Ruby task application (tap) python alternative

Question

I just saw this

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13054288/Tap-Workflows

What I need is a replacement of make to perform computations that are dependent on each other but whose dependency is not only on something like the filename. I already posted a question about it a while ago, but I did not get satisfying answers, although I accepted one which solved my immediate problem.

Now, my question is: I looked everywhere, tried the most expected searches of "pipeline engine" and "workflow engine" but I still cannot find something that is, in my opinion, a trivial tool: something like make, but not focused on compiling files. I have one or more files, one or more database columns, one or more remote data provider, and I need a commandline tool that allows me to generate pictures, perform computations, create movies, insert new rows into a database. I am amazed by the fact that something so vital for any website with a computational backend is basically nonexistent, to the best of my knowledge. How is it possible? Do I really need to start coding my own python workflow engine, or it is out there and I just can't find it?

I am not alone in this quest

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/704834/does-anyone-know-about-workflow-frameworks-libraries-in-python

Fact is that there's confusion between human workflow and process workflow. I don't need to coordinate a group of people for a task. I need to write build all_stuff file.input and get all my stuff done.

Answer 1

Could you explain what the tools in the question you linked to don't do for you?

If you want to (ab)use a Python-based software build tool, you could try Paver or Buildout.

On the heavyweight side there's SCons, but I've not heard particularly good things about it.