runtime-builder
Allow automatic builds in edit mode
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No, not recommended for new projects. The package is dormant (no updates since January 2024), carries unclear license metadata, and has high install friction due to source distribution format. The use case is narrow—primarily for projects with complex build artifact management—and the lack of recent maintenance raises questions about compatibility with current Python packaging standards. Consider it only if you have an existing project already using it and need to maintain that build system.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a runtime_build configuration file in the destination module directory, declaring BUILD_ARGUMENTS as a dict mapping artifact names to callables.
- Cannot import from the project being built due to bootstrap constraints.
- High install friction due to source distribution format.
License · maintenance · safety
(unclear) — License treatment is unclear in the metadata; the raw text references Apache License 2.0, but SPDX field is absent and treatment is marked 'unclear'. Verify actual license terms before adopting in a commercial or copyleft-sensitive context.
last release 2024-01-20 (937 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 92,017 downloads/mo, #13,489 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
# In pyproject.toml:
[build-system]
requires = ["runtime_builder", ...]
# In your build script or module:
from runtime_builder import build_on_demand
build_on_demand(package, resource_path)- Whether Apache License 2.0 is the actual governing license (SPDX field is null despite raw text reference).
- Current maintenance status and whether dormancy reflects stable maturity or abandonment.
- Compatibility with modern setuptools and wheel build backends beyond the examples shown.
- Whether importlib_resources dependency is optional or required at runtime.
What it is and what it does
Runtime Builder is a build-time and optional runtime tool that automates the generation of compiled artifacts or binary blobs during wheel construction or development cycles. It lets you declare build rules in a configuration file (runtime_build) that specify how to transform source materials into artifacts, keeping source files in version control while excluding generated outputs from the repository.
The package integrates with setuptools and enscons build systems, allowing fine-grained control over what goes into sdist and wheel distributions. It can rebuild artifacts on demand during development to automate the edit-test cycle, and includes a runtime hook (build_on_demand) that regenerates artifacts if needed when code is imported, provided the package is installed in the development environment.
Use it for
- Include generated C/Rust binaries or compiled extensions in wheels without storing them in git.
- Automate artifact rebuilding during local development when source files change, avoiding manual build steps.
- Manage projects where sdist must include source materials but wheels must contain only built outputs.
- Integrate custom build logic with setuptools or enscons without writing complex setup.py hooks.
- Support edit-mode installs (pip install -e) that regenerate artifacts on import for rapid iteration.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No, not recommended for new projects.
The package is dormant (no updates since January 2024), carries unclear license metadata, and has high install friction due to source distribution format. The use case is narrow—primarily for projects with complex build artifact management—and the lack of recent maintenance raises questions about compatibility with current Python packaging standards. Consider it only if you have an existing project already using it and need to maintain that build system.
Install
runtime-builder on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction due to source distribution format. Package is dormant (no release since 2024-01-20, 937 days ago) and carries unclear license treatment, which may complicate integration into production build systems.
Requires a runtime_build configuration file in the destination module directory, declaring BUILD_ARGUMENTS as a dict mapping artifact names to callables. Cannot import from the project being built due to bootstrap constraints.
License in practice
License treatment is unclear in the metadata; the raw text references Apache License 2.0, but SPDX field is absent and treatment is marked 'unclear'. Verify actual license terms before adopting in a commercial or copyleft-sensitive context.
Quickstart
# In pyproject.toml:
[build-system]
requires = ["runtime_builder", ...]
# In your build script or module:
from runtime_builder import build_on_demand
build_on_demand(package, resource_path)Verify before relying
- Whether Apache License 2.0 is the actual governing license (SPDX field is null despite raw text reference).
- Current maintenance status and whether dormancy reflects stable maturity or abandonment.
- Compatibility with modern setuptools and wheel build backends beyond the examples shown.
- Whether importlib_resources dependency is optional or required at runtime.
Package facts
| License | Not declared unclear |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packageimportlib_resources |
| Maintenance | Dormant 937 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 92,017 / month, #13,489 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: runtime_builder-0.1.5.tar.gz
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