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@Copilot Copilot AI commented Aug 30, 2025

This PR completely modernizes the CMakeLists.txt file, transforming it from a basic build script into a professional, standards-compliant CMake configuration that follows current best practices for header-only libraries.

What Was Changed

Before

The original CMakeLists.txt was a minimal build script with several issues:

  • Used outdated CMake 3.10 minimum version
  • Only built a test executable with hardcoded compiler flags
  • Used deprecated include_directories() instead of target-based approach
  • Had confusing platform logic (UNIX systems got .exe extension)
  • No library target or installation support
  • No way for external projects to consume the library

After

The modernized CMakeLists.txt now provides:

  • Modern CMake 3.15+ standards with proper project declaration
  • Professional INTERFACE library target (CPPConsole::CPPConsole) for header-only library
  • Target-based approach using target_include_directories() and target_compile_features()
  • Comprehensive installation rules with proper header and CMake config file installation
  • find_package() support allowing external projects to easily consume the library
  • Optional test building via CPPCONSOLE_BUILD_TESTS option
  • Cross-platform compiler support using modern generator expressions
  • Proper C++17 feature requirements instead of hardcoded -std=c++17

Key Features Added

1. Header-Only Library Target

add_library(CPPConsole INTERFACE)
add_library(CPPConsole::CPPConsole ALIAS CPPConsole)
target_compile_features(CPPConsole INTERFACE cxx_std_17)

2. External Project Integration

Projects can now easily use CPPConsole:

find_package(CPPConsole REQUIRED)
target_link_libraries(your_app PRIVATE CPPConsole::CPPConsole)

3. Modern Compiler Configuration

Uses generator expressions for cross-platform compatibility:

target_compile_options(CPPConsole_test PRIVATE
    $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:GNU,Clang>:-Wall -Wextra -pedantic>
    $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:MSVC>:/W4>
)

4. Complete Installation Support

  • Headers install to standard locations
  • CMake config files enable find_package()
  • Supports both system-wide and local installation

Additional Improvements

  • Enhanced Makefile: Added cross-platform support with helpful targets like make help, make configure-lib-only
  • Updated README.md: Comprehensive documentation for both simple header copying and modern CMake usage
  • Better .gitignore: Added CMake build artifacts

Testing

The modernized build system has been thoroughly tested:

  • ✅ Library-only builds work perfectly
  • ✅ Installation creates proper file structure
  • ✅ External projects can successfully find and use the library
  • ✅ Cross-platform compiler flags work correctly
  • ✅ Both development and distribution workflows supported

Modernization Complete

This modernization makes CPPConsole much more professional and significantly easier to integrate into modern C++ projects while maintaining backward compatibility for users who prefer the simple header-copy approach.


✨ Let Copilot coding agent set things up for you — coding agent works faster and does higher quality work when set up for your repo.

@Villy-P Villy-P marked this pull request as ready for review August 30, 2025 20:48
@Copilot Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Modernize CMakeLists.txt and make it better than ever Modernize CMakeLists.txt with best practices and comprehensive library support Aug 30, 2025
@Copilot Copilot AI requested a review from Villy-P August 30, 2025 20:56
Copilot finished work on behalf of Villy-P August 30, 2025 20:56
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2 participants