Package managers are tools that automate the process of installing, upgrading, and managing software (libraries, frameworks, and other dependencies) for a programming language, such as C++.
Some popular package managers used in the C++ ecosystem include:
Conan is an open-source, decentralized, cross-platform package manager for C and C++ developers. It simplifies managing dependencies and reusing code, which benefits multi-platform development projects.
For example, installing a library using Conan:
conan install poco/1.9.4@
vcpkg is a cross-platform package manager created by Microsoft. It is an open-source library management system for C++ developers to build and manage their projects.
For example, installing a package using vcpkg:
./vcpkg install boost:x64-windows
cppan is a package manager and software repository for C++ developers, simplifying the process of managing and distributing C++ libraries and tools. It's now part of build2, a build toolchain that provides a package manager.
An example of a cppan.yml file:
#
# cppan.yml
#
project:
api_version: 1
depend:
- pvt.cppan.demo.sqlite3
- pvt.cppan.demo.xz_utils.lzma
With these package managers, you can streamline your development process and easily manage dependencies in your C++ projects. In addition, you can easily reuse the code in your projects to improve code quality and accelerate development.