The 'scons' file extension typically refers to a configuration or script file used by the SCons build system. SCons is a software construction tool, similar in concept to Make, but written in Python. Instead of using traditional 'Makefiles', SCons uses Python scripts (often named 'SConstruct' or 'SConscript') to define how software projects should be built, compiled, and installed. While the primary configuration files are usually named without an extension (like SConstruct), the '.scons' extension might be used for secondary configuration files, libraries, or specific build modules intended to be imported or executed by the main SCons process. These files contain Python code that dictates dependencies, build steps, compiler flags, and target outputs. They are crucial for automating complex build processes across different operating systems and environments, offering a more flexible and powerful alternative to older build tools by leveraging the full capabilities of the Python language for build definition.