Xmake is a lightweight cross-platform build utility based on Lua.
It is very lightweight and has no dependencies because it has a built-in Lua runtime.
It uses xmake.lua to maintain project builds and its configuration syntax is very simple and readable.
We can use it to build project directly like Make/Ninja, or generate project files like CMake/Meson, and it also has a built-in package management system to help users solve the integrated use of C/C++ dependent libraries.
Xmake = Build backend + Project Generator + Package Manager
Introduction of new features
More flexible package extensions
Now, we can inherit all the configuration of an existing package through the set_base interface, and then rewrite part of the configuration on this basis.
This is usually in the user’s own project, it is more useful to modify the built-in package of the official repository of xmake-repo, such as: repairing and changing urls, modifying the version list, Install logic and more.
For example, modify the url of the built-in zlib package to switch to your own zlib source address.
package("myzlib")
set_base("zlib")
set_urls("https://github.com/madler/zlib.git")
package_end()
add_requires("myzlib", {system = false, alias = "zlib"})
target("test")
set_kind("binary")
add_files("src/*.c")
add_packages("zlib")
We can also use it to simply add an alias package.
package("onetbb")
set_base("tbb")
We can install the tbb package through add_requires("onetbb") integration, but the package name is different.
Package management supports toolchain switching
Previously, we limited the toolchains that can only be installed under the cross platform to switch packages. In the new version, we can support the switchover of toolchains under more platforms.
E.g:
$ xrepo install --toolchains=clang zlib
We can quickly switch to the clang toolchain to compile and install the zlib library on platforms such as linux.
We can also switch them in the xmake.lua configuration file.
add_requires("zlib", {configs = {toolchains = "gcc-11"}})
The zlib packages installed by different tool chains will be stored in different directories without interfering with each other, and there will be no link compatibility problems caused by compiler differences.
Built-in package virtual environment
The Xrepo command has already well supported package virtual environment management, xrepo env shell, but for complex package environments, users still need to configure an xmake.lua file to manage their own package environment.
For example, we need a common development environment shell with common development toolchains such as cmake, python and vs/autoconf by default, and we need to create a configuration file devel.lua by ourselves.
add_requires("cmake")
add_requires("python")
if is_host("linux", "bsd", "macosx") then
add_requires("pkg-config", "autoconf", "automake", "libtool")
elseif is_host("windows") then
set_toolchains("msvc")
end
Then, execute the following command to import into the global configuration.
$ xrepo env --add devel.lua
In this way, we can load the shell and bind this environment with the following command:
$ xrepo env -b devel shell
> cmake --version
cmake version 3.19.3
In the new version, we have built in some commonly used environments, which can be viewed through xrepo env -l:
$ xrepo env -l
- msvc
- llvm-mingw
- llvm
- mingw-w64
-devel
- python3
- depot_tools
- python2
Among them, devel is also in it, so we only need to execute xrepo env -b devel shell to bring up a devel development environment without configuring them yourself.
Such as python, msvc, etc. are also some of the more commonly used environments, which can be used directly.
Of course, we also support temporarily creating an xmake.lua locally to configure the loading package environment instead of placing it in the global configuration.
Custom installation package download
We can customize the download logic of the package through the new on_download interface, which is usually not used, and it is enough to use Xmake’s built-in download.
If the user builds a private repository and has a more complex authentication mechanism and special processing logic for the download of the package, the internal download logic can be rewritten to achieve this.
on_download(function (package, opt)
-- download packages:urls() to opt.sourcedir
end)
In the opt parameter, you can get the destination source directory opt.sourcedir of the downloaded package. We only need to get the package address from package:urls() and download it.
Then, add some custom processing logic as needed. In addition, you can add download cache processing and so on.
ASN.1 Program Build Support
ASN.1 programs need to use ASN.1 Compiler to generate relevant .c files to participate in project compilation.
While Xmake provides built-in add_rules("asn1c") rules to process .c file generation, add_requires("asn1c") automatically pulls and integrates ASN.1 compiler tools.
Here is a basic configuration example:
add_rules("mode.debug", "mode.release")
add_requires("asn1c")
target("test")
set_kind("binary")
add_files("src/*.c")
add_files("src/*.asn1")
add_rules("asn1c")
add_packages("asn1c")
For details, see Complete Example Project.
Support for building Swift programs on all platforms
Previously, Xmake only supported the construction of Swift programs under macOS with the help of the Xcode toolchain. In the new version, we have also made improvements to allow the swift toolchain to be used independently, and to support the construction of swift programs on linux/windows. The usage is the same as before.
Supports export of specified symbol list
In previous versions, we provided utils.symbols.export_all for automatic full symbol export of dll libraries for windows.
Although this is very convenient, it can only support windows programs, and the full export does not control the size of the generated dll, and there may be many internal symbols that are not needed at all to be exported.
However, the utils.symbols.export_list rule provided by our new version can directly define the list of exported symbols in xmake.lua, for example:
target("foo")
set_kind("shared")
add_files("src/foo.c")
add_rules("utils.symbols.export_list", {symbols = {
"add",
"sub"}})
Alternatively, add a list of exported symbols in the *.export.txt file.
target("foo2")
set_kind("shared")
add_files("src/foo.c")
add_files("src/foo.export.txt")
add_rules("utils.symbols.export_list")
For a complete project example, see: Export Symbol Example
By specifying symbol export, we can make the generated dynamic library as small as possible, and do not export irrelevant internal symbols at all. In addition, this rule supports linux, macOS and windows, which is more general.
Internally it automatically uses .def, version scripts and --exported_symbols_list to handle symbol exports.
Built-in support for linker scripts
In the new version, we also have built-in support for linker scripts and version scripts files, we can use add_files to add them directly without configuring add_ldflags("-Txxx.lds").
Currently .ld and .lds are supported as linker scripts configuration files to add:
add_rules("mode.debug", "mode.release")
target("test")
add_deps("foo")
set_kind("binary")
add_files("src/main.c")
add_files("src/main.lds")
We also support .ver, .map suffix files to be added as version script.
target("foo")
set_kind("shared")
add_files("src/foo.c")
add_files("src/foo.map")
The content of the foo.map file is as follows:
{
global:
foo;
local:
*;
};
Changelog
New features
- #2011: Support to inherit base package
- Support to build and run xmake on sparc, alpha, powerpc, s390x and sh4
- Add on_download for package()
- #2021: Support Swift for linux and windows
- #2024: Add asn1c support
- #2031: Support linker scripts and version scripts for add_files
- #2033: Catch ctrl-c to get current backtrace for debugging stuck
- #2059: Add
xmake update --integrateto integrate for shell - #2070: Add built-in xrepo environments
- #2117: Support to pass toolchains to package for other platforms
- #2121: Support to export the given symbols list
Changes
- #2036: Improve xrepo to install packages from configuration file, e.g.
xrepo install xxx.lua - #2039: Improve filter directory for vs generator
- #2025: Support phony and headeronly target for vs generator
- Improve to find vstudio and codesign speed
- #2077: Improve vs project generator to support cuda