GitHub - randerson112/craft: A lightweight build and workflow tool for C/C++

A lightweight build and workflow tool for C/C++

C and C++ development has always required wrestling with CMake, configuring build systems, and manually managing dependencies. Craft eliminates that friction. You describe your project in a simple craft.toml file and Craft handles the rest by generating CMake configuration, managing dependencies, and providing a clean command-line interface that feels modern and smooth.

How Craft Works

Define your project in craft.toml
Craft generates CMakeLists.txt
Dependencies are fetched automatically
CMake builds your project behind the scenes

Quick Example

# Create a new project
craft project my_app
cd my_app

# Add a dependency
craft add --git https://github.com/raysan5/raylib.git --links raylib

# Build it
craft build

# Run it
craft run

What Craft Solves

One file defines your project

Describe your project in a simple, readable config:

[project]
name = "my_app"
version = "0.1.0"
language = "cpp"
cpp_standard = 17

[build]
type = "executable"
include_dirs = ["include"]
source_dirs = ["src"]

Craft turns this into a working CMakeLists.txt automatically.

Dependency management that just works

Add dependecies to your project with a single command.

# Local Craft project
craft add --path ../physics_engine

# Git dependency
craft add --git https://github.com/raysan5/raylib --links raylib

# Remove it just as easily
craft remove raylib

# Update all dependencies
craft update

Git repos are cloned automatically
CMake wiring is handled for you

Templates for fast project setup

Save any project as a reusable template and spin up new projects from it instantly.

craft template save my_game_template
craft project new_game --template my_game_template

Craft also comes with a few built-in templates for executables and libraries.

Installation

macOS & Linux

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/randerson112/craft/main/install.sh | sh

Windows (PowerShell)

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/randerson112/craft/main/install.ps1 | iex

Requirements: git, cmake

Verifying Installation

craft --version
craft help

Documentation

Getting started guide - installing and learning the basics of Craft
Commands - full documentation for each command
craft.toml reference - learn how Craft's main configuration file works

Contributing

Craft is open source and community driven. Contributions are welcome. Feel free to open issues, pull requests, or assign yourself to any open issues.