Welcome to Fab’s documentation!#
Version 1.1 (release 1.1.dev0).
What is fab?#
An open source build system for Fortran and C projects. Initially designed to build the Met Office’s major scientific applications, LFRic and the UM.
Why a New Build Tool?#
There are several existing build tools, such as Make, and many more build system builders such as CMake out there. So why muddy these already turgid waters?
A number of popular solutions to the problem of building software were examined and it became apparent that there was a fundamental mismatch in requirements.
Most build systems are designed from the position that the executable is the product. The source files needed to create that executable are listed because they change infrequently and are merely a means to the end of creating an executable.
Scientific software can be rather different. In this paradigm the source is the product and the executable merely a handy means to access it’s power. When building is viewed from this point-of-view maintaining lists of source is restricting because it changes so often.
In this light it makes sense to develop a new build tool which gives primacy to the source rather than the executable. The ultimate goal is to support science developers in their work.
For more, please see the features page.
Running fab#
how to set up an environment
how to install fab
Zero config#
To run fab with zero configuration, type fab at the command line, within your project.
$ cd /path/to/your/source
$ fab
The executable file can be found in the Fab Workspace.
Config files#
intro to config files
guide to writing config files