GNU Make vs Meson

Struggling to choose between GNU Make and Meson? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

GNU Make is a Development solution with tags like build, automation, make, compiler.

It boasts features such as Dependency tracking - Automatically determines dependencies between files, Parallel builds - Can build independent targets simultaneously, Built-in functions - Many built-in functions for common build tasks, Recursive builds - Can build targets in subdirectories recursively, Pattern rules - General rules can be applied based on pattern matching, Conditionals - Supports if/else conditionals in makefiles and pros including Widely used and well-supported, Mature and stable, Powerful dependency tracking, Built-in parallelism, Portable across platforms, Integrates well with other tools.

On the other hand, Meson is a Development product tagged with build-system, compiler, open-source.

Its standout features include Fast build times, Intuitive syntax, Cross-platform support, Integration with popular build tools and languages, Dependency management, Support for tests and benchmarks, Customizable build configuration, and it shines with pros like Very fast compared to other build systems, Simple configuration using Python DSL, Easy to use and learn, Detects changes quickly to avoid unnecessary rebuilds, Good error messages, Lightweight with few dependencies.

Feature	GNU Make	Meson
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

GNU Make

Description: GNU Make is a utility that automatically builds executable programs and libraries from source code by reading files called Makefiles which specify how to derive the target program. It allows users to easily compile large projects without manually issuing the compilation commands.

Meson

Description: Meson is an open-source build system focused on speed and ease of use. It is designed to optimize the build process by detecting changes in projects faster and providing useful error messages. Meson supports many languages and build tools.

Key Features Comparison

GNU Make Features

• Dependency tracking - Automatically determines dependencies between files
• Parallel builds - Can build independent targets simultaneously
• Built-in functions - Many built-in functions for common build tasks
• Recursive builds - Can build targets in subdirectories recursively
• Pattern rules - General rules can be applied based on pattern matching
• Conditionals - Supports if/else conditionals in makefiles

Meson Features

• Fast build times
• Intuitive syntax
• Cross-platform support
• Integration with popular build tools and languages
• Dependency management
• Support for tests and benchmarks
• Customizable build configuration

Pros & Cons Analysis

GNU Make

Pros

• Widely used and well-supported
• Mature and stable
• Powerful dependency tracking
• Built-in parallelism
• Portable across platforms
• Integrates well with other tools

Cons

• Cryptic syntax
• Difficult for complex builds
• Only rebuilds out-of-date targets
• Not suitable for all project types
• Limited to makefile build process

Meson

Pros

• Very fast compared to other build systems
• Simple configuration using Python DSL
• Easy to use and learn
• Detects changes quickly to avoid unnecessary rebuilds
• Good error messages
• Lightweight with few dependencies

Cons

• Limited adoption outside C/C++ projects
• Less flexibility than some other build tools
• Lacks some advanced features of tools like CMake
• Less third-party integration compared to older systems

Pricing Comparison

GNU Make

• Open Source

Meson

• Open Source