Devinder May 07, 2022

Packt asked me to review a book on CMAKE for them, which, honestly, I wasn’t expecting, because I gave the last book they asked me to review, a 3 out of 5 (I promise it was fair). The book today is: Modern CMake for C++, by Rafal Swidzinski.The short version of my review is:If you are getting started with CMAKE or just don’t feel confident about your knowledge, get this book. It is a solid 5/5.A bit about me: I started using CMAKE in some capacity in 2019. Since then, I’ve had to grow into learning a bit more about it, because turns out that a good CMAKE strategy that uses a modern approach, is important if you want less pain in your complex C++ projects.I own a copy of the professional CMAKE book. I’ve gone through the various adoption strategies that have evolved recently and become talks or articles. I occasionally stalk slack channels like CppLang to learn as much as I can from the heavy weights. I developed the CMAKE strategy at Ebots, and have been fairly involved in making sure the code build/installs/updates become relatively painless.More on the book:I think Rafal Swidzinski's book condenses everything you need to know about CMAKE and does it well. His approach is clear, and practical.For beginners, who are just starting their search on getting started, the first seven chapters will walk you through the basics and make you capable of writing manageable software with CMAKE.If you feel somewhat comfortable with CMAKE already but aren’t too sold on the Testing/Installing bits of it, you will get a practical guide on that in the last few chapters. The final project, if you follow through with it, has all the supporting tools you need to be successful. There’s also his source code in github.Far as I know, I don't get any money if you buy it =) , or at least haven't seen any ::hmpfh:: Though I did get a copy of the book to review. Note that the amazon review is pretty identical to my review on linkedin.

Amazon Verified review

H Zhu Apr 06, 2022

This book covers the basics and advanced usage of CMake. I really like the book with high-level diagrams and detailed examples, that well explains the usage of CMake, the concepts behind it, and the best practices. And I enjoyed the flow of the book, from basic concepts to advanced topics like how CMake can work with different platforms, protobuf, docker, GitHub, testing and performance analysis etc.

Amazon Verified review

GFisher Nov 15, 2023

Can't recommend this book enough. After working as an embedded software developer for over a year without any formal training on C++ or CMake, I've constantly finding myself fighting tooth and nail against our build system. It's been a long, frustrating experience to ssy the least. Due to the senior team members I work closely with being stubborn in their ways, and obsessed with meeting deadlines (which we have been consistently missing by the way), I've been met with nothing but push-back when expressing the desire fir formal training on the technology none of us know how to use. I finally got fed up enough to buy and read this in my free time. It has been a life saver! Any professional using CMake needs to learn how it works from the basics to the advanced level, and how to use it the right way, if they are to be of any value to their employer and/or coworkers.

Amazon Verified review

MoA Mar 18, 2022

There exists a wide chasm between knowledge of C++ as a language, and being able to write production ready software in C++. “Modern CMake for C++” bridges this chasm for you in a step-by-step, easy to understand manner.The book not only covers CMake’s unusual syntax; but also thoroughly explores important topics such as managing external dependencies, automated testing, and building portable cross-platform code.I especially loved the author’s focus on a hands-on approach to teaching. Associating concepts taught in the book with practical examples helped clarify all ambiguities, and made the entire process that much more enjoyable.Whether you’re a beginner in C++ seeking to advance in your career, or a seasoned engineer looking to squeeze all the value you can get out of CMake (trust me, it can do *alot* for you!), you will undoubtedly benefit from this work.

Amazon Verified review

Taruchu Jun 17, 2023

Chapters were very easy to read and all examples where thorough, thank you and God Bless 🙏🏽💕

Amazon Verified review

Modern CMake for C++: Discover a better approach to building, testing, and packaging your software

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