Build anything. Effortlessly.
A modern, cross-platform, zero-install build system. Describe your builds in real Python. Generate Ninja files. Build fast.
A modern, cross-platform, zero-install build system. Describe your builds in real Python. Generate Ninja files. Build fast.
Inspired by SCons and CMake, taking the best ideas from each.
No custom DSL to learn. Your build scripts are real Python with full IDE support, debugging, type checking, and the entire ecosystem at your fingertips.
Run with uvx pcons — no installation required beyond uv. No daemon, no workspace lock files, no registry setup.
Pcons generates Ninja build files and lets Ninja handle execution. Fast, parallel builds with minimal overhead. Also supports Makefile, Xcode, and MSVS output.
Like CMake's usage requirements: include directories, link flags, and defines propagate automatically through your dependency graph.
First-class support for Linux, macOS, and Windows. GCC, Clang, MSVC, Clang-CL, plus cross-compilation for Android, iOS, and WebAssembly.
The core knows nothing about compilers or languages. All tool-specific logic lives in pluggable toolchains. Build C++, Fortran, CUDA, Cython, Metal shaders, or anything else.
Real build scripts from the pcons examples.
from pcons import Project, find_c_toolchain
project = Project("hello")
env = project.Environment(toolchain=find_c_toolchain())
project.Program("hello", env, sources=["src/hello.c"])
project.generate()from pcons import Project, find_c_toolchain
project = Project("myapp")
env = project.Environment(toolchain=find_c_toolchain())
# Build a static library
lib = project.StaticLibrary("core", env, sources=["src/core.c"])
lib.public.include_dirs.append("include")
# Program links the library — includes propagate
app = project.Program("myapp", env, sources=["src/main.c"])
app.link(lib)
project.generate()$ uvx pcons
Generating build/build.ninja...
Generating build/compile_commands.json...
$ ninja -C build
[3/3] Linking myappToolchains, generators, and packages — all pluggable and extensible.
Ninja (default), Makefile, Xcode, compile_commands.json, and Mermaid dependency diagrams.
Integrates with pkg-config, Conan, and vcpkg. The pcons-fetch tool builds dependencies from source.
check_header(), check_flag(), try_compile(), configure_file() with CMake-style template substitution. Results are cached.
pcons sits between Meson's ergonomics and Bazel's extensibility.
| Feature | pcons | CMake | Meson | Bazel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Config language | Python 3.11+ | CMake DSL | Custom DSL | Starlark |
| Execution model | Generates Ninja/Make/Xcode | Generates Ninja/Make | Generates Ninja/VS/Xcode | Executes directly |
| Transitive deps | Yes | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| IDE support | compile_commands.json | compile_commands.json | compile_commands.json | External tools |
| Windows support | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Fair |
| Setup overhead | uvx pcons |
Install CMake + generator | pip/brew + Ninja | Bazel + workspace setup |
| Learning curve | Low (it's Python) | High | Low-Medium | High |
| Extensibility | Plugin registry | CMake modules | Limited | Custom Starlark rules |
| Debuggability | Full Python debugger | message() / cmake --trace | Print statements | bazel query |
pcons is working in several medium-sized projects. Core C/C++/Fortran compilation, static and shared libraries, programs, install targets, installers, and mixed-language builds are all tested and working across Linux, macOS, and Windows.