MyMakefile

MyMakefile is a build system based on GNU Make for C++ projects. It serves as an alternative to CMake for medium-sized projects, eliminating the need to write complex Makefile rules from scratch.

🤔 Why MyMakefile?

While CMake is a popular choice, MyMakefile offers several advantages for smaller projects:

• Simplicity: No complex syntax or obscure function names
• Transparency: Direct control over the build process
• Efficiency: Smaller, more readable Makefiles
• Modern Features: All the tools you need without the complexity

🌟 MyMakefile Goals

• Encapsulate all complex Makefile rules in two files that you can include in your project, handling:
  • File compilation
  • Application bundling (including macOS bundles)
  • Shared/static library management
  • System installation
  • Documentation generation
  • Compilation flag management
  • pkg-config integration
  • RPM creation
• Define your project structure in just a few lines of Makefile syntax
• Let MyMakefile handle all the complex build rules for you

🌐 Cross-Platform Support

• 🐧 Linux
• 🍎 macOS
• 🪟 Windows (not yet supported)
• 🌐 Emscripten
• 🧸 ExaequOS

🚀 Quick Start

1. Include MyMakefile in your project:

# Option 1: Copy-paste
cp -r MyMakefile your-project/.makefile

# Option 2: Git submodule (recommended)
git submodule add https://github.com/Lecrapouille/MyMakefile.git .makefile

The dot prefix allows you to hide MyMakefile in your project, but it's not mandatory.

2. Create your Makefile:

# Relative location of your project root folder P and MyMakefiles folder M
P := .
M := $(P)/.makefile

# Your minimal project definition
PROJECT_NAME := my-project
PROJECT_VERSION := 1.0.0
TARGET_NAME := my-app
TARGET_DESCRIPTION := brief explanation of the target

# Optional definitions
COMPILATION_MODE := release
CXX_STANDARD := --std=c++14

# Include MyMakefiles project file after your project definition
include $(M)/project/Makefile

# Define what and how to compile your target
INCLUDES := $(P)/include $(P)/src
VPATH := $(P)/src
DEFINES :=
SRC_FILES += src/main.cpp

# Include MyMakefiles rules file after your project configuration
include $(M)/rules/Makefile

# Optionally: add your custom Makefile rules here

3. Build your project:

make help         # Show all available options
make              # Start compilation
make install      # Install your project on your system

📚 Projects Using MyMakefile

Here are some of my projects that use MyMakefile instead of CMake:

• 🎨 TimedPetriNetEditor
• 🎮 OpenGlassBox
• 📦 Zipper
• 🛣️ Highway
• 🎮 OpenGLCppWrapper
• 🔬 SimTaDyn
• 🧮 SimForth
• ♟️ ChessNeuNeu
• 🔗 LinkAgainstMyLibs

📋 Prerequisites

• 🐚 Bash interpreter (MyMakefile requires some bash assistance)
• 🛠️ Optional tools, called by MyMakefile:
  • g++ or clang++ (for compilation)
  • gcovr (for code coverage)
  • doxygen (for documentation)

🔧 Compiling for ExaequOS

ExaequOS is a fork of Emscripten. MyMakefile supports compilation for both platforms.

1. Install the ExaequOS Docker image:

# Follow instructions at https://github.com/Lecrapouille/docker-exa

2. Run the ExaequOS Docker image against your project folder.

3. Simply run make - your project will compile like a native Linux application.

4. After compilation, run make install

5. Open https://www.exaequos.com/ in your browser.

6. In Havoc (ExaequOS console), run:

/media/localhost/<your-application>

## 📦 Compiling to RPM

make rpm

📖 Documentation

• For detailed API documentation, see API.md.

📝 License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.