build

A simple, correct Python packaging build frontend.

build reads your project’s pyproject.toml configuration file and invokes build backends to create distribution packages (the files you upload to PyPI or install with pip). It manages temporary build dependencies and environments, leaving application dependency management to other tools.

Mission Statement

Many Python tools combine multiple capabilities into one project. For example, pip both installs packages and can build them. While convenient, this tight coupling isn’t always desirable. Some users need standalone build tools for custom environments (outside PyPI), or they manage packages themselves (like Linux distributions do).

This project fills that gap by providing a standalone build tool following modern Python packaging standards for how build tools communicate with backends and how pyproject.toml defines build requirements.

We keep dependencies minimal to make build easy to install and use in restricted environments.

Differences from other tools

See build vs Other Tools for when to use build, cibuildwheel, or a project management tool. For the distinction between a backend and its command-line tools, see Build Backends.

Where to start

First time using build? Start with the Getting Started to create your first package.

Need to solve a specific problem? Check the Basic Usage for common workflows, or browse the how-to guides below for your specific scenario.

Looking for technical details? The Command-Line Interface documents all command-line options, and the API Documentation covers the Python API.

Want to understand how it works? Read How it Works to learn about the build process and isolation.