Summary
This paper has introduced SCons, a next-generation build tool
with a modular, embeddable architecture and a direct Python
interface. SCons has a global view of the dependencies in a source
tree, uses MD5 signatures to decide if derived files are out of date,
and automatically scans files for dependencies, all of which make SCons
builds exceptionally reliable. The SCons development methodology has
been described, notable for its emphasis on automated regression
testing to ensure a robust and reliable tool from day one. Several
future directions for SCons have also been discussed.