CMake Build System

CMake is an open-source, cross-platform tool that automates the build process for software projects, particularly those written in C++ and C. It functions as a build system generator, meaning it does not compile the code itself but instead processes human-readable configuration files named `CMakeLists.txt` to generate native build files for a specific environment, such as Makefiles for Unix-like systems or Visual Studio projects for Windows. This approach allows developers to maintain a single, platform-independent project definition while leveraging the native toolchains on different operating systems, simplifying the management of complex builds, dependencies, and configurations.