buildtime

Build time is the duration required to transform source code and related resources into a deployable artifact. In software development, it covers the period from the start of the build process to the creation of binaries, packages, or deployable bundles, and may include steps such as compilation, linking, resource processing, packaging, and sometimes code generation or test execution.

Build time can vary widely depending on project size and complexity, the programming language and toolchain, and the number and nature of dependencies. Other influences include hardware performance (CPU speed, disk I/O, memory), network latency for fetching dependencies, caching, and whether incremental or parallel builds are supported.

Build systems such as Make, Ninja, Bazel, Gradle, and Maven implement strategies to reduce build time, including incremental builds, parallel execution, and remote or distributed caching. The structure of the repository, dependency graphs, and the frequency of changes also affect build duration. Careful configuration can prevent unnecessary work during a build.

Optimization often relies on measuring and profiling build processes. Common approaches include enabling incremental builds, increasing parallelism, using distributed compilation or remote caches, pruning unused dependencies, and minimizing expensive post-processing steps. Developers may also reorganize code, split large projects into smaller modules, and improve I/O performance to shorten build times.

Outside software, build time can refer to the period required to assemble or fabricate a system, product, or hardware component. In manufacturing and hardware development, timely builds impact release schedules and time-to-market, making build-time efficiency an important consideration alongside runtime performance.