rebar3
A modern Erlang build tool for creating, developing, and releasing Erlang libraries, applications, and systems in a repeatable manner.
What is rebar3?
Rebar3 is an Erlang build tool that simplifies creating, developing, and releasing Erlang libraries, applications, and systems. It ensures repeatable builds by managing dependencies, enforcing standard project structures, and integrating with Erlang's toolchain. The tool addresses the shortcomings of its predecessor, Rebar 2.x, by providing a more robust and user-friendly experience for Erlang developers.
Erlang developers and teams building Erlang applications who value repeatable builds, standard project conventions, and seamless integration with development tools.
Developers choose Rebar3 for its comprehensive feature set, including dependency management, release building, and extensibility via plugins, all while maintaining compatibility with the latest Erlang/OTP versions and community standards.
Overview
Erlang build tool that makes it easy to compile and test Erlang applications and releases.
Use Cases
Best For
- Managing dependencies and ensuring repeatable builds for Erlang projects
- Building self-contained releases and tarballs for Erlang applications
- Running integrated tests (Common Test, EUnit) and code coverage analysis
- Extending build workflows with custom plugins for specialized tasks
- Developing Erlang libraries with enforced standard project structures
- Using profiles to manage environment-specific configurations
Not Ideal For
- Teams using Elixir as their primary language, as Mix is the standard build tool for Elixir projects and offers better integration with Elixir's ecosystem
- Projects stuck on very old, unsupported Erlang/OTP versions (pre-19) that lack compatibility with recent Rebar3 releases
- Developers seeking a minimal, configuration-free tool for simple Erlang scripts or one-file projects that don't require full project management
Pros & Cons
Pros
Handles Hex packages and source dependencies with deterministic fetching and locking, ensuring repeatable builds as emphasized in the README's focus on community standards.
Supports building self-contained Erlang releases with relx, including tarball packaging for deployment, which simplifies shipping production systems.
Runs Common Test and EUnit directly from the tool with code coverage analysis, streamlining the testing workflow without extra setup.
Allows custom tasks and behaviors via plugins, flexible enough for other BEAM languages like LFE, as shown in the README with rebar3_lfe.
Cons
Requires significant changes to project structure and dependency handling, as admitted in the README's migration guide, which can be a barrier for legacy projects.
Compatibility is tightly coupled to specific Erlang/OTP versions, and managing multiple versions necessitates external tools like kerl, adding setup complexity.
Core compilers like C or Diameter were moved to plugins, meaning extra configuration and maintenance for projects relying on these features.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
rebarDeprecated Erlang build tool that makes it easy to compile and test Erlang applications, port drivers and releases. We encourage you to move to https://github.com/erlang/rebar3.
syncOn-the-fly recompiling and reloading in Erlang. Code without friction.
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