Summary

We have completed yet another chapter! Undoubtedly, compilation is a complex process. With all its edge cases and specific requirements, it can be difficult to manage without a robust tool. Thankfully, CMake does an excellent job supporting us here.

So, what have we learned so far? We began by discussing what compilation is and where it fits into the broader narrative of building and running applications in the OS. We then examined the stages of compilation and the internal tools that manage them. This understanding is invaluable for resolving complex issues that we might encounter in the future.

Next, we explored how to use CMake to verify whether the compiler available on the host meets all the necessary requirements for our code to build. As we have already established, it’s a significantly better experience for users of our solution to see a friendly message asking them to upgrade rather than an arcane error printed by an outdated compiler that can’...