What makes SCons better?

• Configuration files are Python scripts--use the power of a real programming language to solve build problems.
• Reliable, automatic dependency analysis for C, C++ and Fortran--no more "make depend" / "make clean" to get all of the dependencies.
• Dependency analysis is easily extensible through user-defined dependency Scanners for other languages or file types.
• Built-in support for C, C++, Fortran, Yacc and Lex.
• Built-in support for building TeX?? and LaTeX?? documents.
• Easily extensible through user-defined Builders for other languages or file types.
• Reliable detection of build changes using MD5 signatures; optional, configurable support for traditional timestamps.
• Improved support for parallel builds--like make -j but keeps N jobs running simultaneously regardless of directory hierarchy.
• Global view of all dependencies--no more multiple build passes or reordering targets to build everything.
• Building from central repositories of source code and/or pre-built targets.
• Designed from the ground up for cross-platform builds, and known to work on Linux, POSIX, Windows NT, Mac OS X, and OS/2.

For more details see: SCons Home Page

-- RobertCowham? - 12 Feb 2003