TL;DR — Quick Summary

just is a command runner — like make, but simpler. Define project tasks in a justfile with clear syntax, variables, and cross-platform support.

just is make for the modern era. Define project tasks cleanly — run them anywhere.

Installation

# Cargo
cargo install just

# Homebrew
brew install just

# Arch
pacman -S just

Usage

Create a justfile:

# Default recipe — runs when you type 'just'
default: build

# Build the project
build:
    cargo build --release

# Run tests
test:
    cargo test

# Lint and format
lint:
    cargo clippy && cargo fmt --check

# Deploy to production
deploy: build test
    ./scripts/deploy.sh

# Recipe with arguments
greet name:
    echo "Hello, {{name}}!"

Run:

# Run default recipe
just

# Run specific recipe
just build
just test
just greet "world"

# List all recipes
just --list

# Run from subdirectory
just --justfile ../justfile build

Summary

  • just: modern command runner with clean syntax
  • Cross-platform — Linux, macOS, Windows
  • Variables, arguments, dependencies
  • No tab requirement — uses normal indentation
  • Written in Rust — fast and reliable