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Version: 2.12.x (deprecated)

experimental_shell_command

Execute any external tool for its side effects.

Example BUILD file:

experimental_shell_command(
    command="./my-script.sh --flag",
    tools=["tar", "curl", "cat", "bash", "env"],
    dependencies=[":scripts"],
    outputs=["results/", "logs/my-script.log"],
)

shell_sources(name="scripts")

Remember to add this target to the dependencies of each consumer, such as your python_tests or docker_image. When relevant, Pants will run your command and insert the outputs into that consumer's context.

The command may be retried and/or cancelled, so ensure that it is idempotent.

Backend: pants.backend.shell

tags​

field.type_hint
required

Arbitrary strings to describe a target.

For example, you may tag some test targets with 'integration_test' so that you could run /home/josh/work/scie-pants/dist/scie-pants-linux-x86_64 --tag='integration_test' test :: to only run on targets with that tag.

description​

field.type_hint
required

A human-readable description of the target.

Use /home/josh/work/scie-pants/dist/scie-pants-linux-x86_64 list --documented :: to see all targets with descriptions.

dependencies​

field.type_hint
required

Addresses to other targets that this target depends on, e.g. ['helloworld/subdir:lib', 'helloworld/main.py:lib', '3rdparty:reqs#django'].

This augments any dependencies inferred by Pants, such as by analyzing your imports. Use /home/josh/work/scie-pants/dist/scie-pants-linux-x86_64 dependencies or /home/josh/work/scie-pants/dist/scie-pants-linux-x86_64 peek on this target to get the final result.

See https://www.pantsbuild.org/v2.12/docs/targets#target-addresses and https://www.pantsbuild.org/v2.12/docs/targets#target-generation for more about how addresses are formed, including for generated targets. You can also run /home/josh/work/scie-pants/dist/scie-pants-linux-x86_64 list :: to find all addresses in your project, or /home/josh/work/scie-pants/dist/scie-pants-linux-x86_64 list dir: to find all addresses defined in that directory.

If the target is in the same BUILD file, you can leave off the BUILD file path, e.g. :tgt instead of helloworld/subdir:tgt. For generated first-party addresses, use ./ for the file path, e.g. ./main.py:tgt; for all other generated targets, use :tgt#generated_name.

You may exclude dependencies by prefixing with !, e.g. ['!helloworld/subdir:lib', '!./sibling.txt']. Ignores are intended for false positives with dependency inference; otherwise, simply leave off the dependency from the BUILD file.

command​

field.type_hint
required

Shell command to execute.

The command is executed as 'bash -c <command>' by default.

log_output​

field.type_hint
default: False

Set to true if you want the output from the command logged to the console.

outputs​

field.type_hint
required

Specify the shell command output files and directories.

Use a trailing slash on directory names, i.e. my_dir/.

timeout​

field.type_hint
default: 30

Command execution timeout (in seconds).

tools​

field.type_hint
required

Specify required executable tools that might be used.

Only the tools explicitly provided will be available on the search PATH, and these tools must be found on the paths provided by [shell-setup].executable_search_paths (which defaults to the system PATH).