Build Systems: a Simple Solution to a Complicated Problem
summary
Claims a simpler C++ build flow by reading all source with cpp-dependencies to derive file- and component-level includes and then running a single tool called Evoke that auto-generates CMake and drives Ninja. Tested on ~7 million lines, ~500 components, it answers dependency cycles, generates ~60% of CMake targets, and returns interactive queries in ~2 seconds with a hot cache. Demo builds a hello.exe, a reusable library, unit tests and examples; limitations: macros, ambiguous includes, toolchain switching and some platforms unimplemented.
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chapters (10)
- 0:00The case for simplicity
- 3:02Evolution of build systems
- 7:03Why builds become complex
- 10:55Categorizing build systems
- 15:16Overcoming build complexity
- 21:37Standardization and conventions
- 25:08Managing project dependencies
- 30:08Automating dependency discovery
- 33:48Introducing Evoke
- 41:29Live demonstration
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