Modern CMake for C++ Course Course

Module 1: Introduction to Modern CMake

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: CMake philosophy, version 3+ improvements, basic CMakeLists.txt structure

• Hands-on: Convert a “hello world” Makefile project into a simple CMake project

Module 2: Targets & Properties

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: add_library vs. add_executable, target_include_directories, target_compile_features

• Hands-on: Define a static library and executable target, set per-target compiler options

Module 3: Dependency Management

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: find_package for system libs, FetchContent for remote sources, interface vs. public vs. private

• Hands-on: Integrate GoogleTest and fmtlib into your project using both approaches

Module 4: Build Configuration & Generators

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: CMake presets, build types (Debug, Release), multi-generator support (Ninja, VS)

• Hands-on: Create build presets and generate Ninja and Visual Studio solutions

Module 5: Custom Commands & Code Generation

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: add_custom_command, add_custom_target, host tools vs. cross-compilation

• Hands-on: Auto-generate a header via a Python script at build time

Module 6: Testing & Packaging

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: enable_testing, add_test, CTest integration, CPack for installers and packages

• Hands-on: Add a test suite with CTest and create a ZIP/TGZ package via CPack

Module 7: Advanced Features & Toolchain Files

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: Generator expressions, imported targets, cross-compile toolchains, presets for embedded builds

• Hands-on: Write a toolchain file for cross-compiling to an ARM target

Module 8: Capstone Project – Multi-Module C++ App

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: Structuring a large codebase, isolation of third-party libs, reproducible builds

• Hands-on: Build and package a sample multi-module C++ application (e.g., CLI + library + tests)

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