How do I create static and shared libraries in Meson for C++?

Creating static and shared libraries in Meson for C++ is straightforward. Meson is a modern build system that simplifies the build process for projects. Below is a guide on how to set up both static and shared libraries using Meson.

Creating a Static Library

To create a static library in Meson, you will need to define a target using the static_library function in your Meson build configurations.

project('my_static_lib', 'cpp')

# Source files for the static library
src_files = files('src/my_static_lib.cpp')

# Define the static library
static_library = static_library('my_static_lib', src_files)

Creating a Shared Library

Similarly, to create a shared library, you will use the shared_library function. This allows you to create a dynamic shared library that can be used by other applications.

project('my_shared_lib', 'cpp')

# Source files for the shared library
src_files = files('src/my_shared_lib.cpp')

# Define the shared library
shared_library = shared_library('my_shared_lib', src_files)

Building the Libraries

Once you have your Meson build definitions set up, you can build your libraries by running the following commands in your terminal:

meson setup builddir
meson compile -C builddir

This will generate both the static and shared libraries in the specified build directory.