Software Development with CMake

CMake is an open source, cross-platform family of tools designed to build, test, and package software. CMake gives you control of the software compilation process using simple independent configuration files. Unlike many cross-platform systems, CMake is designed to be used in conjunction with the native build environment.

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CMake is the de-facto standard software build system because it can:

  • Be extended as necessary to support new features.
  • Generate a native build environment that will compile source code, create libraries, generate wrappers, and build executables in arbitrary combinations.
  • Support multiple builds from a single source tree.
  • Support static and dynamic library builds.
  • Generate a cache file that is designed to be used with a graphical editor.
  • Support complex directory hierarchies and applications dependent on several libraries.
  • Handle situations where executables must be built in order to generate code that is then compiled and linked into a final application.

Please visit the Features page for a comprehensive list.

Features

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CMake’s Rich History

The original author of CMake, Bill Hoffman, is also a co-founder and the current CTO of Kitware. He created CMake in response to the need for a powerful, cross-platform build environment for The Insight Toolkit (ITK) and the Visualization Toolkit (VTK).

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CMake Resources

Whether you are just getting started or are already part of the CMake community, check out our helpful resources page.