Command Line Reference 

This page is a relatively complete list of command line options, commands, and tasks you can use from the sbt interactive prompt or in batch mode. See Running in the Getting Started Guide for an intro to the basics, while this page has a lot more detail.

Notes on the command line 

• There is a technical distinction in sbt between tasks, which are “inside” the build definition, and commands, which manipulate the build definition itself. If you’re interested in creating a command, see Commands. This specific sbt meaning of “command” means there’s no good general term for “thing you can type at the sbt prompt”, which may be a setting, task, or command.
• Some tasks produce useful values. The toString representation of these values can be shown using show <task> to run the task instead of just <task>.
• In a multi-project build, execution dependencies and the aggregate setting control which tasks from which projects are executed. See multi-project builds.

Project-level tasks 

• clean Deletes all generated files (the target directory).
• publishLocal Publishes artifacts (such as jars) to the local Ivy repository as described in Publishing.
• publish Publishes artifacts (such as jars) to the repository defined by the publishTo setting, described in Publishing.
• update Resolves and retrieves external dependencies as described in library dependencies.

Configuration-level tasks 

Configuration-level tasks are tasks associated with a configuration. For example, compile, which is equivalent to compile:compile, compiles the main source code (the compile configuration). test:compile compiles the test source code (test test configuration). Most tasks for the compile configuration have an equivalent in the test configuration that can be run using a test: prefix.

• compile Compiles the main sources (in the src/main/scala directory). test:compile compiles test sources (in the src/test/scala/ directory).
• console Starts the Scala interpreter with a classpath including the compiled sources, all jars in the lib directory, and managed libraries. To return to sbt, type :quit, Ctrl+D (Unix), or Ctrl+Z (Windows). Similarly, test:console starts the interpreter with the test classes and classpath.
• consoleQuick Starts the Scala interpreter with the project’s compile-time dependencies on the classpath. test:consoleQuick uses the test dependencies. This task differs from console in that it does not force compilation of the current project’s sources.
• consoleProject Enters an interactive session with sbt and the build definition on the classpath. The build definition and related values are bound to variables and common packages and values are imported. See the consoleProject documentation for more information.
• doc Generates API documentation for Scala source files in src/main/scala using scaladoc. test:doc generates API documentation for source files in src/test/scala.
• package Creates a jar file containing the files in src/main/resources and the classes compiled from src/main/scala. test:package creates a jar containing the files in src/test/resources and the class compiled from src/test/scala.
• packageDoc Creates a jar file containing API documentation generated from Scala source files in src/main/scala. test:packageDoc creates a jar containing API documentation for test sources files in src/test/scala.
• packageSrc: Creates a jar file containing all main source files and resources. The packaged paths are relative to src/main/scala and src/main/resources. Similarly, test:packageSrc operates on test source files and resources.
• run <argument>* Runs the main class for the project in the same virtual machine as sbt. The main class is passed the arguments provided. Please see Running Project Code for details on the use of System.exit and multithreading (including GUIs) in code run by this action. test:run runs a main class in the test code.
• runMain <main-class> <argument>* Runs the specified main class for the project in the same virtual machine as sbt. The main class is passed the arguments provided. Please see Running Project Code for details on the use of System.exit and multithreading (including GUIs) in code run by this action. test:runMain runs the specified main class in the test code.
• test Runs all tests detected during test compilation. See Testing for details.
• testOnly <test>* Runs the tests provided as arguments. * (will be) interpreted as a wildcard in the test name. See Testing for details.

• testQuick <test>* Runs the tests specified as arguments (or all tests if no arguments are given) that:

  1. have not been run yet OR
  2. failed the last time they were run OR
  3. had any transitive dependencies recompiled since the last successful run * (will be) interpreted as a wildcard in the test name. See [Testing][Testing] for details.

General commands 

• exit or quit End the current interactive session or build. Additionally, Ctrl+D (Unix) or Ctrl+Z (Windows) will exit the interactive prompt.
• help <command> Displays detailed help for the specified command. If the command does not exist, help lists detailed help for commands whose name or description match the argument, which is interpreted as a regular expression. If no command is provided, displays brief descriptions of the main commands. Related commands are tasks and settings.
• projects [add|remove <URI>] List all available projects if no arguments provided or adds/removes the build at the provided URI. (See multi-project builds for details on multi-project builds.)
• project <project-id> Change the current project to the project with ID <project-id>. Further operations will be done in the context of the given project. (See multi-project builds for details on multiple project builds.)
• ~ <command> Executes the project specified action or method whenever source files change. See Triggered Execution for details.
• < filename Executes the commands in the given file. Each command should be on its own line. Empty lines and lines beginning with ’#’ are ignored
• + <command> Executes the project specified action or method for all versions of Scala defined in the crossScalaVersions setting.
• ++ <version|home-directory> <command> Temporarily changes the version of Scala building the project and executes the provided command. <command> is optional. The specified version of Scala is used until the project is reloaded, settings are modified (such as by the set or session commands), or ++ is run again. <version> does not need to be listed in the build definition, but it must be available in a repository. Alternatively, specify the path to a Scala installation.
• ; A ; B Execute A and if it succeeds, run B. Note that the leading semicolon is required.

• eval <Scala-expression> Evaluates the given Scala expression and returns the result and inferred type. This can be used to set system properties, as a calculator, to fork processes, etc … For example:

  > eval System.setProperty("demo", "true")
  > eval 1+1
  > eval "ls -l" !
  

Commands for managing the build definition 

• reload [plugins|return] If no argument is specified, reloads the build, recompiling any build or plugin definitions as necessary. reload plugins changes the current project to the build definition project (in project/). This can be useful to directly manipulate the build definition. For example, running clean on the build definition project will force snapshots to be updated and the build definition to be recompiled. reload return changes back to the main project.
• set <setting-expression> Evaluates and applies the given setting definition. The setting applies until sbt is restarted, the build is reloaded, or the setting is overridden by another set command or removed by the session command. See [.sbt build definition][Basic-Def] and [inspecting settings][Inspecting-Settings] for details.
• session <command> Manages session settings defined by the set command. It can persist settings configured at the prompt. See Inspecting-Settings for details.
• inspect <setting-key> Displays information about settings, such as the value, description, defining scope, dependencies, delegation chain, and related settings. See Inspecting Settings for details.

Command Line Options 

System properties can be provided either as JVM options, or as SBT arguments, in both cases as -Dprop=value. The following properties influence SBT execution. Also see sbt launcher.