{
  "id": 5337633,
  "title": "Learning `just`: A Practical Task Runner",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/learning-just-a-practical-task-runner",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-03T13:30:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/nyakio/learning-just-a-practical-task-runner-2lk1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The article discusses the emergence of \"just\" as a practical task runner for developers transitioning from Make. The author started using \"just\" after finding it while setting up a Python project and looking for a simple way to collect development commands. Just, like Make, allows developers to define common development tasks behind simple commands, such as `just ci`. The author noticed that \"just\" had a similar setup to Make, with recipes, dependencies, and commands. However, \"just\" has a few differences that make it more suitable for task running:\n\n1. No .PHONY declarations: Unlike Make, \"just\" doesn't require .PHONY declarations since it doesn't rely on file timestamps to determine if a recipe needs to run.\n2. No tab requirements: \"just\" doesn't require tab indentation for commands, unlike Make. It uses normal indentation instead.\n3. `just --list`: The `just --list` command provides a list of available recipes, along with comments above each recipe. This helps developers quickly understand the available tasks and their descriptions.\n4. Built-in task listing: By default, running `just` displays the list of available recipes, making it a small piece of documentation.\n\nThe author suggests that while \"just\" is not necessarily better than Make in all situations, it offers a more focused approach to task running. Just is designed for developers who want a simple way to manage common commands without the need for file timestamps or build system complexities. However, it does come with the trade-off of requiring installation, unlike Make, which is often already installed.",
  "summary": "Learning just : A Practical Task Runner for Developers Coming From Make I've been learning just recently. I came across it while setting up a Python project and looking for a simple way to collect all the commands I use during development. This started with something I got used to in Elixir. One of the things I really like about Elixir projects is that you can put the common development tasks…",
  "key_points": [
    "\"just\" emerges as practical task runner for developers",
    "No .PHONY declarations needed like Make",
    "\"just --list\" provides built-in task listing"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}