| --- |
| layout: documentation |
| title: Rules |
| category: extending |
| --- |
| |
| # Rules |
| |
| The Bazel ecosystem has a growing and evolving set of rules to support popular |
| languages and packages. Much of Bazel's strength comes from the ability to |
| [define new rules](skylark/concepts.html) that can be used by others. |
| |
| This page describes the recommended, native, and non-native Bazel rules. |
| |
| ## Recommended rules |
| |
| Here is a selection of recommended rules: |
| |
| * [Android](bazel-and-android.html) |
| * [Boost](https://github.com/nelhage/rules_boost) |
| * [C / C++](bazel-and-cpp.html) |
| * [Docker](https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_docker) |
| * [Go](https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_go) |
| * [Haskell](https://github.com/tweag/rules_haskell) |
| * [Java](bazel-and-java.html) |
| * [JavaScript / NodeJS](https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_nodejs) |
| * [Kubernetes](https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_k8s) |
| * [Maven dependency management](https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_jvm_external) |
| * [Objective C](bazel-and-apple.html) |
| * [Package building and fetching rules](https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_pkg) |
| * [Protocol Buffers](https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_proto#protobuf-rules-for-bazel) |
| * [Python](https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_python) |
| * [Scala](https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_scala) |
| * [Shell](be/shell.html) |
| * [Webtesting](https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_webtesting) (Webdriver) |
| |
| The repository [Skylib](https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel-skylib) contains |
| additional functions that can be useful when writing new rules and new |
| macros. |
| |
| The rules above were reviewed and follow our |
| [requirements for recommended rules](https://www.bazel.build/recommended-rules.html). |
| Contact the respective rule set's maintainers regarding issues and feature |
| requests. |
| |
| To find more Bazel rules, use a search engine, take a look on |
| [awesomebazel.com](https://awesomebazel.com/), or search on |
| [GitHub](https://github.com/search?o=desc&q=bazel+rules&s=stars&type=Repositories). |
| |
| ## Native rules that do not apply to a specific programming language |
| |
| Native rules are shipped with the Bazel binary, they are always available in |
| BUILD files without a `load` statement. |
| |
| * Extra actions |
| - [`extra_action`](be/extra-actions.html#extra_action) |
| - [`action_listener`](be/extra-actions.html#action_listener) |
| * General |
| - [`filegroup`](be/general.html#filegroup) |
| - [`genquery`](be/general.html#genquery) |
| - [`test_suite`](be/general.html#test_suite) |
| - [`alias`](be/general.html#alias) |
| - [`config_setting`](be/general.html#config_setting) |
| - [`genrule`](be/general.html#genrule) |
| * Platform |
| - [`constraint_setting`](be/platform.html#constraint_setting) |
| - [`constraint_value`](be/platform.html#constraint_value) |
| - [`platform`](be/platform.html#platform) |
| - [`toolchain`](be/platform.html#toolchain) |
| - [`toolchain_type`](be/platform.html#toolchain_type) |
| * Workspace |
| - [`bind`](be/workspace.html#bind) |
| - [`local_repository`](be/workspace.html#local_repository) |
| - [`new_local_repository`](be/workspace.html#new_local_repository) |
| - [`xcode_config`](be/workspace.html#xcode_config) |
| - [`xcode_version`](be/workspace.html#xcode_version) |
| |
| ## Embedded non-native rules |
| |
| Bazel also embeds additional rules written in Starlark. Those can be loaded from |
| the `@bazel_tools` built-in external repository. |
| |
| * Repository rules |
| - [`git_repository`](repo/git.md#git_repository) |
| - [`new_git_repository`](repo/git.html#new_git_repository) |
| - [`http_archive`](repo/http.html#http_archive) |
| - [`http_file`](repo/http.html#http_archive) |
| - [`http_jar`](repo/http.html#http_jar) |
| - [Utility functions on patching](repo/utils.md) |
