[throw10920]

> Though almost always, "run tasks" implies some level of state.

Yes! But isn't one of the major design principles of Make that the host filesystem is the container for the state? (iirc Make decides when to re-run rules based on when the timestamp on a target is older than the timestamp on an input file)

[ajross]

Sure, so where does that state get stored in a pure "task runner" tool? Attempts to muck with this metaphor ("state is what is left behind when the tool is not running") are among the worst mistakes made by build systems. It's a feature, not a bug, and everyone who believes otherwise ends up rediscovering it the hard way.