What is Rake?
Rake is a Ruby make like utility using standard Ruby syntax for the build specification file.
In english: Rake is a Ruby program that builds other Ruby programs. Rake can handle common programming tasks normally associated with building/compiling software. Rake tasks are defined in a file called rakefile (please feel free to expand/improve this definition — LeeO)
More information about Rake
- Online Rake Documentation
- Rake Project Page
- Rake Project Wiki
- building with Rake
- Why rake? — the original announcement of rake
Rake and Rails
Rake is required by Rails. Rake is used in a variety of ways by Rails, from generating stats and documentation from your codebase to running your tests or clearing your logfiles. Rails comes with a rakefile that automates these tasks.
To list Rakes tasks, enter:
rake --tasks
Which should produce a list containing:
| db:fixtures:load | Load fixtures into the current environment’s database. Load specific fixtures using FIXTURES=x,y |
| db:migrate | Migrate the database through scripts in db/migrate. Target specific version with VERSION=x |
| db:schema:dump | Create a db/schema.rb file that can be portably used against any DB supported by AR |
| db:schema:load | Load a schema.rb file into the database |
| db:sessions:clear | Clear the sessions table |
| db:sessions:create | Creates a sessions table for use with CGI::Session::ActiveRecordStore |
| db:structure:dump | Dump the database structure to a SQL file |
| db:test:clone | Recreate the test database from the current environment’s database schema |
| db:test:clone_structure | Recreate the test databases from the development structure |
| db:test:prepare | Prepare the test database and load the schema |
| db:test:purge | Empty the test database |
| doc:app | Build the app HTML Files |
| doc:clobber_app | Remove rdoc products |
| doc:clobber_plugins | Remove plugin documentation |
| doc:clobber_rails | Remove rdoc products |
| doc:plugins | Generate documation for all installed plugins |
| doc:rails | Build the rails HTML Files |
| doc:reapp | Force a rebuild of the RDOC files |
| doc:rerails | Force a rebuild of the RDOC files |
| log:clear | Truncates all *.log files in log/ to zero bytes |
| rails:freeze:edge | Lock to latest Edge Rails or a specific revision with REVISION=X (ex: REVISION=4021) or a tag with TAG=Y (ex: TAG=rel_1-1-0) |
| rails:freeze:gems | Lock this application to the current gems (by unpacking them into vendor/rails) |
| rails:unfreeze | Unlock this application from freeze of gems or edge and return to a fluid use of system gems |
| rails:update | Update both configs, scripts and public/javascripts from Rails |
| rails:update:configs | Update boot/config.rb from your current rails install |
| rails:update:javascripts | Update your javascripts from your current rails install |
| rails:update:scripts | Add new scripts to the application script/ directory |
| stats | Report code statistics (KLOCs, etc) from the application |
| test | Test all units and functionals |
| test:functionals | Run tests for functionalsdb:test:prepare |
| test:integration | Run tests for integrationdb:test:prepare |
| test:plugins | Run tests for pluginsenvironment |
| test:recent | Run tests for recentdb:test:prepare |
| test:uncommitted | Run tests for uncommitteddb:test:prepare |
| test:units | Run tests for unitsdb:test:prepare |
| tmp:cache:clear | Clears all files and directories in tmp/cache |
| tmp:clear | Clear session, cache, and socket files from tmp/ |
| tmp:create | Creates tmp directories for sessions, cache, and sockets |
| tmp:sessions:clear | Clears all files in tmp/sessions |
| tmp:sockets:clear | Clears all files in tmp/sockets |