Ninja Exporter MVP by nickclark2016 · Pull Request #2548 · premake/premake-core

nickclark2016 · 2025-11-27T03:58:22Z

What does this PR do?

Implements a Ninja exporter module. Supports C and C++, as well as custom build events.

How does this PR change Premake's behavior?

No breaking changes

Anything else we should know?

Sorry in advance

Did you check all the boxes?

Focus on a single fix or feature; remove any unrelated formatting or code changes
Add unit tests showing fix or feature works; all tests pass
Mention any related issues (put closes #XXXX in comment to auto-close issue when PR is merged)
Follow our coding conventions
Minimize the number of commits
Align documentation to your changes

You can now support Premake on our OpenCollective. Your contributions help us spend more time responding to requests like these!

Jarod42 · 2025-11-27T09:33:07Z

Setup my UTs for that one https://github.com/Jarod42/premake-sample-projects/actions/runs/19731306147/job/56532783308

It fails for following test projects:

 01-include-define-and-buildoptions Generation // FIXED
 03-prepost-build Generation
 04-defines Generation
 buildaction_copy Execution
 buildaction_none Generation
 compileas Generation
 custom-rule Generation
 customcommand Generation
 customcommand-with-buildaction-copy Generation
 dependson Generation
 entrypoint Generation // FIXED
 includedirsafter Generation
 linkgroups Generation
 pch Generation
 per-file-config Generation
 prelink Execution
 tokens Generation
 undefines Generation

KO:
03-prepost-build Generation
04-defines Generation
buildaction_copy Execution
buildaction_none Generation
compileas Generation
custom-rule Generation
customcommand Generation
customcommand-with-buildaction-copy Generation
dependson Generation
includedirsafter Generation
linkgroups Generation
pch Generation
per-file-config Generation
prelink Execution
tokens Generation
undefines Generation

In addition, the second consecutive build didn't trigger a "nothing to do" from ninja, but

[1/1] Phony target

tritao · 2025-11-27T10:42:56Z

Is this based on the existing https://github.com/jimon/premake-ninja or from scratch implementation?

Jarod42 · 2025-11-27T13:05:04Z

@tritao: I would say scratch implementation from the code.

Jarod42 · 2025-11-27T13:09:02Z

src/tools/msc.lua

 		return msc.tools[tool]
 	end

+


Changes from this file seems unrelated to ninja

Needed to unify tooling fetches from Ninja

It seems to come from merge (conflict?) resolution.
Shown diff seems to be space/EOL change, or reordering only.

nickclark2016 · 2025-11-27T13:10:54Z

Is this based on the existing https://github.com/jimon/premake-ninja or from scratch implementation?

99% from scratch

modules/ninja/_preload.lua

website/docs/Using-Premake.md

website/docs/What-Is-Premake.md

Jarod42 · 2025-11-30T15:02:53Z

modules/ninja/ninja_cpp.lua

+	_p("")
+end
+
+function m.prebuildcommandsrule(cfg, toolset)


Is there reason that "rule" is singular for this one whereas most of other use plural?

Just an oversight here. Will fix.

samsinsane · 2025-12-01T06:43:12Z

modules/ninja/ninja_cpp.lua

 	_p("rule prelink")
-	_p("  command = $prelinkcommands")
+	-- Use shell wrapper based on target system's shell to ensure proper command execution
+	local shell = _OPTIONS.shell or iif(cfg.system == p.WINDOWS, "cmd", "posix")


Above you use os.shell(), but here and below you don't?

