Autoconf vs CMake

Struggling to choose between Autoconf and CMake? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Autoconf is a Development solution with tags like configuration, portability, automation.

It boasts features such as Portability, Extensibility, Automatic dependency tracking, Support for conditional compilation, Built-in caching, Macro language and pros including Makes software portable across Unix-like systems, Allows customization through macros, Automates tedious configuration tasks, Avoids manual editing of configuration files, Reuses previous configuration results.

On the other hand, CMake is a Development product tagged with build, compile, crossplatform, open-source.

Its standout features include Cross-platform build system, Generate native makefiles and workspaces, Support multiple compilers and IDEs, Modular architecture, Customizable and extensible, and it shines with pros like Simplifies build process across platforms, Compiler-independent builds, Large user and developer community, Widely used and well-supported, Highly customizable.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Autoconf

Autoconf

Autoconf is an extensible package of M4 macros that produce shell scripts to automatically configure software source code packages. It can adapt the software to many kinds of Unix-like systems without manual user intervention.

Categories:
Development Build Tools
configuration portability automation

Autoconf Features

  1. Portability
  2. Extensibility
  3. Automatic dependency tracking
  4. Support for conditional compilation
  5. Built-in caching
  6. Macro language

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Makes software portable across Unix-like systems

Allows customization through macros

Automates tedious configuration tasks

Avoids manual editing of configuration files

Reuses previous configuration results

Cons

Complex macro language has steep learning curve

Hard to debug issues

Can produce convoluted configuration scripts

Limited support on non-Unix platforms

CMake

CMake

CMake is an open-source, cross-platform tool designed to build, test, and package software. It works by generating native makefiles and workspaces to automate the build process using a compiler-independent method.

Categories:
Development Build Tools
build compile crossplatform open-source

CMake Features

  1. Cross-platform build system
  2. Generate native makefiles and workspaces
  3. Support multiple compilers and IDEs
  4. Modular architecture
  5. Customizable and extensible

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Simplifies build process across platforms

Compiler-independent builds

Large user and developer community

Widely used and well-supported

Highly customizable

Cons

Steep learning curve

Complex syntax and concepts

Poor documentation

Limited IDE integration on some platforms

Build times can be slow for large projects