Create and Manage c++ Project with b2 build

B2 build is a perfect build system to create, manage, upgrade c++ project.

Read first: Build and Install B2 Build

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Create an executable c++ project

Start: create project directory

mkdir my-prj
cd my-prj

Write Jamfile

File: jamroot

exe hello : hello.cpp : <define>cpp_hot : <cxxstd>26 ;

exe is a rule to define an executable target: hello

In b2 build, almost every rule has five paramters, splitted by keyword :

Note that both the left side and right side of : and ; must be blank characters.

First parameter: hello
First parameter is commonly the target name.
Second parameter: hello.cpp
Second paramter is commonly the source list: c++ source file list; and also, another target can be used as the source list too.
Third parameter: <define>cpp_hot
Third parameter commonly lists some requirements that are required to use to built current target, these requirements can not be overrided on commandline. These requirements can be called as requirements
Fourth parameter: <cxxstd>26
4th paramter commonly lists some preferences that are used to build current target, these preferences can be overrided on commandline. There preferences can be called as default-build
5th parameter: none in this example.
5th parameter lists some requirements required by another target that depends on current target: If another target depends on current target, these requirements will be applied to another target.

Write c++

File: hello.cpp

#include <iostream>

int main()
{
	std::cout << "Hello, c++!" << std::endl;
}

Build project

Just run command b2:

> b2

Run pgram:

The compiled program is generated at folder bin, you have to find it.

> ./bin/gcc-16/debug/cxxstd-26-iso/hello
Hello, c++!

Create, manage c++ library project

Init project folders:

mkdir myprj
cd myprj
mkdir include src

File: jamroot

lib foo : src/foo.cpp : <cxxstd>26 <include>./include : : <include>./include ;

exe prog : prog.cpp : <library>foo ;

rule lib defines a target foo.

Because foo is a lib target, the b2 build will generate libfoo.so by default on linux, or related shared library on windows.

<cxxstd>26 in the requirements list: can not be overrided on commandline (in the 3rd paramter);

<include>./include in the requirements list: build current library requires including ./inlcude (in the 3ird parameter);

The 4th parameter is empty;

<include>./include in the list of 5th parameter: if another target depends on this target, it will be applied to another target (in the 5th parameter);

File: include/foo.hpp

#pragma once

namespace dir
{
	class foo
	{
	public:
		void print() const;
	};
};

File: src/foo.cpp

#include <foo.hpp>
#include <iostream>

void dir::foo::print() const
{
	std::cout << "Hello, c++ world!" << std::endl;
}

File: prog.cpp

#include <foo.hpp>

int main()
{
	dir::foo object;
	object.print();
}

Build project:

Just run command b2

b2

Run program:

The program prog is already generated in bin folder, you have to find where it is.

> ./bin/gcc-16/debug/prog
Hello, c++ world!
>

Date

Thu Jun 19 02:12:53 AM UTC 2025

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