CppStarter

A reusable, cross-platform C++20 starter project using modern CMake.

Keep the structure standard. Keep the implementation elastic.

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Overview

CppStarter provides a clean, reusable foundation for modern C++ projects.

The goal is not to prescribe software architecture, but to standardize the project structure, build system, and development workflow, allowing the implementation to remain flexible.

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Features

• Modern CMake (3.20+)
• C++20
• Cross-platform
  • Apple Clang
  • LLVM Clang
  • GCC
  • Microsoft Visual C++
• Separate source, include, documentation and test directories
• CTest integration
• Compiler warnings enabled
• Git-friendly project layout
• Designed to evolve with your projects

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Requirements

• CMake 3.20 or newer
• A C++20 compatible compiler

Supported compilers include:

• Apple Clang
• LLVM Clang
• GCC
• Microsoft Visual C++

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Project Structure

cpp-starter/
│
├── build/              # Generated by CMake (not committed)
├── docs/
├── include/
├── src/
├── tests/
│
├── .gitignore
├── CMakeLists.txt
└── README.md

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First-Time Configuration

Generate the build directory.

cmake -S . -B build

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Build

Compile the project.

cmake --build build --parallel

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Run

Execute the application.

./build/CppStarter

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Run Tests

Execute all registered CTest tests.

ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure

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Reconfigure

If you:

• rename or move the project,
• make significant changes to CMakeLists.txt,
• suspect the CMake cache has become stale,

recreate the build directory.

rm -rf build

cmake -S . -B build

cmake --build build --parallel

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Daily Development Workflow

Most development sessions follow a simple cycle.

cmake --build build --parallel

./build/CppStarter

ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure

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Design Philosophy

This starter project follows a few simple engineering principles.

• Keep the structure standard.
• Keep the implementation elastic.
• Consistency reduces friction.
• Automate repetition.
• Preserve creativity.
• Optimize for Future Francois.

The template is intended to provide a familiar engineering environment while remaining adaptable to projects of any size or domain.

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Future Improvements

Possible additions include:

• Catch2
• clang-format
• clang-tidy
• Doxygen
• GitHub Actions
• Packaging
• Installation support
• Continuous Integration

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License

This project is released under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.