CForge

A TOML-based build system for C/C++ projects with seamless CMake and vcpkg integration.

📖 Table of Contents

1. Features
2. Installation
3. Quick Start
4. Command Reference
5. Workspace Commands
6. Advanced Configuration
7. Build Variants
8. Cross-Compilation
9. IDE Integration
10. Scripts & Hooks
11. Examples
12. Troubleshooting
13. Contributing
14. License

🚀 Features

• 📋 Simple TOML Configuration: Easy project setup without complex CMake syntax.
• 🔄 Multi-platform: Supports Windows, macOS, Linux.
• 📦 Dependency Management: Integrated support for vcpkg, Conan, Git, and custom dependencies.
• 🏗️ Workspaces: Manage multiple projects together.
• 🎯 Cross-compilation: Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi, WebAssembly.
• 🧰 IDE Integration: VS Code, CLion, Xcode, Visual Studio.
• 🧪 Testing: Integrated with CTest.
• 📝 Custom Scripts: Run project-specific tasks.
• ⚙️ Automatic Tool Setup: Installs missing tools automatically.
• 🔍 Enhanced Diagnostics: Clear, informative compiler errors.

📥 Installation

From Cargo

cargo install cforge

From Source

git clone https://github.com/ChaseSunstrom/cforge.git
cd cforge
cargo build --release
cargo install --path .

Prerequisites

• Rust
• CMake (≥3.15)
• C/C++ Compiler (GCC, Clang, MSVC)
• Optional: Ninja, Make, or Visual Studio Build Tools

⚡ Quick Start

cforge init
cforge build
cforge run

🛠️ Command Reference

📂 Workspace Commands

cforge init --workspace
cforge build <project>
cforge run <project>
cforge clean <project>
cforge startup <project>
cforge startup --list

⚙️ Advanced Configuration

Example cforge.toml:

[project]
name = "my_project"
version = "0.1.0"
description = "My C/C++ project"
type = "executable"
language = "c++"
standard = "c++17"

[build]
build_dir = "build"
default_config = "Debug"
generator = "Ninja"

[build.configs.Debug]
defines = ["DEBUG", "_DEBUG"]
flags = ["NO_OPT", "DEBUG_INFO"]

[dependencies.vcpkg]
enabled = true
packages = ["fmt", "boost"]

[targets.default]
sources = ["src/**/*.cpp"]
include_dirs = ["include"]
links = ["fmt"]

🚩 Build Variants

Define variants to optimize builds:

[variants]
default = "standard"

[variants.variants.standard]
description = "Standard build"

[variants.variants.performance]
description = "Optimized build"
defines = ["HIGH_PERF=1"]
flags = ["OPTIMIZE_MAX", "LTO"]

🌐 Cross-Compilation

Examples:

cforge build --target android-arm64
cforge build --target wasm

🖥️ IDE Integration

Generate IDE-specific files:

cforge ide vscode
cforge ide clion
cforge ide xcode
cforge ide vs2022

📝 Scripts & Hooks

Define scripts and hooks in cforge.toml:

[scripts]
scripts = {
  "format" = "clang-format -i src/*.cpp include/*.h"
}

[hooks]
pre_build = ["echo Building..."]
post_build = ["echo Done!"]

Run scripts:

cforge script format

🧩 Examples

Simple Project:

cforge init
cforge build
cforge run

External Dependencies:

# Add dependencies in cforge.toml
cforge deps
cforge build
cforge run

Multi-project Workspace:

cforge init --workspace
# Initialize individual projects
cforge build
cforge run app1

🔧 Troubleshooting

• CMake not found: Ensure it's installed and in PATH.
• Dependency failures: Run cforge deps --update.
• Cross-compilation: Check environment variables (e.g., $ANDROID_NDK).
• Compiler errors: Use cforge build --verbosity verbose.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions welcome!

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/new-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add new feature')
4. Push to your branch (git push origin feature/new-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

MIT License — see LICENSE.