CODEWITHSUNDEEP
visual-studiocmake
shayan
shayan

Reputation: 361

What is the benefit of building with CMake?

I am working on SFML and I am curious about the option that I can compile it myself. I found it in tutorials, but from the first line I became confused:

CMake is an open-source meta build system. Instead of building SFML, it builds what builds SFML: Visual Studio solutions ...

  1. There is a build option in visual studio too, is there any difference between that build and CMake build?

  2. What does it mean that it builds what builds SFML? It means library files?

  3. Visual studio solutions? What does it mean? As far as i know, when i open a new project it is within a solution and i can add new projects to this solution (I am confused about why there must be more than one project in a solution too!).

What does it mean that CMake builds a solution? And what is it for?

Upvotes: 6

Views: 9252

Answers (2)

mascoj
mascoj

Reputation: 1320

CMake is a wonderful tool for cross-platform development without the hassle of maintaining separate build utilities. On Windows, CMake can create a Visual Studio solution file based on its CMakeLists.txt file. On Linux, generally CMake outputs a makefile. CMake is compatible with many build tools, I recommend reading more of there documentation on their website to gain more information.

Edit: Just to be more clear. CMake literally builds what builds SFML since it creates the Visual Studio solution used to build SFML.

  1. A build in VS for a solution is building the library itself. A CMake build generates the VS solution with which you would use to build the library.

  2. See 1.

  3. A VS solution is the full buildable setup containing 1 or more projects. Solutions can contain multiple projects since VS has a limitation on only 1 output per project. If you want multiple outputs (e.g. 4 dlls) each output needs it's own project.

Upvotes: 3

usr1234567
usr1234567

Reputation: 23384

  1. There is sourcecode. People want to compile it. It is difficult and annoying to type the compile commands into a terminal.

  2. People invent build systems, to make 1.) more easy. For example make files or what Visual Studio integrates and stores in its files, called solution.

  3. There are projects, that are cross-platform. They could provide make files, solution files, files for Xcode, Eclipse and so on. This becomes difficult and annoying.

  4. People invent systems, that creates build system to ease 3.). From a common set of files, several different build systems can be steered.

In your actual case: CMake creates the solution file, you can open the solution file and built SFML with that.

Upvotes: 6

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