Paver Build and Deployment Scripting

1.3.4 · abandoned · verified Fri Apr 17

Paver is a Python-based build and task management system, designed to simplify scripting for development, distribution, and deployment. Its last stable release, 1.3.4, was in 2017. The project appears to be unmaintained and is not recommended for new development.

Common errors

```
ImportError: No module named paver
```
cause The Paver library is not installed in the current Python environment.

fix Run `pip install paver` to install the library.
```
NameError: name 'task' is not defined
```
cause The '@task' decorator (and other Paver utilities) were not correctly imported.

fix Ensure `from paver.easy import *` is present at the top of your `pavement.py` file.
```
No such task: <task_name>
```
cause The task specified on the command line does not exist or is misspelled in the `pavement.py` file.

fix Double-check the task name provided to `paver <task_name>` against the `@task` definitions in `pavement.py`. Ensure the task function is correctly decorated.

Warnings

breaking The Paver project is no longer actively maintained. Its last release was in 2017, and there have been no significant updates since. Using it for new projects is strongly discouraged.
Fix: For new projects, consider modern alternatives like 'invoke', 'poetry', 'flit', or `setuptools` based scripting. For existing projects, be aware of potential compatibility issues with newer Python versions or libraries.
gotcha While Paver 1.3.4 aims for Python 3 compatibility, complex setups, especially those relying on older `distutils` or `setuptools` integrations, may encounter unexpected behavior or errors on newer Python 3 versions.
Fix: Thoroughly test existing Paver setups when migrating to newer Python 3 versions. Be prepared to refactor problematic parts or consider migrating to a more actively maintained build system.
gotcha Paver's dependency management for tasks, using `@needs`, defines a strict ordering. Misunderstanding how dependencies are resolved can lead to tasks not running in the expected sequence or skipped entirely.
Fix: Always explicitly define dependencies using `@needs('task_name')`. For complex graphs, trace the execution path or use a debugger to ensure tasks are invoked as intended. Avoid circular dependencies.

Install

pip install paver Install latest stable version

Imports

*
```
from paver.easy import *
```
Paver tasks and utilities are typically imported using 'from paver.easy import *' to make decorators like '@task' and functions like 'path()' directly available.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates defining simple tasks using the '@task' decorator and managing task dependencies with '@needs'. Save the code as `pavement.py` in your project root and run `paver <task_name>` from your terminal.

from paver.easy import *

@task
def hello():
    print("Hello from Paver!")

@task
@needs('hello')
def world():
    print("World! This task depends on 'hello'.")

# To run:
# Save this as 'pavement.py'
# Then execute in terminal: 'paver hello' or 'paver world'

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