Continuous integration (CI) and deployment are essential practices in modern software development. They allow developers to automate the build, test, and deployment processes, eliminating common issues and ensuring that software is consistently reliable. CMake, a cross-platform build system, can be integrated into CI and deployment pipelines to streamline the process. In this article, we will explore some strategies for integrating CMake into CI and deployment workflows.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Continuous Integration with CMake
• Continuous Deployment with CMake
• Conclusion

Introduction

CMake is a popular choice for managing the build process of C and C++ projects. It provides a straightforward and efficient way to define build configurations across different platforms. CI ensures that critical code changes are automatically built and tested, catching bugs and issues early in the development cycle. Deployment, on the other hand, is the process of delivering the software to end-users or production environments.

Continuous Integration with CMake

To integrate CMake into your CI pipeline, you need to define a script that executes the CMake build and test commands. The script should be triggered whenever changes are pushed to the repository. Here’s an example using popular CI platforms such as Travis CI and GitHub Actions.

Travis CI

Travis CI allows you to define a .travis.yml configuration file in the project repository. Here’s an example for a CMake project:

language: cpp
os: linux
dist: xenial

before_install:
  - sudo apt-get update
  - sudo apt-get install -y cmake

script:
  - mkdir build && cd build
  - cmake ..
  - make
  - make test

This configuration installs CMake and runs the build and test commands using make.

GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions, introduced by GitHub, enables automating build, test, and deployment workflows. Here’s an example workflow file for a CMake project:

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - master

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
    - name: Checkout repository
      uses: actions/checkout@v2

    - name: Build and test
      run: |
        mkdir build && cd build
        cmake ..
        make
        make test

This configuration also creates a build directory, runs CMake, and executes the build and test commands using make.

Continuous Deployment with CMake

Continuous deployment involves automatically deploying software to production or staging environments when certain conditions are met. Here’s a simple approach to automate deployment using CMake and CI platforms.

1. Configure your project with CMake to produce deployable artifacts such as binaries or packages.
2. Extend your CI pipeline script to include a deployment step.
3. Determine the conditions for deployment, such as passing tests or a successful build.

Once the conditions are met, you can deploy your CMake project to the desired environment using various deployment methods like SSH, rsync, or containerization platforms.

Conclusion

Integrating CMake into your CI and deployment workflows can significantly improve the efficiency and reliability of your software development process. With CMake, you can easily build, test, and deploy your C and C++ projects across different platforms. By automating these processes, you can catch issues early and ensure consistent software delivery to end-users. Start implementing CI and deployment strategies with CMake to enhance your software development workflow today!

Hashtags: #CMake #ContinuousIntegration