# Bob the builder {#manuals:bob} Bob is a command line tool for building Defold projects outside of the normal editor workflow. Bob is able to build data (corresponding to the build step of selecting the editor menu item `Project ▸ Build`), create data archives and create standalone, distributable application bundles (corresponding to the editor menu item `Project ▸ Bundle ▸ ...` options) Bob is distributed as a Java _JAR_ archive containing everything needed to build. You find the latest *bob.jar* distribution on the [GitHub Releases page](https://github.com/defold/defold/releases). Select a release, then download *bob/bob.jar*. You will need OpenJDK 25 to run it. Compatible OpenJDK 25 mirrors: * [OpenJDK 25 by Microsoft](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/java/openjdk/download#openjdk-25) * [OpenJDK 25 by Adoptium Working Group](https://github.com/adoptium/temurin25-binaries/releases) / [Adoptium.net](https://adoptium.net/) If you are on Windows you want the `.msi` file installer for OpenJDK. ## Usage Bob is run from a shell or from the command line by invoking `java` (or `java.exe` on Windows) and providing the bob java archive as argument: ```text $ java -jar bob.jar --help usage: bob [options] [commands] -a,--archive Build archive -ar,--architectures Comma separated list of architectures to include for the platform --archive-resource-padding The alignment of the resources in the game archive. Default is 4 -bf,--bundle-format Which formats to create the application bundle in. Comma separated list. (Android: 'apk' and 'aab') --binary-output Location where built engine binary will be placed. Default is "//" -bo,--bundle-output Bundle output directory -br,--build-report DEPRECATED! Use --build-report-json instead -brhtml,--build-report-html Filepath where to save a build report as HTML -brjson,--build-report-json Filepath where to save a build report as JSON --build-artifacts If left out, will default to build the engine. Choices: 'engine', 'plugins', 'library'. Comma separated list. --build-server The build server (when using native extensions) --build-server-header Additional build server header to set -ce,--certificate DEPRECATED! Use --keystore instead -d,--debug DEPRECATED! Use --variant=debug instead --debug-ne-upload Outputs the files sent to build server as upload.zip --debug-output-spirv Force build SPIR-V shaders --debug-output-wgsl Force build WGSL shaders --defoldsdk What version of the defold sdk (sha1) to use -e,--email User email -ea,--exclude-archive Exclude resource archives from application bundle. Use this to create an empty Defold application for use as a build target --exclude-build-folder DEPRECATED! Use '.defignore' file instead -h,--help This help message -i,--input DEPRECATED! Use --root instead --identity Sign identity (iOS) -kp,--key-pass Password of the deployment key if different from the keystore password (Android) -ks,--keystore Deployment keystore used to sign APKs (Android) -ksa,--keystore-alias The alias of the signing key+cert you want to use (Android) -ksp,--keystore-pass Password of the deployment keystore (Android) -l,--liveupdate Yes if liveupdate content should be published --max-cpu-threads Max count of threads that bob.jar can use -mp,--mobileprovisioning mobileprovisioning profile (iOS) --ne-build-dir Specify a folder with includes or source, to build a specific library. More than one occurrence is allowed. --ne-output-name Specify a library target name -o,--output Output directory. Default is "build/default" -p,--platform Platform (when building and bundling) -pk,--private-key DEPRECATED! Use --keystore instead -r,--root Build root directory. Default is current directory --resource-cache-local Path to local resource cache. --resource-cache-remote URL to remote resource cache. --resource-cache-remote-pass Password/token to authenticate access to the remote resource cache. --resource-cache-remote-user Username to authenticate access to the remote resource cache. --settings Path to a game project settings file. More than one occurrence is allowed. The settings files are applied left to right. --strip-executable Strip the dmengine of debug symbols (when bundling iOS or Android) -tc,--texture-compression Use texture compression as specified in texture profiles -tp,--texture-profiles DEPRECATED! Use --texture-compression instead -u,--auth User auth token --use-async-build-server DEPRECATED! Asynchronous build is now the default. --use-lua-bytecode-delta Use byte code delta compression when building for multiple architectures --use-uncompressed-lua-source Use uncompressed and unencrypted Lua source code instead of byte code --use-vanilla-lua DEPRECATED! Use --use-uncompressed-lua-source instead. -v,--verbose Verbose output --variant Specify debug, release or headless version of dmengine (when bundling) --version Prints the version number to the output --with-symbols Generate the symbol file (if applicable) ``` Available commands: `clean` : Delete built files in the build directory. `distclean` : Delete all files in the build directory. `build` : Builds all project data. Add the `--archive` option to build a data archive file ("`game.darc`" in the build directory). `bundle` : Creates a platform specific application bundle. Bundling requires that a built archive is present (`build` with the `--archive` option) and that a target platform is specified (with the `--platform` option). Bob creates the bundle in the output directory unless a different directory is specified with the `--bundle-output` option. The bundle is named according to the project name setting in *game.project*. The `--variant` specifies which type of executable to build when bundling and it together with the `--strip-executable` option replaces the `--debug` option. If no `--variant` is specified you will get a release version of the engine (stripped of symbols on Android and iOS). Setting `--variant` to debug and omitting `--strip-executable` yields the same type of executable as `--debug` used to do. `resolve` : Resolve all external library dependencies. Available platforms and architectures: `x86_64-macos` : macOS 64 bit `arm64-macos` : macOS Apple Silicon (ARM) `x86_64-win32` : Windows 64 bit `x86-win32` : Windows 32 bit `x86_64-linux` : Linux 64 bit `x86_64-ios` : iOS macOS 64 bit (iOS Simulator) `arm64-ios` : iOS 64 bit. By default, `--architectures` argument value is `arm64-ios`. `armv7-android` : Android with available 32 bit `armv7-android` and 64 bit `arm64-android` architectures. By default, `--architectures` argument value is `armv7-android,arm64-android`. `wasm-web` : HTML5 with available `wasm-web` and `wasm_pthread-web` architectures. By default, `--architectures` argument value is `wasm-web`. By default, Bob looks in the current directory for a project to build. If you change the current dir to a Defold project and invoke bob, it builds the data for the project in the default output directory *build/default*. ```sh $ cd /Applications/Defold-beta/branches/14/4/main $ java -jar bob.jar 100% $ ``` You can string commands together to perform a sequence of tasks in one go. The following example resolves libraries, wipes the build directory, builds archive data and bundles a macOS application (named *My Game.app*): ```sh $ java -jar bob.jar --archive --platform x86_64-macos resolve distclean build bundle 100% $ ls -al build/default/ total 70784 drwxr-xr-x 13 sicher staff 442 1 Dec 10:15 . drwxr-xr-x 3 sicher staff 102 1 Dec 10:15 .. drwxr-xr-x 3 sicher staff 102 1 Dec 10:15 My Game.app drwxr-xr-x 8 sicher staff 272 1 Dec 10:15 builtins -rw-r--r-- 1 sicher staff 140459 1 Dec 10:15 digest_cache drwxr-xr-x 4 sicher staff 136 1 Dec 10:15 fonts -rw-r--r-- 1 sicher staff 35956340 1 Dec 10:15 game.darc -rw-r--r-- 1 sicher staff 735 1 Dec 10:15 game.projectc drwxr-xr-x 223 sicher staff 7582 1 Dec 10:15 graphics drwxr-xr-x 3 sicher staff 102 1 Dec 10:15 input drwxr-xr-x 20 sicher staff 680 1 Dec 10:15 logic drwxr-xr-x 27 sicher staff 918 1 Dec 10:15 sound -rw-r--r-- 1 sicher staff 131926 1 Dec 10:15 state $ ```