cpp-project
A modern C++ project boilerplate with CMake, testing, CI/CD, and coverage reporting.
What is cpp-project?
cpp-project is a boilerplate template for C++ projects that provides a pre-configured foundation with modern development tools. It includes a structured directory layout, CMake build system, testing framework setup, and continuous integration configurations to streamline project initialization. The template solves the problem of repetitive setup tasks, allowing developers to focus on writing code rather than configuring build pipelines.
C++ developers starting new projects who want a standardized, production-ready setup with integrated testing and CI/CD. It's particularly useful for open-source contributors, students, and teams adopting modern C++ practices.
Developers choose this boilerplate because it bundles essential tools (CMake, doctest, CI services) into a single template, reducing setup time from hours to minutes. Its opinionated structure enforces best practices, while remaining flexible enough to adapt to various project needs.
Overview
Boiler plate template for C++ projects, with CMake, Doctest, Travis CI, Appveyor, Github Actions and coverage reports.
Use Cases
Best For
- Quickly starting new C++ libraries or applications with a professional setup
- Learning modern C++ project structure and build automation
- Ensuring consistent CI/CD pipelines across team projects
- Open-source projects needing immediate test and coverage reporting
- Academic or research code requiring reproducible builds and testing
- Prototyping C++ ideas without spending time on infrastructure configuration
Not Ideal For
- Projects that rely on alternative build systems like Bazel or Meson instead of CMake
- Very small, experimental codebases where the full CI/CD and testing setup is unnecessary overhead
- Teams with established, custom project structures that would require significant modification to adopt this template
Pros & Cons
Pros
Uses modern CMake practices for easy building and dependency management, as shown by the simplified CMakeLists.txt that requires only a few lines to add new executables.
Pre-configured with doctest for unit testing, including a dedicated tests directory and seamless integration with CI services for automated testing on each commit.
Includes ready-to-use configurations for Travis CI, Appveyor, and GitHub Actions with C++17 support, ensuring cross-platform testing and deployment from the start.
Supports automatic documentation generation with Doxygen and code coverage reports uploadable to Coveralls or Codecov, streamlining project metrics and maintenance.
Cons
Enforces a specific folder layout (src, include, app, tests) that may not suit all project types, such as header-only libraries or applications with unconventional architectures.
Relies on third-party CI services like Travis CI and Appveyor, which have evolving free tiers and may require manual setup or updates, adding potential maintenance burden.
Default integration with doctest might not meet the needs of teams accustomed to other testing frameworks like Google Test, requiring additional configuration changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
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