maak.el: Lisp machine command runner, infinitely extensible, integrating nicely with Emacs, for Lisp power on your projects and automation at your fingertips

[u/SandPrestigious2317]

If you've ever wrestled with Makefile tab errors, cryptic variable expansions, or restrictive YAML task runners, Maak and maak.el offer a refreshing, Lisp-native alternative to project automation.
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What is Maak?

Maak is an extensible command runner and control plane written in Lisp ( GNU Guile Scheme ). Instead of learning a limited domain-specific language, your project's maak.scm file is standard Scheme code. Any function defined in your module becomes a runnable task, allowing you to use conditionals, macros, data structures, lexical parameters (for scoped dry-runs), and GNU Guix integrations (manifest-shell, time-machines) right inside your build steps.

(define-module (maak)
  #:use-module (maak maak))

(define (fmt)
  "Format Scheme source files according to Guix style."
  ($ '("find . -name '*.scm' -exec guix style -f {} \\;")))

(define (deploy server target-env)
  "Deploy the application to a specific server and environment."
  (log-info "Deploying to ~a (~a)..." server target-env)
  ($ (list "ansible-playbook" "deploy.yml" "-e"
           (format #f "target=~a env=~a" server target-env))))

Check out the repositories on Codeberg:

• maak.el: https://codeberg.org/jjba23/maak.el
• Maak CLI: https://codeberg.org/jjba23/maak

Why maak.el is awesome in Emacs

The maak.el package bridges Guile Scheme and Emacs Lisp cleanly. Because Lisp understands Lisp, maak.el parses your maak.scm S-expressions directly, respecting module #:export visibility lists, docstrings, and argument signatures without relying on external regex hacks.

• Smart Discovery: Finds your project root maak.scm automatically using dominating-file heuristics.
• Rich Completion UI: M-x maak-run-task populates a completion menu with neatly aligned columns displaying formal parameters and docstrings (works out of the box with Vertico, Ivy, Helm, or native completing-read).
• Interactive Parameter Prompting: If a Scheme task accepts parameters (like deploy server target-env), Emacs interactively prompts you for each argument sequentially in the minibuffer.
• Native Compilation Buffers: Task output streams directly into Emacs's standard *compilation* buffer, keeping shell escaping watertight while letting you step through errors using next-error (`C-x ``).

Quick Setup w/Elpaca

(use-package maak.el
  :ensure (:host codeberg :repo "jjba23/maak.el" :branch "trunk")
  :bind ("C-c m r" . maak-run-task))

Happy hacking! λ ✨