Task Runner

Definitions

1. A tool that automates repetitive development tasks — such as compiling code, running tests, linting, or bundling assets — by defining named tasks with dependencies in a configuration file. Common examples include Make, Grunt, Gulp, npm scripts, and Just.

   In plain English: A tool that automates repetitive development chores like building code or running tests with a single command.

   Example: "Our task runner watches for .scss changes and recompiles them to CSS automatically, so I never run the build command manually."

Related Terms

• CI/CD
• Config as Code
• infrastructure as code
• Orchestration
• Shell Script
• Continuous Delivery
• Continuous Deployment
• NPM Script
• Production Build
• Automate All the Things
• Ansible
• Chef
• Automated Migration
• Background Scheduler
• Control Loop
• Cron Expression