As a software engineer I’ve long been unimpressed with the triviality associated with compiling code.  Surely the building of a masterful creation involving hundreds of source files and complex algorithms deserves more than just a small keyboard shortcut.  There should be drama, there should be flair, there should be maniacal laughter!

To fill these requirements I’ve created the Build Button!  Using the wonderfully dramatic Adafruit Massive Arcade Button, a mini Arduino Kickstarter reward, and a 3D printed enclosure,  I made a button that communicates serially to a computer through the USB port.  A Python program on the computer monitors the currently active window and tells the button to light up when the active program matches a list of programs with build shortcuts.  When the button tells the computer that it’s been pressed the computer executes the keyboard shortcut associated with the currently active window to compile the code.

The source for this project is on my GitHub.