Hancho – A simple and pleasant build system in ~500 lines of Python
Hi HN, I've been taking a break from my big side projects to work on a smaller side project - a tiny build system that's based on what I've learned from using Ninja and ad-hoc Python for my homebrew build systems over the last few years. It's basically a promise-based dependency graph runner plus a simple text templating engine, and it works quite well for the smallish projects I've tried it out on so far. If you find Make crufty, CMake inconsistent, Ninja verbose, and Bazel just too much build system, give Hancho a try. Don't like one of Hancho's defaults? It's only 500 lines - hack it up…
In plain words
Hancho is a lightweight build system written in approximately 500 lines of Python that combines a promise-based dependency graph runner with a simple text templating engine. It is designed for developers working on small to medium projects who find existing build systems like Make, CMake, Ninja, or Bazel overly complex or unwieldy. The minimal codebase makes it easy to modify and customize for specific needs.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hi HN, I've been taking a break from my big side projects to work on a smaller side project - a tiny build system that's based on what I've learned from using Ninja and ad-hoc Python for my homebrew build systems over the last few years. It's basically a promise-based dependency graph runner plus a simple text templating engine, and it works quite well for the smallish projects I've tried it out on so far. If you find Make crufty, CMake inconsistent, Ninja verbose, and Bazel just too much build system, give Hancho a try. Don't like one of Hancho's defaults? It's only 500 lines - hack it up however you like.
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