GN(1)

NAME
gn - Meta-build system that generates build files for Ninja

DESCRIPTION

  Commands (type gn help <command>" for more help):"

    analyze: Analyze which targets are affected by a list of files. args: Display or configure arguments declared by the build. check: Check header dependencies. clean: Cleans the output directory. clean_stale: Cleans the stale output files from the output directory. desc: Show lots of insightful information about a target or config. format: Format .gn files. gen: Generate ninja files. help: Does what you think. ls: List matching targets. meta: List target metadata collection results. outputs: Which files a source/target make. path: Find paths between two targets. refs: Find stuff referencing a target or file.

  Target declarations (type gn help <function>" for more help):"

    action: Declare a target that runs a script a single time. action_foreach: Declare a target that runs a script over a set of files. bundle_data: [iOS/macOS] Declare a target without output. copy: Declare a target that copies files. create_bundle: [iOS/macOS] Build an iOS or macOS bundle. executable: Declare an executable target. generated_file: Declare a generated_file target. group: Declare a named group of targets. loadable_module: Declare a loadable module target. rust_library: Declare a Rust library target. rust_proc_macro: Declare a Rust procedural macro target. shared_library: Declare a shared library target. source_set: Declare a source set target. static_library: Declare a static library target. target: Declare an target with the given programmatic type.

  Buildfile functions (type gn help <function>" for more help):"

    assert: Assert an expression is true at generation time. config: Defines a configuration object. declare_args: Declare build arguments. defined: Returns whether an identifier is defined. exec_script: Synchronously run a script and return the output. filter_exclude: Remove values that match a set of patterns. filter_include: Remove values that do not match a set of patterns. foreach: Iterate over a list. forward_variables_from: Copies variables from a different scope. get_label_info: Get an attribute from a target's label. get_path_info: Extract parts of a file or directory name. get_target_outputs: [file list] Get the list of outputs from a target. getenv: Get an environment variable. import: Import a file into the current scope. not_needed: Mark variables from scope as not needed. pool: Defines a pool object. print: Prints to the console. process_file_template: Do template expansion over a list of files. read_file: Read a file into a variable. rebase_path: Rebase a file or directory to another location. set_default_toolchain: Sets the default toolchain name. set_defaults: Set default values for a target type. split_list: Splits a list into N different sub-lists. string_join: Concatenates a list of strings with a separator. string_replace: Replaces substring in the given string. string_split: Split string into a list of strings. template: Define a template rule. tool: Specify arguments to a toolchain tool. toolchain: Defines a toolchain. write_file: Write a file to disk.

  Built-in predefined variables (type gn help <variable>" for more help):"

    current_cpu: [string] The processor architecture of the current toolchain. current_os: [string] The operating system of the current toolchain. current_toolchain: [string] Label of the current toolchain. default_toolchain: [string] Label of the default toolchain. gn_version: [number] The version of gn. host_cpu: [string] The processor architecture that GN is running on. host_os: [string] The operating system that GN is running on. invoker: [string] The invoking scope inside a template. python_path: [string] Absolute path of Python. root_build_dir: [string] Directory where build commands are run. root_gen_dir: [string] Directory for the toolchain's generated files. root_out_dir: [string] Root directory for toolchain output files. target_cpu: [string] The desired cpu architecture for the build. target_gen_dir: [string] Directory for a target's generated files. target_name: [string] The name of the current target. target_os: [string] The desired operating system for the build. target_out_dir: [string] Directory for target output files.

  Variables you set in targets (type gn help <variable>" for more help):"

