Bazel vs Make: What are the differences?

Introduction

Bazel and Make are build automation tools commonly used in software development. While they serve a similar purpose, there are several key differences between them that make them unique in their own ways.

1. Building approach: Bazel uses a distributed caching approach, where it only rebuilds the necessary parts of the codebase based on dependencies, resulting in faster builds. On the other hand, Make follows a target-based approach and rebuilds the entire project whenever any part of it changes, which can be time-consuming for larger projects.

2. Scalability: Bazel is designed to handle large-scale projects with thousands of code files and extensive dependencies. It provides a scalable and incremental build system, making it suitable for complex software development. In contrast, Make is better suited for smaller projects with fewer dependencies and simpler build requirements.

3. Cross-platform compatibility: Bazel offers better cross-platform compatibility as it can be used on various operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows. It provides consistent builds across different platforms, making it easier for teams working on multiple environments. Make, on the other hand, is more commonly used in Unix-like systems, although there are versions available for other platforms as well.

4. Configuration language: Bazel uses its own build configuration language called Starlark, which is a dialect of Python. This allows developers to write more expressive and powerful build rules, leveraging the flexibility of Python. Make, on the other hand, uses a simple makefile syntax which is less expressive and lacks the advanced features of a full-fledged programming language.

5. Parallelization and caching: Bazel automatically parallelizes the build process by default, utilizing the available system resources effectively. It also leverages caching to avoid redundant recompilation of already built artifacts, thus speeding up subsequent builds. Make, on the other hand, requires manual effort to set up parallel execution and caching mechanisms.

6. Dependency management: Bazel has a fine-grained dependency management system that automatically resolves and manages dependencies at a granular level. This helps in ensuring reproducible builds and avoiding dependency-related issues. Make, on the other hand, relies more on manual configuration for dependency management, which can be error-prone and less efficient.

In summary, Bazel and Make differ in their building approach, scalability, cross-platform compatibility, configuration language, parallelization, and dependency management. Bazel offers a more advanced and scalable solution with better cross-platform support, while Make is simpler and more suitable for smaller projects.