Chapter 15. Beyond compile, test, and run

In this chapter

Packaging your application
Extending the Grails command set
Building Grails projects using other tools

So far in this book, we’ve treated the Grails application in isolation. You’ve seen how to write an application, test it, and then run it, but that’s all. What happens when you want to make your application available for use by customers or the general public? What if you want to distribute the application so that others can install it? Maybe this application is one cog in a larger project—what then?

These questions relate to the larger picture of application development. Figure 15.1 highlights the key stages of the development cycle that we’ll cover in this chapter.

Figure 15.1. The typical development cycle for Grails applications. The code, test, and package steps are implemented by the Grails build system; the others must be implemented manually or by a plugin.

Chapter 15. Beyond compile, test, and run

In this chapter

Figure 15.1. The typical development cycle for Grails applications. The code, test, and package steps are implemented by the Grails build system; the others must be implemented manually or by a plugin.

15.1. The Grails build system

15.2. Build integration—not for the hobbyist

15.3. Coping with a changing data model

15.4. Summary and best practices