Practice Test Geeks(CPP) C++ Programming Professional Certificate Practice Test
← All CPP Flashcard Decks

Build Systems & Package Management Flashcards

7 cards from real CPP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Build Systems & Package Management flashcards as text

  1. What is the purpose of a `CMakePresets.json` file introduced in CMake 3.19?

    Answer: Defines reusable configure, build, and test preset configurations sharable across teams

    `CMakePresets.json` captures named sets of CMake variables and generator options so developers share identical build configurations.

  2. Which Ninja feature makes it faster than recursive Make on large projects?

    Answer: Ninja avoids recursive sub-make invocations and uses a single flat dependency graph

    Ninja's flat, single-graph design eliminates the overhead of recursive make and unnecessary re-evaluations, resulting in faster incremental builds.

  3. In vcpkg, what is a 'triplet' and why does it matter?

    Answer: A specification of target architecture, OS, and linkage (e.g., x64-windows-static) that determines how packages are built

    A vcpkg triplet encodes the target platform and link type (e.g., `x64-linux`, `arm-windows-static`), ensuring packages are compiled for the correct environment.

  4. What does `make -j$(nproc)` accomplish on a Linux system?

    Answer: Launches parallel make jobs up to the number of available CPU cores

    `-j` sets the maximum parallel jobs and `$(nproc)` substitutes the logical CPU count, fully utilizing the machine.

  5. Which CMake command is the modern replacement for the deprecated `include_directories()` global command?

    Answer: target_include_directories()

    `target_include_directories()` is the target-scoped, modern alternative that avoids polluting the global include path.

  6. In Conan, what is the significance of the `build_requires` (or `tool_requires` in v2) section?

    Answer: These are build-time tools (e.g., CMake, Ninja) needed only during compilation, not shipped with the artifact

    `tool_requires` specifies executables like code generators or build tools that are consumed during the build but not part of the deployed package.

  7. What does the CMake variable `CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE` specify?

    Answer: A CMake script that configures compilers and tools for cross-compilation or package manager integration

    `CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE` points to a script run early in configure to set up the compiler, sysroot, and flags, commonly used for cross-compilation or vcpkg integration.