The Evolution of CMake - 25 Years of C++ Build Portability

Explore the 25-year evolution of CMake in this comprehensive conference talk from CppCon 2025, delivered by Bill Hoffman, the original author and lead architect of CMake. Discover how CMake has transformed C++ build portability since its initial launch in 2000, enabling developers to create cross-platform projects without needing deep knowledge of compilers, linkers, or platform-specific build systems. Learn about the project's origins in scientific computing and how it has empowered scientists and engineers to focus on solving complex problems rather than wrestling with build tool intricacies. Understand the widespread adoption challenges, including common legacy practices that lead to mistakes and confusion in the developer community. Dive deep into CMake 4.0's significant changes, which primarily deprecate outdated practices while introducing new features to streamline development workflows. Master modern debugging techniques for complex CMake builds, performance testing strategies using CMake profiling, and build optimization through CMake instrumentation. Gain insights into leveraging CMake 4.0's new capabilities to enhance your build, install, test, and packaging processes. Look ahead to future developments including CMake linting capabilities and package manager integration that promise to further simplify C++ development workflows.