Creates gradle build scripts from a much smaller build script.

Gradle really annoys me. I use gradle in a realatively simple manner. I just want it to handle maven dependencies, and build these targets : jar, application (installDist), dokka, publish...

Things that are wrong with Gradle

• I don't want to split my build script into many different source files.
• I don't want extraneous cruft.
• I don't want to repeat myself.
• I don't want to restate the reposities for each subproject.
• I don't want the API to constantly change.
• I don't want to rewrite my build script just because I'm using a later version of Kotlin (or some other component).
• I don't want plugins.
• I don't want any special values, (Using gradle, the kotlin version number cannot live in the same place as all other version numbers).

My ideal build script

• I want a simple script (just 1 file)
• I want key values (such as version numbers) togther, near the top of the build script.
• Declare the requirements for each subproject in a concise manner.

Solution

I considered writing a build too from scratch, but that is too much effort, and wouldn't be a godd solution even if I did, because I'd also need to write plugins for various IDEs.

So instead, I have a very small amount of code, which translates a small, simple build script into standard gradle build scripts.

I never have to write, or look at a gradle script ever again. Yay!

Notes

This solution is pretty bad, and I doubt many other people will like it.

I've written the bare minimum for my needs, and there's a very good chance you need something that metabuild doesn't support.

In particular :

• Only Kotlin projects are supported (but java will be added soon).
• Only JVM projects are supported (but multiplatform projects will be added soon).
• Publishing maven artifacts only supported by HttpHeaderCredentials and HttpHeaderAuthentication. (I don't plan on providing any other publishing methods).
• Only standard gradle tasks are supported.

I deliberately go against what gradle developers consider best practices.

For example, I encourage you to declare the list of repositories only once. Whereas Gradle encourages you to declare them one per subproject (or jump through convoluted hoops).