cabal

Cabal is a command-line tool and a build system for Haskell projects. It is primarily used for managing dependencies and building projects written in the Haskell programming language. Cabal helps in automating the build process, handling package management, and resolving dependencies.

Here are a few key features of Cabal:

1. Build System: Cabal provides a build system that allows developers to compile and build Haskell projects. It can compile multiple source files, handle dependencies, and produce executable binaries or libraries based on project configurations.

2. Package Management: Cabal includes a package management system that allows developers to specify dependencies in a project's configuration file. It can automatically download and install the required libraries from online package repositories.

3. Dependency Resolution: Cabal helps in resolving dependencies by analyzing the project's dependencies and determining the compatible versions of packages. It ensures that all required dependencies are available and correctly linked.

4. Sandbox Environment: Cabal supports the creation of sandbox environments that provide isolated and reproducible build environments. This allows projects to have independent package configurations without interfering with the global Haskell installation.

5. Installation and Distribution: Cabal provides commands to install Haskell packages and distribute them to other developers or users. It can produce distributable package archives that can be easily installed on different systems.

6. Integration with GHC: Cabal is tightly integrated with the Glasgow Haskell Compiler (GHC), the most common Haskell compiler. It works seamlessly with GHC to build and manage projects.

Cabal is widely used in the Haskell community and is an essential tool for any Haskell developer. It simplifies the process of managing dependencies and building projects, making it easier to work with Haskell libraries and applications.