SCons vs Automake

Struggling to choose between SCons and Automake? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

SCons is a Development solution with tags like build, automation, python.

It boasts features such as Dependency tracking, Parallel builds, Caching, Extensible with Python scripts, Cross-platform and pros including Fast incremental builds, Easily customizable, Good dependency management, Built-in support for many languages.

On the other hand, Automake is a Development product tagged with make, automake, build, gnu.

Its standout features include Automatically generates Makefile.am files from Makefile.in files, Supports automatic dependency tracking and parallel builds, Integrates with Autoconf to provide a full build environment, Supports various languages like C, C++, Fortran, Java, Objective-C, Handles library dependencies and subdirectories seamlessly, Allows overriding defaults and customization through config files, and it shines with pros like Saves time by automating Makefile creation, Promotes standardization and best practices for builds, Simplifies build configuration for large, complex projects, Easy to integrate with build tools like Autoconf and Libtool, Actively maintained and well-documented.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

SCons

SCons

SCons is an open source software construction tool that is used to build software applications and libraries. It is written in Python and uses Python scripts for its configuration files making it easy to customize and extend.

Categories:
build automation python

SCons Features

  1. Dependency tracking
  2. Parallel builds
  3. Caching
  4. Extensible with Python scripts
  5. Cross-platform

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Fast incremental builds

Easily customizable

Good dependency management

Built-in support for many languages

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited adoption compared to Make/CMake

Less flexible than general purpose build tools like Make


Automake

Automake

Automake is a tool for automatically generating Makefile.am files that comply with the GNU coding standards. It simplifies the creation and maintenance of Makefiles for complex software projects.

Categories:
make automake build gnu

Automake Features

  1. Automatically generates Makefile.am files from Makefile.in files
  2. Supports automatic dependency tracking and parallel builds
  3. Integrates with Autoconf to provide a full build environment
  4. Supports various languages like C, C++, Fortran, Java, Objective-C
  5. Handles library dependencies and subdirectories seamlessly
  6. Allows overriding defaults and customization through config files

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Saves time by automating Makefile creation

Promotes standardization and best practices for builds

Simplifies build configuration for large, complex projects

Easy to integrate with build tools like Autoconf and Libtool

Actively maintained and well-documented

Cons

Yet another build tool to learn

Limited flexibility compared to handwritten Makefiles

Not as feature-rich as some alternatives like CMake

Requires GNU build tools and may not work on all platforms

Can have a steep learning curve