From: Stefan Lang <langstefan@...>
Date: 2005-07-11T02:28:52+09:00
Subject: [ANN] Rant 0.4.0

Rant is a flexible build tool written entirely in Ruby,
similar to Rake.

== What's new in this release?

* Creating zip and gzipped tar archives on all supported platforms
  without installing extra software. Seamless integration with
  rant-import.
* The standard RubyPackage tasks create zip and gzipped tar archives
  (and optional gem packages) on all platforms, including Windows,
  now.
* rant-import recognizes the new directives +uncomment+ and +remove+.

I'd appreciate suggestions about new features, names, etc.

== Installing Rant

You can install Rant as a RubyGem:
    % gem install --remote rant

or download the package from RubyForge(http://rubyforge.org/frs/?group_id=615)
and install with install.rb:
    % ruby install.rb

== More about Rant

The equivalent to a Makefile for make is the Rantfile. An
Rantfile is actually a valid Ruby script that is read by the
rant command.

Rant currently features:
* Defining custom tasks
* Automated packaging, testing and RDoc generation for Ruby
  applications and libraries.
* Primitive support for compiling C# sources portably with csc, cscc
  and mcs.
* Dependency checking for C/C++ source files.
* Creating gzipped tar and zip archives — without installing
  additional software.
* Multiple buildfiles (e.g. one per directory).
* The rant-import command creates a monolithic rant script,
  so you don't depend on an rant installation anymore.

... and more, visit http://make.ruby-co.de

== Examples

Creating a gzipped tar archive, save the following lines in a file
called Rantfile:
    
    import "package/tgz"
    gen Package::Tgz, "foo", :files => sys["{bin,lib,test}/**/*"]

Invoke rant:

    % rant foo.tgz

Use rant-import to get a monolithic make script (depends only on a
standard ruby installation):

    % rant-import --auto make.rb

Distribute this script (make.rb) with your software and your users
don't depend on rant. They can simply use:

    % ruby make.rb foo.tgz

== Credits

Rant comes with parts of Mauricio Fernandez and Austin Ziegler's
archive-tar-minitar to create (gzipped) tar archives on platforms
where no tar command is available.

Rant comes with parts of Thomas Sondergaard's rubyzip to create zip
archives on platforms where no zip command is available.

== Resources

Current docs:: http://make.ruby-co.de
Rubyforge page:: http://rubyforge.org/projects/make/

-- 
Stefan