xmake-script-modules

Built-in Script-Module Reference

Inside the script domain (on_load, on_build, after_build, on_run, on_test, task/rule/plugin bodies, imported .lua modules) xmake provides a set of pre-imported modules. No import(...) needed for any of these — they are injected into the sandbox.

For how to write modules and use import() itself, see xmake-scripting.

os — filesystem, process, env

Filesystem

os.exists("path")          -- true if file or dir exists
os.isfile("path")
os.isdir("path")
os.mkdir("a/b/c")          -- recursive
os.rmdir("a")
os.rm("file-or-glob")
os.cp("src", "dst")        -- file or dir; glob patterns supported
os.mv("src", "dst")
os.ls("dir")               -- returns list of basenames
os.files("src/**/*.cpp")   -- glob list of files
os.dirs("src/**")          -- glob list of dirs
os.filedirs("src/**")      -- glob files + dirs
os.emptydir("build")       -- delete all contents

Globs: * one level, ** recursive, ? single char. (...) in the pattern preserves directory structure during copy.

Process

os.exec("cmd arg1 arg2")           -- raises on non-zero exit, streams output
os.execv(program, {args})          -- list form — no shell parsing (prefer this)
os.run("cmd")                      -- silent unless it fails
os.runv(program, {args})
os.vrun("cmd")                     -- silent; print only in -v mode
os.vrunv(program, {args})
os.iorun("cmd")                    -- returns stdout
os.iorunv(program, {args})         -- returns stdout, stderr

*v (list) forms are safer — they bypass shell quoting entirely. Prefer them whenever arguments come from variables.

Environment / info

os.getenv("PATH")
os.setenv("FOO", "bar")            -- scope: current xmake process only
os.host()                          -- "macosx" | "linux" | "windows" | ...
os.arch()                          -- "x86_64" | "arm64" | ...
os.subhost()                       -- detailed host info
os.tmpdir()                        -- scratch dir
os.curdir()                        -- cwd
os.cd("path")                      -- change cwd
os.mtime("file")                   -- modification time
os.time()                          -- current unix time
os.date("%Y-%m-%d")
os.nuldev()                        -- /dev/null or NUL
os.argv()                          -- raw CLI args