    aliased_deps: [scope] Set of crate-dependency pairs. all_dependent_configs: [label list] Configs to be forced on dependents. allow_circular_includes_from: [label list] Permit includes from deps. arflags: [string list] Arguments passed to static_library archiver. args: [string list] Arguments passed to an action. asmflags: [string list] Flags passed to the assembler. assert_no_deps:??[label pattern list] Ensure no deps on these targets. bridge_header: [string] Path to C/Objective-C compatibility header. bundle_contents_dir: Expansion of {{bundle_contents_dir}} in create_bundle. bundle_deps_filter: [label list] A list of labels that are filtered out. bundle_executable_dir: Expansion of {{bundle_executable_dir}} in create_bundle bundle_resources_dir: Expansion of {{bundle_resources_dir}} in create_bundle. bundle_root_dir: Expansion of {{bundle_root_dir}} in create_bundle. cflags: [string list] Flags passed to all C compiler variants. cflags_c: [string list] Flags passed to the C compiler. cflags_cc: [string list] Flags passed to the C++ compiler. cflags_objc: [string list] Flags passed to the Objective C compiler. cflags_objcc: [string list] Flags passed to the Objective C++ compiler. check_includes: [boolean] Controls whether a target's files are checked. code_signing_args: [string list] Arguments passed to code signing script. code_signing_outputs: [file list] Output files for code signing step. code_signing_script: [file name] Script for code signing. code_signing_sources: [file list] Sources for code signing step. complete_static_lib: [boolean] Links all deps into a static library. configs: [label list] Configs applying to this target or config. contents: Contents to write to file. crate_name: [string] The name for the compiled crate. crate_root: [string] The root source file for a binary or library. crate_type: [string] The type of linkage to use on a shared_library. data: [file list] Runtime data file dependencies. data_deps: [label list] Non-linked dependencies. data_keys: [string list] Keys from which to collect metadata. defines: [string list] C preprocessor defines. depfile: [string] File name for input dependencies for actions. deps: [label list] Private linked dependencies. externs: [scope] Set of Rust crate-dependency pairs. framework_dirs: [directory list] Additional framework search directories. frameworks: [name list] Name of frameworks that must be linked. friend: [label pattern list] Allow targets to include private headers. gen_deps: [label list] Declares targets that should generate when this one does. include_dirs: [directory list] Additional include directories. inputs: [file list] Additional compile-time dependencies. ldflags: [string list] Flags passed to the linker. lib_dirs: [directory list] Additional library directories. libs: [string list] Additional libraries to link. metadata: [scope] Metadata of this target. module_name: [string] The name for the compiled module. output_conversion: Data format for generated_file targets. output_dir: [directory] Directory to put output file in. output_extension: [string] Value to use for the output's file extension. output_name: [string] Name for the output file other than the default. output_prefix_override: [boolean] Don't use prefix for output name. outputs: [file list] Output files for actions and copy targets. partial_info_plist: [filename] Path plist from asset catalog compiler. pool: [string] Label of the pool used by the action. precompiled_header: [string] Header file to precompile. precompiled_header_type: [string] "gcc" or "msvc". precompiled_source: [file name] Source file to precompile. product_type: [string] Product type for Xcode projects. public: [file list] Declare public header files for a target. public_configs: [label list] Configs applied to dependents. public_deps: [label list] Declare public dependencies. rebase: [boolean] Rebase collected metadata as files. response_file_contents: [string list] Contents of .rsp file for actions. script: [file name] Script file for actions. sources: [file list] Source files for a target. swiftflags: [string list] Flags passed to the swift compiler. testonly: [boolean] Declares a target must only be used for testing. visibility: [label list] A list of labels that can depend on a target. walk_keys: [string list] Key(s) for managing the metadata collection walk. weak_frameworks: [name list] Name of frameworks that must be weak linked. write_runtime_deps: Writes the target's runtime_deps to the given path. xcasset_compiler_flags: [string list] Flags passed to xcassets compiler xcode_extra_attributes: [scope] Extra attributes for Xcode projects. xcode_test_application_name: [string] Name for Xcode test target.

  Other help topics:

    all: Print all the help at once buildargs: How build arguments work. dotfile: Info about the toplevel .gn file. execution: Build graph and execution overview. grammar: Language and grammar for GN build files. input_conversion: Processing input from exec_script and read_file. file_pattern: Matching more than one file. label_pattern: Matching more than one label. labels: About labels. metadata_collection: About metadata and its collection. ninja_rules: How Ninja build rules are named. nogncheck: Annotating includes for checking. output_conversion: Specifies how to transform a value to output. runtime_deps: How runtime dependency computation works. source_expansion: Map sources to outputs for scripts. switches: Show available command-line switches.