[Feature Request] Option to build all :build targets

[enspritz]

Precis

Before:

$ npx shadow-cljs release :chrome :safari :brave :user-manager :signup

After:

$ npx shadow-cljs release
$ npx shadow-cljs release --all    # This can also work, but it's not obvious.

Not just the release command, but compile and all other such commands.

Discussion

release and such commands require one or more build targets, which coming from plenty of other build tools is not intuitive to me. If only we could expect build -related commands will build everything unless instructed otherwise...

Use case involves building several targets that change with some frequency, particularly when a new browser is added to the build list. When a new build target is added to shadow-cljs.edn, we need to remember to add it to each build script, which I find to be unnecessary cognitive overhead. Evidently it also fosters a brittle build CI/CD system.

Thanks!

[thheller]

Not opposed to this, but are you sure you want that many builds and not one with :modules instead? i.e. code-splitting out the specific parts while keeping a common core?

[enspritz]

The problem is the files representing that common core: each browser has its own isolated :output-dir and the compiled JS must be written in full to each. I looked at :modules and found it wasn't applicable on that basis.

If your curious, manifest.json and several other files differ per-browser. Also, build-time defines are set for each browser, allowing the compiled JS to adjust its runtime behavior, choosing codepaths appropriate to the specific browser.

[thheller]

Build Hooks might be useful here. They run after the configured stage. The example uses the :flush stage which means files were written to disk. You can copy at this stage, or even generate more files such as the manifests.

Multiple builds seem like a lot of wasted time if they are all actually identical otherwise.

[enspritz]

Yes Build Hooks are a viable solution. For the project at hand, introducing a Build Hook would increase the sprawl of the build system and associated cognitive overhead; we are in endless pursuit of exerting downward pressure on that. Things are already complicated enough ...