Debugging code. This is gonna be backed out in a future change.

samsinsane · 2025-12-01T06:46:43Z

modules/ninja/tests/test_ninja_build_commands.lua

+---
+
+--
+-- Check that prebuild commands use cmd /c on Windows


This comment doesn't align with the test.

samsinsane · 2025-12-01T06:47:37Z

modules/ninja/tests/test_ninja_build_commands.lua

+---
+
+--
+-- Check that prelink commands use cmd /c on Windows


samsinsane · 2025-12-01T06:48:19Z

modules/ninja/tests/test_ninja_build_commands.lua

+---
+
+--
+-- Check that postbuild commands use cmd /c on Windows


Yeah, these tests used to do that. Missed updating the comments

samsinsane · 2025-12-01T06:56:26Z

modules/ninja/tests/test_ninja_build_commands.lua

+
+	-- The command should have quotes around paths
+	local captured = premake.captured()
+	test.istrue(captured:find('copy /B /Y', 1, true) ~= nil)


This doesn't appear to be testing what the test name and the comments suggest is being tested.

Jarod42 · 2025-12-01T14:21:10Z

modules/ninja/ninja_workspace.lua

+	end
+end
+
+function m.defaultTarget(wks)


That might handle https://premake.github.io/docs/startproject/

Jarod42 · 2025-12-01T15:22:04Z

modules/ninja/tests/test_ninja_dependson.lua

+
+		-- The custom build should have the dependencies phony as an implicit dependency
+		test.capture [[
+build obj/Debug/App/data.cpp: custom data.in | bin/Debug/App.dependencies


As I understand, you create extra file for dependencies (not sure why), should it goes in 'obj' instead of 'bin' directory?

Yeah, good call. That should probably go in there. I can probably rework it to get rid of the file itself and use phonies here

Jarod42 · 2025-12-01T15:25:06Z

modules/ninja/tests/test_ninja_dependson.lua

+		test.capture [[
+build bin/Debug/ProjectC: link obj/Debug/ProjectC/c.o | bin/Debug/ProjectA bin/Debug/ProjectB
+  ldflags = $ldflags_ProjectC_Debug
+		]]


Should we depend on output or the phony Project_Debug which would include postbuild action?

nickclark2016 · 2025-12-01T15:46:44Z

Closing to fix more issues, get it in a better state before review.

nickclark2016 added 3 commits October 11, 2025 10:56

Groundwork for Ninja exporter

a0e9d3d

Merge master -> feature/ninja-exporter

9d5bbf6

Ninja exporter: C, C++, and multiple project types

1fc5b66

nickclark2016 requested a review from a team November 27, 2025 03:58

Jarod42 reviewed Nov 27, 2025

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samsinsane approved these changes Nov 28, 2025

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modules/ninja/_preload.lua Outdated Show resolved Hide resolved

website/docs/Using-Premake.md Outdated Show resolved Hide resolved

website/docs/What-Is-Premake.md Show resolved Hide resolved

nickclark2016 force-pushed the feature/ninja-exporter branch 12 times, most recently from 17000e7 to ff541b6 Compare November 30, 2025 05:24

Add buildoptions, linkoptions support

753c49c

nickclark2016 force-pushed the feature/ninja-exporter branch from ff541b6 to 753c49c Compare November 30, 2025 05:33

Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/master' into feature/ninja-exporter

a73d125

samsinsane approved these changes Nov 30, 2025

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nickclark2016 force-pushed the feature/ninja-exporter branch from 2467c7a to 5270987 Compare November 30, 2025 16:54

Jarod42 reviewed Nov 30, 2025

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nickclark2016 force-pushed the feature/ninja-exporter branch 2 times, most recently from 3773922 to fce9cc6 Compare December 1, 2025 00:13

nickclark2016 force-pushed the feature/ninja-exporter branch 3 times, most recently from 1bc1de2 to 7a9dd91 Compare December 1, 2025 04:52

samsinsane requested changes Dec 1, 2025

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nickclark2016 force-pushed the feature/ninja-exporter branch 2 times, most recently from fce9cc6 to a73d125 Compare December 1, 2025 14:20

Jarod42 reviewed Dec 1, 2025

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nickclark2016 closed this Dec 1, 2025

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nickclark2016 commented Nov 27, 2025

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tritao commented Nov 27, 2025

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nickclark2016 commented Nov 27, 2025

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nickclark2016 commented Dec 1, 2025

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Jarod42 commented Nov 27, 2025 •

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