Chapter 10: THE CODE THAT JACK BUILT Mechanisms to Turn Source Code into Executable Code

• Consider the build system a part of the source tree, and maintain the two together. They are intimately entwined.
• Every programmer on a project must use the same build environment. Otherwise you’re not all building the same software.
• A good build system allows you to repeatedly create physically identical binary files.
• You must be able to pull out a source tree from three years ago and rebuild it correctly.
• A good build is presented as a single step. You need only push a button or issue one command.
• Establish an automatic build of your software. Use it to ensure that your codebase is in a consistent state.
• If the build breaks, it’s everyone’s problem.
• Release builds are always made from virgin source. Ensure that these pristine sources can always be retrieved from source control or a backup archive in the future.