# NAME

`bdep` – project dependency manager

# SYNOPSIS

`bdep --help
bdep --version
bdep help [command | topic]
bdep [common-options] command [command-options] command-args`

# DESCRIPTION

The `build2` project dependency manager is used to manage the dependencies of a project during development.

For a detailed description of any command or help topic, use the `help` command or see the corresponding man page (the man pages have the `bdep-` prefix, for example `bdep-help(1)`). Note also that `command-options` and `command-args` can be specified in any order and `common-options` can be specified as part of `command-options`.

A `bdep` project is a directory, normally under a version control system such as `git(1)`, called project repository. A project contains one or more packages. If it contain several, then they are normally related, for example, the `libhello` library and the `hello` program.

Packages in a project may depend on other packages outside of the project. To distinguish between the two we call them project packages and dependency packages, respectively. Naturally, our project packages may be someone else's dependency packages.

A simple, single-package project contains the package in the root of the project repository. For example (note the location of the package `manifest` and `lockfile`):

    hello/
    ├── .git/
    ├── ...
    ├── lockfile
    └── manifest

See Package Manifest for details on the `manifest` file.

If a project contains multiple packages or we wish to place the package into a subdirectory, then the root of the project repository must contain the `packages.manifest` file that specifies the package locations. For example:

    hello/
    ├── .git/
    ├── hello/
    │   ├── ...
    │   ├── lockfile
    │   └── manifest
    ├── libhello/
    │   ├── ...
    │   ├── lockfile
    │   └── manifest
    └── packages.manifest

For this project, `packages.manifest` would have the following contents:

    : 1
    location: hello/
    :
    location: libhello/

A project repository root would usually also contain the `repositories.manifest` file that lists the repositories that provide the dependency packages. For example:

    hello/
    ├── ...
    ├── manifest
    └── repositories.manifest

If our `hello` project wanted to use `libhello` as a dependency package, then its `repositories.manifest` could look like this:

    : 1
    summary: hello project repository
    :
    role: prerequisite
    location: https://example.com/libhello.git

See Repository List Manifest for details on the `repositories.manifest` file.

For development a `bdep` project is associated with one or more `bpkg(1)` build configurations. These configuration are used as a backing for building project packages and their dependencies.

The list of the associated build configuration as well as the list of project packages initialized in each configuration are stored in the `bdep` project database under the `.bdep/` subdirectory of the project root directory. For example:

    hello-gcc/     # Build configuration for gcc.
    hello-clang/   # Build configuration for clang.
    hello/
    ├── .bdep/
    ├── .git/
    └── ...

The core of `bdep` functionality is state synchronization between the project and one or more associated build configurations. For example, if we list a new dependency in the package's `manifest` file, then `bdep` fetches and configures this dependency in a build configuration. Similarly, if we upgrade or downgrade a dependency in a build configuration, then `bdep` updates the corresponding entry in the package's `lockfile`.

A typical `bdep` workflow would consist of the following steps.

Obtain the Project
  Normally we would use the version control system to obtain the project we want to develop:

      $ git clone ssh://example.com/hello.git

  Alternatively, we can use the `bdep-new(1)` command to start a new project (see Package Name for details on project naming):

      $ bdep new -l c++ -t exe hello

  Similar to version control tools, we normally run `bdep` from the project's directory or one of its subdirectories:

      $ cd hello

  See `bdep-projects-configs(1)` for alternative ways to specify the project location.

Initialize the Project
  Next we use the `bdep-init(1)` command to create new or add existing build configurations and initialize our project in these configurations:

      $ bdep init -C ../hello-gcc @gcc cc config.cxx=g++
      $ bdep init -A ../hello-clang @clang

  If the configuration directory is next to the project and its name is in the `prj-name-cfg-name` form, then the shortcut version of the `init` can be used instead:

      $ bdep init -C @gcc cc config.cxx=g++
      $ bdep init -A @clang

  After initialization we can use the `bdep-status(1)` command to examine the status of our project in its configurations:

      $ bdep status -a
      in configuration @gcc:
      hello configured 0.1.0-a.0.19700101000000

      in configuration @clang:
      hello configured 0.1.0-a.0.19700101000000

  Most `bdep` commands operate on one or more build configurations associated with the project. If we don't specify one explicitly, then the default configuration (usually the first added; `gcc` in our case) is used. Alternatively, we can specify the configurations by name (if assigned), as directories, or with `--all|-a` (see `bdep-projects-configs(1)` for details). For example:

      $ bdep status @clang @gcc      # by name
      $ bdep status -c ../hello-gcc  # as a directory

  If a command is operating on multiple configurations (like `status -a` in the previous example), then it will print a line identifying each configuration before printing the command's result.

