Task Composition with deno.json

Task Composition with `deno.json`

The pipeline lives in deno.json as composable tasks. A developer runs deno task verify locally before pushing. CI runs the same sequence. Same steps, same order, same results.

The Task Configuration

{
  "tasks": {
    "check": "lykn check src/",
    "compile": "lykn compile src/ --out-dir dist/",
    "lint": "biome check dist/",
    "test": "lykn test test/",
    "test:docs": "lykn test --docs docs/",
    "verify": "deno task check && deno task compile && deno task lint && deno task test && deno task test:docs",
    "build": "lykn compile --strip-assertions src/ --out-dir dist/ && biome check --write dist/",
    "dev": "deno task compile && deno run --allow-all dist/app.js"
  }
}

What Each Task Does

check — fast syntax validation, no output files. The first gate.

compile — full compilation to dist/. The source of truth for what the project produces.

lint — lint and format the compiled output. biome check combines lint and format verification in a single pass.

test — run all .lykn test files. Compiles them, hands the .js to Deno.

test:docs — verify Markdown code examples. Separate from test because you might want to run code tests without documentation tests, or vice versa.

verify — the full pipeline, sequenced with &&. Each step must pass before the next runs. This is what a developer runs before pushing, and what CI runs after.

build — production build. --strip-assertions removes type checks and contracts; biome check --write auto-fixes formatting. The output is deploy-ready JavaScript.

dev — compile and run for development. Quick feedback loop — edit .lykn, run deno task dev, see the result.

The verify task chains steps with &&, not ;. If lykn check fails, nothing compiles. If compilation fails, nothing lints. The pipeline is a sequence of gates, not a list of independent jobs. A semicolon would run every step regardless of failures, which is the CI equivalent of a doctor who finishes the checkup even after discovering the patient is no longer present.

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