How do I structure a Makefile for my C++ project?

How do I structure a Makefile for my C++ project?

To structure a Makefile for a C++ project, you typically define variables for the compiler, flags, and source files. Here's a simple example:

CC = g++
CFLAGS = -Wall -g
SOURCES = main.cpp utils.cpp
OBJECTS = $(SOURCES:.cpp=.o)

all: my_program

my_program: $(OBJECTS)
	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o my_program $(OBJECTS)

%.o: %.cpp
	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $<

clean:
	rm -f $(OBJECTS) my_program

What do the different parts of the Makefile do?

The Makefile consists of several parts:

• CC defines the compiler to use.
• CFLAGS specifies the compiler flags.
• SOURCES lists the source files.
• OBJECTS converts source file names to object file names.
• The all target builds the final executable, while the clean target removes generated files.

Can I add more source files easily?

Yes, you can add more source files by simply including them in the SOURCES variable. For example, if you have new_file.cpp, just update the line to:

SOURCES = main.cpp utils.cpp new_file.cpp

What if I want to use a different compiler?

You can change the compiler by modifying the CC variable at the top of the Makefile. For instance, to use Clang, you would set:

CC = clang++