  By default the project's source directory is configured to forward to the default build configuration. That is, we can run the build system in the source directory and it will automatically build in the forwarded configuration as well as link the results back to the source directory using symlinks or another suitable mechanism (see `bdep-config(1)` for details). For example:

      $ b        # build in gcc
      <...>

      $ ./hello  # run the result

  Using the build system directly on configurations other than the default requires explicitly specifying their paths. To make this more convenient, the `bdep-update(1)`, `bdep-test(1)`, and `bdep-clean(1)` commands allow us to refer to them by names, perform the desired build system operation on several of them at once, and, in case of `test`, perform it on immediate or all dependencies or a project. For example:

      $ bdep test @gcc @clang
      in configuration @gcc:
      <...>

      in configuration @clang:
      <...>

  To deinitialize a project in one or more build configurations we can use the `bdep-deinit(1)` command. For example:

      $ bdep deinit -a

Add, Remove, or Change Dependencies
  Let's say we found `libhello` that we would like to use in our project. First we edit our project's `repositories.manifest` file and add the `libhello`'s repository as our prerequisite:

      $ cat repositories.manifest
      ...
      role: prerequisite
      location: https://example.com/libhello.git
      ...

  Next we edit our `manifest` file and specify a dependency on `libhello`:

      $ cat manifest
      ...
      depends: libhello ^1.0.0
      ...

  If we now run `bdep-status(1)`, we will notice that a new iteration of our project is available for synchronization:

      $ bdep status
      hello configured 0.1.0-a.0.19700101000000
            available  0.1.0-a.0.19700101000000#1

  See Package Version for details on package versions and iterations.

Synchronize the Project with Configurations
  To synchronize changes in the project's dependency information with its build configurations we use the `bdep-sync(1)` command. Continuing with our example, this will result in `libhello` being downloaded and configured since our project now depends on it:

      $ bdep sync
      synchronizing:
        build libhello/1.0.0 (required by hello)
        upgrade hello/0.1.0-a.0.19700101000000#1

      $ bdep status -i
      hello configured 0.1.0-a.0.19700101000000#1
        libhello ^1.0.0 configured 1.0.0

  Note that by default build configurations are automatically synchronized on every build system invocation (see `bdep-config(1)` for details). As a result, we rarely need to run the `sync` command explicitly and instead can just run the desired build system operation (for instance, `update` or `test`) directly. For example:

      $ b test
      synchronizing:
        build libhello/1.0.0 (required by hello)
        upgrade hello/0.1.0-a.0.19700101000000#1
      <...>

  It is also possible for several projects to share a build configuration. In this case all the projects are synchronized at once regardless of the originating project. For example, if we were also the authors of `libhello` and hosted it in a separate version control repository (as opposed to being a package in the `hello` repository), then it would have been natural to develop it together with `hello` in the same configurations:

      $ cd ../libhello
      $ bdep init -A ../hello-gcc @gcc
      $ bdep sync  # synchronizes both hello and libhello

Upgrade or Downgrade Dependencies
  The `bdep-sync(1)` command is also used to upgrade or downgrade dependencies (and it is also executed as the last step of `init`). Let's say we learned a new version of `libhello` was released and we would like to try it out.

