Empty C/C++ Project Template

A minimal, well-structured C/C++ project template with a production-ready makefile system. This template provides a quick starting point for new C/C++ projects with proper directory structure and build configuration.

Quick Start

Create Your Project

This is a template repository, which means you can create a new repository with the same directory structure and files very easily:

1. Click the "Use this template" button at the top right of the repository page
2. Choose "Create a new repository"
3. Fill in your repository name and other details
4. Click "Create repository" to finish

This will create a new repository in your account with all the template contents, giving you a fresh start for your project. Unlike forking, this method creates a clean project history.

Build Your Project

After creating your repository from the template:

# Clone your new repository
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_REPO_NAME.git
cd YOUR_REPO_NAME

# Build the project
make

# Run the executable
./empty-cpp

Clone and Build

Alternatively, you can fork this repository:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/rantalaine/empty-c-cpp.git
cd empty-c-cpp

# Build the project
make

# Run the executable
./empty-cpp

Project Structure

empty-c-cpp/
├── src/          # Source files (.c, .cpp)
├── include/      # Header files (.h, .hpp)
├── build/        # Compiled object files (created during build)
├── makefile      # Build configuration
├── LICENSE       # MIT License
└── README.md     # Project documentation

Makefile Explained

The makefile is designed to be flexible and maintainable while providing useful features for C/C++ development. Here are the key components:

1. Configuration Variables

PROG_BIN := empty-cpp          # Name of the final executable
BUILD_DIR := ./build           # Where compiled files go
SRC_DIRS := ./src             # Where source files are located
INC_DIRS := ./include         # Where header files are located

2. Key Features

• Automatic Directory Structure

  • Automatically finds all .c, .cpp, and .s files in the source directory
  • Creates necessary build directories on-the-fly
  • Generates dependency files automatically

• Platform Detection

  UNAME_S := $(shell uname -s)  # Detects operating system

• Flexible Include Paths

  • Supports both local and system include directories
  • Easy to add new include paths (just add to INC_DIRS)

• Dependency Tracking

  • Automatically generates .d files to track header dependencies
  • Only rebuilds what's necessary when files change

3. Build Targets

• default: Builds the executable

• clean: Removes build artifacts and executable

• install: Installs the program to system (requires appropriate permissions)

• uninstall: Removes the installed program

4. Compiler Flags

CPPFLAGS := $(INC_FLAGS) -MMD -MP -g $(CXXFLAGS)  # Compiler flags

• -MMD -MP: Generates dependency files
• -g: Includes debug information
• Additional flags can be added via CXXFLAGS environment variable

Customization

1. Change Project Name:

   • Modify PROG_BIN in the makefile

2. Add Libraries:

   • Add library paths to LIB_DIR
   • Add link flags to LDFLAGS

3. Add Include Directories:

   • Add new paths to INC_DIRS

4. Platform-Specific Settings:

   ifeq ($(UNAME_S),Darwin)
       # MacOS-specific settings
   endif

Notes

• The makefile automatically detects source files, so you can just add new .cpp or .c files to the src directory
• Header files should go in the include directory
• The build system creates object files in the build directory, maintaining the same directory structure as your source files