Creating basic project file structure based on CMake

[kazurem]

MicroMouse Simulator - Build Guide

Project Structure

MicroMouse-Simulator/
├── CMakeLists.txt       # Root build configuration
├── src/                 # C++ implementation files (.cpp)
│   ├── main.cpp         # Application entry point
│   └── MazeGen.cpp      # Maze generation implementation
└── include/             # C++ header files (.hpp)
    └── MazeGen.hpp      # Maze generation interface

Prerequisites

Before building, ensure you have the following installed:

• CMake (version 3.10 or higher recommended)
• A C++ compiler (GCC, Clang, MSVC, or MinGW)
• A build system (Make, Ninja, or MSBuild)

Building the Project

Step 1: Configure the Project

Navigate to the project root directory and run:

cmake -B build

This command creates a build/ directory containing all CMake configuration files.

Specifying a Generator (Optional)

CMake supports multiple generators for different build systems. You can specify one using the -G flag:

# For MinGW Makefiles
cmake -B build -G "MinGW Makefiles"

# For Visual Studio 2022
cmake -B build -G "Visual Studio 17 2022"

# For Ninja
cmake -B build -G "Ninja"

Note: If no generator is specified, CMake selects a default based on your platform.

Step 2: Build the Executable

Once configuration is complete, build the project with:

cmake --build build

This compiles and links all source files into the executable mms.exe (or mms on Unix-like systems).

Build Configuration (Optional)

For multi-configuration generators like Visual Studio, you can specify the build type:

# Build in Release mode
cmake --build build --config Release

# Build in Debug mode
cmake --build build --config Debug

Locating the Executable

The output location depends on the generator used:

Generator	Executable Location
MinGW Makefiles / Unix Makefiles	build/mms.exe (or build/mms)
Visual Studio	build/Debug/mms.exe or build/Release/mms.exe
Ninja	build/mms.exe (or build/mms)

Running the Simulator

After building, run the executable from the build directory:

# For MinGW Makefiles
./build/mms.exe

# For Visual Studio (Debug)
./build/Debug/mms.exe

# For Visual Studio (Release)
./build/Release/mms.exe

Troubleshooting

CMake configuration fails:

• Verify CMake is installed and accessible in your PATH
• Check that you have a compatible C++ compiler installed

Build fails with compilation errors:

• Ensure all dependencies are properly installed
• Check that your compiler supports the C++ standard used by the project

Can't find the executable:

• Check the generator-specific location listed in the table above
• Verify the build completed without errors

Cleaning the Build

To start fresh, delete the build/ directory and reconfigure:

# On Unix-like systems
rm -rf build/

# On Windows (PowerShell)
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force build/

# Then reconfigure
cmake -B build