SCons用户手册(序言)

　　非常感谢您花费时间来了解SCons.SCons是下一代的软件构建工具，或make工具，主要用来构建软件或其它文件。当任何输入文件时改变时，可以确保编译生成最新软件；
　　Scons最独特的地方是它的配置文件其实是用python编写的脚本。这是与其它多数构建工具最显著的差别，通常它们都是使用一种新的语言构建；当然,Scons仍然有一定的学习曲线，因为你需要了解如何调用函数去合适的搭建，但是对于熟悉python脚本的人来讲，会感到语法上的亲切；
　　矛盾的是，使用python作为配置文件格式使得SCons容易学习,相对于其它的构建工具晦涩的语言，通常由编程者发明的语言。这可能要归功于python本身是一种灵活的，易读的语言。恰巧，对于一个熟练的编程者而言，必要的时候，可以使用这些基础的配置文件写出实用的，灵活的，复杂功能的脚本；

原文：

Preface

Thank you for taking the time to read about SCons. SCons is a next-generation software construction
tool, or make tool--that is, a software utility for building software (or other files) and keeping built
software up-to-date whenever the underlying input files change.

The most distinctive thing about SCons is that its configuration files are actually scripts, written in the
Python programming language. This is in contrast to most alternative build tools, which typically invent
a new language to configure the build. SCons still has a learning curve, of course, because you have to
know what functions to call to set up your build properly, but the underlying syntax used should be
familiar to anyone who has ever looked at a Python script.

Paradoxically, using Python as the configuration file format makes SCons easier for non-programmers to
learn than the cryptic languages of other build tools, which are usually invented by programmers for other
programmers. This is in no small part due to the consistency and readability that are hallmarks of Python.
It just so happens that making a real, live scripting language the basis for the configuration files makes it
a snap for more accomplished programmers to do more complicated things with builds, as necessary.