statacons: An SCons-based Build Tool for Stata


CEnREP Working Paper No. 22-001

Abstract:

This paper presents statacons, an SCons-based build tool for Stata. Because of the integration of Stata and Python in recent versions of Stata, we are able to adapt SCons for Stata workflows without the use of an external shell or extensive configuration. We discuss the usefulness of build tools generally, provide examples of the use of statacons in Stata workflows, present key elements of the syntax of statacons, and discuss extensions, alternatives, and limitations. Appendices provide installation instructions and recommendations for collaborative workflows.