sbt

sbt stands for Scala Build Tool. It is a build tool for Scala and Java projects that manages compilation, dependency resolution, testing, packaging, and publishing.

At its core sbt uses a DSL written in Scala to declare projects, settings, and tasks. The build is defined in build.sbt and, for more complex setups, in the project/ directory with additional Scala code. sbt supports multi-project builds, incremental compilation via Zinc, and flexible task orchestration. Dependency resolution typically uses Ivy, with optional integration for faster resolution via Coursier.

A typical project includes a project/build.properties to lock the sbt version, a project/plugins.sbt to enable sbt plugins, and a build.sbt that specifies libraryDependencies, resolvers, and settings such as scalaVersion and organization.

Usage is via the sbt interactive shell or non-interactive commands. Common commands include compile, test, run, package, publishLocal, and publish. sbt can work with Java tooling and supports cross-building for multiple Scala versions; plugins extend functionality for packaging, deployment, and continuous integration workflows.

sbt has been the de facto build tool in the Scala ecosystem for many years, supported by a robust plugin ecosystem. Plugins such as sbt-assembly for fat jars, sbt-native-packager for OS-specific packages, and sbt-release for release management are commonly used. The tool integrates with popular CI systems and Scala tooling, and continues to evolve with improvements in performance, dependency resolution, and developer experience.