Markdown-based task runner

saku is a simple task runner based on markdown syntax. You can define and describe your tasks in markdown file saku.md and execute them with saku command.

(You can optionally define tasks in README.md. See The below for details.)

🔖 More background stories are explained in an article.

Go users

go get -u github.com/kt3k/saku

Mac OS users

brew install kt3k/tap/saku

Or download binary from the release page.

First, create a markdown file saku.md:

# build
> Build the go binary.

    go build -v -i main.go

# test
> Run all the go tests.

    go test -race ./...

# js

    minify -o public/script.js src/js

# css

    minify -o public/style.css src/css

The above defines 4 tasks build test js css. (A heading (#) is a task title!)

If you hit saku (without arguments) it shows the list of the descriptions of the all tasks.

If you hit the command saku build, it invokes build task, go build -v -i main.go in the above example.

Note: 4-space or tab indent makes code block in markdown syntax. See here

    echo hello
    echo world

The above makes the code block of the 2 lines echo hello and echo world.

• Heading (# title) starts the task definition.
  • Different levels of headings (#, ##, ###,...) forms the groups of tasks. Tasks of the lower level headings belong to the previous task which has the upper level heading. See below for the details.
• Code blocks are commands.
  • Code blocks can have multiple commands. They will be executed sequentially.
• Blockquotes are description of the task.
• Anything else is ignored.
• Anything before the first heading is ignored.

For example:

# build
> Build the go binary.

    echo Starting build go binary
    go build -v -i main.go

The above defines the task build, which has the description Build the go binary.. It has two commands echo Starting build go binary and go build -v -i main.go and they run in sequence.

With -p, --parallel option, you can run tasks in parallel like the below:

saku -p watch-scripts run-server

With -r, --race option, you can run tasks in parallel and terminate tasks when the first task finished. This is useful for testing servers.

This option takes effect only when -p option is specified.

saku -p -r run-server test-server

You can create the group of tasks by the levels of headings.

For example:

# foo

## bar

    echo bar

## baz

    echo baz

This defines 3 task foo, bar and baz. foo becomes the parent of bar and baz. So when you invoke saku foo, it executes both bar and baz:

$ saku foo
[saku] Run foo
[saku] foo > Run bar, baz in sequence
+echo bar
bar
+echo baz
baz
[saku] foo > Finish bar, baz in sequence
[saku] ✨  Finish foo

The tasks of the lower level headings belong to the upper level heading and which forms the groups of tasks.

If you need to run the children tasks in parallel, you can use <!-- saku parallel --> directive in the parents' contents:

# foo

<!-- saku parallel -->

## bar

    echo bar

## baz

    echo baz

This executes bar and baz in parallel:

$ saku foo
[saku] Run foo
[saku] foo > Run bar, baz in parallel
+echo bar
+echo baz
bar
baz
[saku] foo > Finish bar, baz in parallel
[saku] ✨  Finish foo

You can use saku in saku.md like below:

# dist

    saku js minify

# js

    browserify src/main.js > build/app.js

# minify

    uglify-js < build/app.js > build/app.min.js

In this way, you can express the dependencies of tasks.

If you need to invoke tasks in parallel from another task, use saku -p.

# start

    saku -p serve watch

# watch

    my-watcher

# serve

    my-server

Usage: saku [options] <task, ...> [-- extra-options]

Options:
  -v, --version   - - - Shows the version number and exits.
  -h, --help  - - - - - Shows the help message and exits.
  -i, --info  - - - - - Shows the task information and exits.
  -p, --parallel  - - - Runs tasks in parallel. Default false.
  -s, --sequential  - - Runs tasks in serial. Default true.
  -c, --config <path> - Specifies the config file. Default is 'saku.md'.
  -r, --race  - - - - - Sets the flag to kill all tasks when a task
                        finished with zero. This option is valid only
                        with 'parallel' option.
  -q, --quiet   - - - - Prints less messages.

The extra options after '--' are passed to each task command.

You can optionally embed saku.md in README.md. See the below for details.

README.md

# Development

These are the commands for development. You can invoke them with `saku` command.

<!-- saku start -->

## build

    go build -v -i main.go

## test

    go test -race ./...

<!-- saku end -->

The contents between <!-- saku start --> and <!-- saku end --> are used as saku.md. You can write them as if they are the part of your README.md.

• moneybit-app's saku.md
  • A project of accounting app for mobile, written in JavaScript.

Note: Please add yours if you use saku in your OSS project!

Saku is the Japanese name for the Chinese character "作", which means "make". Saku is intended to be an alternative of make command (of a task runner use case).

• node-saku
  • the original implementation of saku in JavaScript
• make
• npm-run-all by @mysticatea
• yaml-based tools
  • robo
  • go-task

See this search.

MIT