The liftoff sample project

This repository contains a software project that has many independent modules with interdependencies. The point is to demonstrate how you can lay out such a project with Meson.

The project consists of the following subprojects:

• lo_test, a simple unit testing framework
• lo_adder, a helper module for adding integers, depends on lt_test
• lo_strings, a helper module for manipulating strings, has no dependencies
• lo_shuttle, an application to launch shuttles, depends on all other modules

Compiling and running

On the command line:

meson build
ninja -C build test

Visual Studio users may use the VS project generator instead. Run the following from the VS tools command prompt:

python path/to/meson.py --backend=vs

Then open the generated solution and build it (note that it has not been tested yet).

Working on a single subproject

The Meson option module defines which subproject you want to build. To build everything, set is value to all. It can be changed by running the following command in the build dir:

mesonconf -Dmodule=lo_test

When rebuild, Meson will regenerate its build definitions to match your setup.

Note that if you select e.g. lo_adder, Meson will automatically add lo_test because it is a direct dependency. Non-dependency subprojects are not built.

Toggling between shared and static libraries

The dependencies can be built either as shared or static libraries. To toggle between the two run the following command in the build dir:

mesonconf -Ddefault_library=shared [or static]

On next recompilation the build is reconfigured to your specified type.

Header only dependency

The lo_strings subproject can be built in a pseudo "header only" mode. In practice it just adds the source files to the target it is being built in. This is the command:

mesonconf build -Dlo_strings:header_only=true

A rebuild will again reconfigure the project setup.