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diff --git a/Help/index.rst b/Help/index.rst index cc6cee6448..4d9a9c80f5 100644 --- a/Help/index.rst +++ b/Help/index.rst @@ -1,5 +1,34 @@ .. title:: CMake Reference Documentation +Introduction +############ + +CMake is a tool to manage building of source code. Originally, CMake was +designed as a generator for various dialects of ``Makefile``, today +CMake generates modern buildsystems such as ``Ninja`` as well as project +files for IDEs such as Visual Studio and Xcode. + +CMake is widely used for the C and C++ languages, but it may be used to +build source code of other languages too. + +People encountering CMake for the first time may have different initial +goals. To learn how to build a source code package downloaded from the +internet, start with the :guide:`User Interaction Guide`. +This will detail the steps needed to run the :manual:`cmake(1)` or +:manual:`cmake-gui(1)` executable and how to choose a generator, and +how to complete the build. + +The :guide:`Using Dependencies Guide` is aimed at developers +wishing to get started using a third-party library. + +For developers starting a project using CMake, the :guide:`CMake Tutorial` +is a suitable starting point. The :manual:`cmake-buildsystem(7)` +manual is aimed at developers expanding their knowledge of maintaining +a buildsystem and becoming familiar with the build targets that +can be represented in CMake. The :manual:`cmake-packages(7)` manual +explains how to create packages which can easily be consumed by +third-party CMake-based buildsystems. + Command-Line Tools ################## @@ -53,6 +82,8 @@ Reference Manuals :maxdepth: 1 /guide/tutorial/index + /guide/user-interaction/index + /guide/using-dependencies/index .. only:: html or text |