Software build

In the field of software development, the term build is similar to that of any other field. That is, the construction of something that has an observable and tangible result. Historically, build has often referred either to the process of converting source code files into standalone software artifact(s) that can be run on a computer, or the result of doing so. However, this is not the case with technologies such as Perl, Ruby or Python which are examples of interpreted language. Therefore, it is better to define build management as the facilitation of the build process.

Functions

Building software is an end-to-end process that involves many distinct functions. Some of these functions are described below.

Version control

The version control function carries out activities such as workspace creation and updating, baselining and reporting. It creates an environment for the build process to run in and captures metadata about the inputs and outputs of the build process to ensure repeatability and reliability.