Just: A quick review

Just is a command runner that operates kind of like make.

Just lets you define tasks in a simple, human-readable file called a Justfile. To run a task, simply call just <task_name>. Just will automatically find the Justfile in the nearest parent directory and execute the commands defined for that task.

For example, given the Justfile:

build:
    cargo build

test:
   cargo test --features log

the command just test will call cargo test --features log in the current terminal window.

Compared to make, just:

1. Eliminates the need for manual .PHONY target creation, saving you time and reducing clutter in Justfiles compared to Makefiles.
2. Can be called below the directory the Justfile is in and still find the Justfile in the parent directory.

In my recent development where I was calling wasm written in rust in a web app, I found just particularly useful. Building the app took multiple commands, one command for compiling the rust part and a second command to bundle the JavaScript.

Combining things under a single just target was nice and lead to quicker iterations.