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CForge

Version License Platform

A modern TOML-based build system for C/C++ with CMake & vcpkg integration.

CForge simplifies C/C++ project management with clean TOML configuration, Cargo-style output, and integrated developer tools - while leveraging the power of CMake under the hood.

Beta Software

This project is currently in BETA. Features may be incomplete, contain bugs, or change without notice.

Features​

Build System​

  • Simple TOML Configuration - Replace complex CMakeLists.txt with readable TOML
  • Portable Compiler Flags - Write once, works on MSVC, GCC, and Clang
  • Cargo-Style Output - Beautiful colored output with build timing
  • Multi-Platform - Windows, macOS, and Linux support
  • Cross-Compilation - Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi, WebAssembly toolchains
  • Workspaces - Manage monorepos with automatic dependency resolution
  • Lock Files - Reproducible builds with exact dependency versions

Dependency Management​

  • vcpkg Integration - First-class support for vcpkg packages
  • Conan Support - Integrate with Conan package manager
  • Git Dependencies - Clone and build from Git repositories
  • System Libraries - Link against system-installed libraries
  • Dependency Visualization - View dependency tree with cforge deps tree

Developer Tools​

  • Code Formatting - cforge fmt with clang-format integration
  • Static Analysis - cforge lint with clang-tidy integration
  • File Watching - cforge watch auto-rebuilds on file changes
  • Documentation - cforge doc generates docs with Doxygen
  • Benchmarking - cforge bench runs Google Benchmark and others
  • Code Templates - cforge new generates classes, headers, tests
  • Shell Completions - Bash, Zsh, PowerShell, and Fish support

IDE Integration​

  • VS Code - Tasks, launch configs, and settings
  • CLion - CMake integration with run configurations
  • Visual Studio - Solution and project files
  • Xcode - macOS and iOS project generation

Enhanced Diagnostics​

  • Colored Output - Clear visual distinction for errors and warnings
  • Error Context - Shows relevant code snippets
  • Fix Suggestions - Common fixes for linker and compiler errors
  • Template Error Parsing - Simplified template instantiation errors

Quick Example​

cforge.toml:

[project]
name = "my_app"
version = "1.0.0"
binary_type = "executable"
cpp_standard = "17"

[build.config.debug]
optimize = "debug"
debug_info = true
warnings = "all"

[build.config.release]
optimize = "speed"
lto = true

[dependencies]
fmt = "11.1.4"
spdlog = "1.12.0"

Build & Run:

$ cforge build
   Compiling my_app v1.0.0
   Compiling src/main.cpp
    Finished Debug target(s) in 1.23s

$ cforge run
     Running my_app
Hello, World!

Getting Started​

  1. Installation - Install CForge on your system
  2. Quick Start - Create your first project
  3. Command Reference - Full command documentation

Requirements​

  • CMake 3.16 or later
  • C++ Compiler - MSVC, GCC, or Clang
  • vcpkg (optional) - For vcpkg dependency management

Community​