to arg2	v1.0.3
lte$	arg1, arg2	Checks if arg1 is lesser than or equal to arg2	v1.0.3
set$	arg1		Checks if there is a variable with the name arg1
notset$	arg1	Checks if there is not a variable with the name arg1	v1.0.3
and$	arg1, arg2, arg3...	Ands all the booleans	v1.0.4
or$	arg1, arg2, arg3...	Ors all the booleans	v1.0.4
not$	arg1	Nots the boolean	v1.0.4

A list of important variables are

Variable	Is Set	Description	Introduced
PLATFORM	Yes	Equivalent of os.name	v1.0.0
C_COMPILER	No	C compiler location set by check_for	v1.0.0
CXX_COMPILER	No	C++ compiler location set by check_for	v1.0.0
ASM_INTEL_COMPILER	No	Intel Assembly assembler location set by check_for	v1.0.0
ASM_ATT_COMPILER	No	AT&T Assembly assembler location set by check_for	v1.0.0
SHARED_COMPILER	No	Linker location for shared libraries set by check_for	v1.0.0
STATIC_COMPILER	No	Linker location for static libraries set by check_for	v1.0.2
OUTPUT	No	Output file generated by linking	v1.0.0
C_STD	No	The C std used (just the number like 17, 11, etc.)	v1.0.0
CXX_STD	No	The C++ std used (just the number like 17, 11, etc.)	v1.0.0
BUILD_DIR	No	The directory to build the objects in	v1.0.1
OUTPUT_DIR	No	The directory to output the finished objects in in	v1.0.1
C_FLAGS	No	Flags passed to C compiler	v1.0.2
CXX_FLAGS	No	Flags passed to C++ compiler	v1.0.2
ASM_INTEL_FLAGS	No	Flags passed to Intel Assembly assembler	v1.0.2
ASM_ATT_FLAGS	No	Flags passed to AT&T Assembly assembler	v1.0.2
SHARED_FLAGS	No	Flags passed to shared library linker	v1.0.2
STATIC_FLAGS	No	Flags passed to static library linker	v1.0.2

How to clean the files

python3 -m akbs --clean

To-Do

• Build directory (milestone 1.0.1)
• Nested functions
• Windows support
• Optimization
• Subdirectories
• Ability to set compilers from set() and environment variables
• More if conditions
• replace$() helper function
• --clean command
• Documenting my code + Readable variables
• C_FLAGS, CXX_FLAGS, ASM...
• Cache install locations (milestone 1.0.2)
• Ability to set target architecture (Use CFLAGS and CXXFLAGS)
• Plugin Support
• Make print and exit a function, not a statement
• Make comments work in the middle of a line