sbt 2.0: takeoff
Session Abstract
sbt 2.0 is a new major series of sbt that propels itself to the modern standards. In this talk, we will focus on the new features such as the native client, Bazel-compatible caching, and new test command.
We will also go over the plugin migration effort, the differences between sbt 1 vs 2, and common pitfalls during migration.
Session Description
Building on ‘sbt 2.0: go big’ talk I gave, which provided visions and background around sbt 2.0 project, we can shift the focus more towards the user experience of sbt 2.0 (which would be available by Scala Days 2026).
Summary
The talk will pick up a few common tasks such as test and run that have completely changed its behavior, and explain the concrete differences between sbt 1 vs 2.
We will also focus on some of the build.sbt example that breaks cache hermeticity to highlight caching pitfalls.
Relevance
I think this would be a relevant talk for the community given the wide usage of sbt (85.7% in 2026 survey), involvement of Scala Center + Sovereign Tech Agency, and hopefully general interest around what’s new with sbt.
Takeaway
- General understanding of key features such as common settings and cached tasks
- Major differences between sbt 1 vs sbt 2
- Pointers to learn about sbt or migration later
