What is Meson?
Meson is an open source build system that prioritizes speed and user-friendliness. It is designed to minimize the time developers spend writing or debugging build definitions, as well as the time spent waiting for the build system to start compiling code. Meson supports multiple platforms including Linux, macOS, and Windows, and works with compilers such as GCC, Clang, and Visual Studio. It supports a wide range of programming languages, including C, C++, C#, D, Fortran, Java, and Rust. Meson uses a very readable and user-friendly non-Turing complete DSL for build definitions, and it includes built-in cross-compilation support for many operating systems and bare metal environments. The system is optimized for extremely fast full and incremental builds without sacrificing correctness.
Features
- Multiplatform support: Supports Linux, macOS, Windows, GCC, Clang, Visual Studio and others.
- Language support: Supports C, C++, C#, D, Fortran, Java, Rust, and more.
- User-friendly DSL: Build definitions in a very readable and user-friendly non-Turing complete DSL.
- Fast builds: Optimized for extremely fast full and incremental builds without sacrificing correctness.
- Cross-compilation: Built-in support for cross-compilation for many operating systems and bare metal.
- Dependency provider: Built-in multiplatform dependency provider that works together with distro packages.
Use Cases
- Building C/C++ projects with complex build configurations.
- Cross-compiling software for embedded systems.
- Managing dependencies for multi-language projects.
- Automating build processes in CI/CD pipelines.
- Developing desktop applications with GTK or SDL.
FAQs
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What languages does Meson support?
Meson supports C, C++, C#, D, Fortran, Java, Rust, and others. -
Is Meson free to use?
Yes, Meson is open source and free to use. -
Does Meson support cross-compilation?
Yes, Meson has built-in support for cross-compilation for many operating systems and bare metal.
