CMake
CMake is an open-source, cross-platform build system generator designed to manage the compilation process of software projects. It uses platform-independent CMakeLists.txt files to describe the build process, then generates native build tool files (like Makefiles, Visual Studio projects, or…
Key facts
- First appeared
- 2000
- Category
- technology
- Problem solved
- CMake was created to solve the significant complexity and platform-specific nature of managing software builds, especially for large, multi-platform projects. Before CMake, developers had to either maintain separate, platform-specific build scripts (e.g., Makefiles for Unix, Visual Studio solution files for Windows) or contend with complex, difficult-to-learn meta-build systems like Autotools, which often performed poorly or were overly verbose on non-Unix platforms. CMake provided a unified, higher-level language to define project structure and dependencies, generating optimized native build files for any major platform from a single source, thereby streamlining cross-platform development.
- Platforms
- Unix-like systems, macOS, Linux, Various embedded platforms, Windows
Related technologies
Notable users
- Kitware, Inc.
- LLVM Project
- Apple
- KDE Project
- Microsoft
- Qt Company
- Blender Foundation