Basically it's similar to other build tools, except over half of the functions are specific to building Python and Java. Here are two lists of functions: https://pantsbuild.github.io/goals_reference.html https://pantsbuild.github.io/build_dictionary.html Hopefully they can figure out a way to organize those better so it doesn't evolve into a giant wall of functions you have to dig through to find something you want.

Their BUILD file format is not easily human readable. I know we have to compromise between whether the machine or the human has an easier time managing a config, but the build system is one of those i'd prefer be easier for humans.

Hopefully they clean up the user interface to make it easier to run, too. For example, you almost always have to type './pants goals <arguments ..>', where you'd expect an alias like 'pgoals'. Some kind of web interface would probably be useful for a lot of the included functions. This seems like a tool that belongs integrated with Jenkins or something similar.