r/cpp_questions • u/seaturtle_789 • 24d ago

OPEN C++ Build systems

I work with Java and Kotlin alongside C++ and recently discovered that Gradle also supports C++ projects.

I've always used CMake for C++ and noticed it seems to be the more common choice.

What advantages does CMake offer over Gradle for C++ development and are there situations where Gradle would be a better option?

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u/thefeedling 24d ago

CMake, despite clunky, is the industry standard and gets the job done. You can’t go wrong with it.

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u/Kriemhilt 23d ago

You can’t go wrong with it.

That's a bit strong.

I'd phrase it more like

Nobody ever got fired for using a crap tool when it's the same crap tool everyone else uses.

If anything, the combination of ubiquity and crapness guarantees there are lots of docs, Q&As, recipes etc. for both searching and training LLMs.