How to generate CMakeList.txt?

Question

C++ / C#

Hello! Question from lammer:
There is an open-source project in C. I need to fix something there and compile it. I downloaded the sources, installed CLion (IDE for C from JetBrains). It says: There is no CMakeList.txt file.
It really does not exist, the project has files Makefile.nmake, Makefile.am, Makefile.in. Is it possible to make CMakeList.txt based on them.
Or am I going in the wrong direction at all? I have never encountered si...

Answer 1

In general, CMake files are written by hand. Projects/build files are then generated for specific toolchains. Perhaps there are some converters in CMakeLists.txt, but I'm not sure if they will give you a good result. If you are going to be serious about the project, it is better to figure it out yourself.
Yes, the presence of CMakeLists is critical for CLion, this IDE is very closely integrated with CMake and this is one of its killer features. Therefore, if there is no opportunity / desire / time to transfer the project to CMake (or you simply cannot influence it), then either write CMake scripts for yourself personally, or use another IDE / editor. It is difficult to give more specific advice without knowing the project and the tasks that you are going to solve in it.