I built a Cargo-like build tool for C/C++

A new tool called Craft just hit the scene promising to make C and C++ projects feel more like Rust’s famously easy setup. The pitch: describe your app in one simple file, and Craft will auto‑generate the messy build scripts, pull in dependencies, and give you clean commands like build and run. Think “one‑click start” for a world that usually feels like assembling IKEA furniture without the manual. There are templates, a quick start, and a friendly vibe — plus a GitHub install for Craft that screams “modern dev life.”

Then the comments lit up. One camp side‑eyed the whole idea of generating files for CMake (the complicated tool that usually glues C/C++ projects together), with a top‑liked critique calling it a “meta‑meta build system” and insisting Craft should replace CMake, not wrap it. Another crowd panicked over the classic “copy this command and run it in your terminal” install, warning it “does not inspire confidence.” Meanwhile, a drive‑by hero yelled “just use Bazel,” invoking Google’s heavyweight build system and daring the downvotes. Others shared DIY alternatives like fibs, and a practical voice asked the real question: how does Craft actually find all the library pieces without chaos? It’s hope vs. skepticism, sugar vs. salt, and the age‑old dev meme: “pick a build tool, start a war.”