premake

Premake is a cross-platform build configuration tool. It is used to automate the generation of native build scripts for various IDEs and compilers, such as Visual Studio, Xcode, Makefiles, and Ninja. Premake's primary goal is to simplify the build process for C, C++, and C# projects by allowing developers to define their build configurations in a single, human-readable file.

The core of Premake is a scripting language based on Lua. This scripting language allows users to specify project settings, source files, include paths, preprocessor definitions, libraries to link against, and other build-related options. Premake then reads this script and generates the appropriate build files for the target platform and build system. This eliminates the need to maintain separate build files for different development environments, promoting consistency and reducing maintenance overhead.

Premake supports a wide range of platforms and toolchains, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, with support for compilers like MSVC, GCC, Clang, and compilers for mobile platforms. Its flexibility makes it a popular choice for open-source projects and game development studios seeking a unified build system. The tool is command-line driven, making it easy to integrate into automated build pipelines and continuous integration systems. Users can invoke Premake with specific arguments to generate solutions for their chosen IDE or build system.