  To refresh the list of available dependency packages we use the `bdep-fetch(1)` command (or, as a shortcut, the `-f` flag to `status`):

      $ bdep fetch

      $ bdep status libhello
      libhello configured 1.0.0 available [1.1.0]

  Without an explicit version or the `--patch|-p` option, `sync` will upgrade the specified dependency to the latest available version:

      $ bdep sync libhello
      synchronizing:
        upgrade libhello/1.1.0
        reconfigure hello/0.1.0

      $ bdep status -i
      hello configured 0.1.0-a.0.19700101000000#1
        libhello ^1.0.0 configured 1.1.0

  Let's say we didn't like the new version and would like to go back to using the old one. To downgrade a dependency we have to specify its version explicitly:

      $ bdep status -o libhello
      libhello configured 1.1.0 available [1.0.0] (1.1.0)

      $ bdep sync libhello/1.0.0
      synchronizing:
        downgrade libhello/1.1.0
        reconfigure hello/0.1.0

# COMMANDS

`help` [`topic`]
  `bdep-help(1)` – show help for a command or help topic
`new`
  `bdep-new(1)` – create and initialize new project
`init`
  `bdep-init(1)` – initialize project in build configurations
`sync`
  `bdep-sync(1)` – synchronize project and build configurations
`fetch`
  `bdep-fetch(1)` – fetch list of available project dependencies
`status`
  `bdep-status(1)` – print status of project and/or its dependencies
`ci`
  `bdep-ci(1)` – submit project test request to CI server
`release`
  `bdep-release(1)` – manage project's version during release
`publish`
  `bdep-publish(1)` – publish project to archive repository
`deinit`
  `bdep-deinit(1)` – deinitialize project in build configurations
`config`
  `bdep-config(1)` – manage project's build configurations
`test`
  `bdep-test(1)` – test project in build configurations
`update`
  `bdep-update(1)` – update project in build configurations
`clean`
  `bdep-clean(1)` – clean project in build configurations

# HELP TOPICS

`common-options`
  `bdep-common-options(1)` – details on common options
`projects-configs`
  `bdep-projects-configs(1)` – specifying projects and configurations
`default-options-files`
  `bdep-default-options-files(1)` – specifying default options
`argument-grouping`
  `bdep-argument-grouping(1)` – argument grouping facility

# COMMON OPTIONS

The common options are summarized below with a more detailed description available in `bdep-common-options(1)`.

`-v`
  Print essential underlying commands being executed.
`-V`
  Print all underlying commands being executed.
`--quiet`|`-q`
  Run quietly, only printing error messages.
`--verbose` `level`
  Set the diagnostics verbosity to `level` between 0 and 6.
`--stdout-format` `format`
  Representation format to use for printing to `stdout`.
`--jobs`|`-j` `num`
  Number of jobs to perform in parallel.
`--progress`
  Display progress indicators for long-lasting operations, such as network transfers, building, etc.
`--no-progress`
  Suppress progress indicators for long-lasting operations, such as network transfers, building, etc.
`--diag-color`
  Use color in diagnostics.
`--no-diag-color`
  Don't use color in diagnostics.
`--bpkg` `path`
  The package manager program to be used for build configuration management.
`--bpkg-option` `opt`
  Additional option to be passed to the package manager program.
`--build` `path`
  The build program to be used to build packages.
`--build-option` `opt`
  Additional option to be passed to the build program.
`--curl` `path`
  The curl program to be used for network operations.
`--curl-option` `opt`
  Additional option to be passed to the curl program.
`--offline`
  Do not attempt to download resources (packages, repository metadata, etc), instead taking them from the local fetch cache if available and failing otherwise.
`--no-fetch-cache`
  Disable local caching of download resources (packages, repository metadata, etc).
`--fetch-cache` `mode`
  Comma-separated list of local fetch cache modes.
`--fetch-cache-session` `id`
  The local fetch cache session.
`--pager` `path`
  The pager program to be used to show long text.
`--pager-option` `opt`
  Additional option to be passed to the pager program.
`--options-file` `file`
  Read additional options from `file`.
`--default-options` `dir`
  The directory to load additional default options files from.
`--no-default-options`
  Don't load default options files.

# EXIT STATUS

Non-zero exit status is returned in case of an error.

# ENVIRONMENT

The `BDEP_DEF_OPT` environment variable is used to suppress loading of default options files in nested `bdep` invocations. Its values are `false` or `0` to suppress and `true` or `1` to load.

# BUGS

Send bug reports to the users@build2.org mailing list.