CMake is a build system that uses files with a .cmake extension to define how software projects should be built. It aims to generalize the build process and improve on limitations of recursive make by using a more extensible design that is easier to read and program with compared to formats like XML. CMake addresses challenges with conditionals, propagation of variables, and recursive make through its overall design approach.

4. CMake file?

5. Why Should You Care?
Computer Scientist Software Engineer
While In School While Employed

6. Can we generalize a build system?
Recursive Make Considered Harmful by Peter Miller

7. Under the hood

8. Overall design

9. Common Build File v0.3

10. Extensibility
• Develop a parser for a build system format
(cmake, make, VS)
• Develop a generator for a particular build
system
• And you’re good

12. XML Schema
• Could be useful
• Automatically generate trees in a given language

13. XSLT

14. Document Object Model
Hard to read, good to program with

16. Conditionals are a problem

17. Recursive Make

18. Propagation of variables is challenging
Recursive Variables, Included Variables