SBT vs Sonatype Nexus: What are the differences?

# Key Differences between SBT and Sonatype Nexus

1. **Build Tool vs. Repository Manager**: SBT is a build tool used for compiling, testing, and packaging software projects, while Sonatype Nexus is a repository manager used for managing dependencies and storing artifacts. SBT focuses on the build process, ensuring that code is compiled correctly and tests are run efficiently, whereas Nexus is responsible for storing and distributing artifacts that are produced during the build process.
   
2. **Language Support**: SBT is specifically designed for Scala projects, providing native support for compiling and running Scala code. On the other hand, Sonatype Nexus is a language-agnostic tool that can be used with projects written in various programming languages, such as Java, Python, and Ruby. This difference in language support makes SBT more specialized for Scala projects, while Nexus appeals to a wider range of developers working with different languages.

3. **Local vs. Remote Artifact Management**: SBT focuses on managing artifacts locally within a project directory, including compiling and publishing artifacts to local repositories. In contrast, Sonatype Nexus is designed for remote artifact management, enabling developers to store artifacts in remote repositories for distribution to other team members or external users. This distinction highlights the different scopes and purposes of the two tools, with SBT focusing on local project builds and Nexus facilitating broader artifact sharing and distribution.

4. **Integration with Other Tools**: SBT integrates seamlessly with other build tools and frameworks within the Scala ecosystem, such as sbt-assembly for creating fat JARs or sbt-docker for building Docker images. Sonatype Nexus, on the other hand, integrates with a wide range of build tools, package managers, and CI/CD systems used in the software development lifecycle, offering comprehensive support for different technologies and workflows. This difference in integration capabilities reflects the specific ecosystems that SBT and Nexus cater to, with SBT focusing on Scala-centric tools and Nexus supporting a more diverse range of technologies.

5. **Versioning and Dependency Resolution**: One key difference between SBT and Sonatype Nexus is in how they handle versioning and dependency resolution. SBT uses the Ivy library for managing dependencies and resolving conflicts between different versions of libraries used in a project. In contrast, Nexus provides more robust version control and dependency management features, including snapshot versioning, proxy repositories, and support for security and licensing information. This difference in versioning capabilities highlights the varying levels of sophistication in dependency management offered by SBT and Nexus.

6. **Customization and Extensibility**: SBT offers a high degree of customization through plugins and build settings, allowing developers to tailor the build process to their specific requirements. Sonatype Nexus also supports customization through plugins and scripting, enabling administrators to configure repository policies, access controls, and artifact routing rules. However, Nexus provides a more centralized and scalable approach to customization, suitable for managing large-scale artifact repositories and accommodating diverse organizational needs. This difference in customization options showcases the flexibility and scalability of Nexus compared to the more developer-centric customization features of SBT.

In Summary, SBT and Sonatype Nexus differ in their focus on build management and artifact storage, language support, local vs. remote artifact management, integration capabilities, versioning and dependency resolution, and customization options.