Conan Basic Usage

Overview

This skill provides guidance on using Conan, the C/C++ package manager. It covers project initialization, dependency management, and package creation.

Quick Start

1. Initialize a Project

To create a standard project structure for a C++ library using CMake:

bash

mkdir myproject && cd myproject
conan new cmake_lib -d name=myproject -d version=0.1

This generates:

•conanfile.py: The package recipe.
•CMakeLists.txt: The build script.
•src/ & include/: Source and header files.
•test_package/: A consumer project to verify the package.

2. Install Dependencies

To install dependencies defined in conanfile.py and build missing binaries:

bash

conan install . --build=missing

3. Create/Build Package

To build the package and export it to your local Conan cache:

bash

conan create .

This runs the build() method in conanfile.py, creates the binary package, and runs the tests in test_package/.

Common Tasks

Managing Dependencies

•Install: Use conan install . to resolve and install dependencies. Add --build=missing to compile from source if binaries aren't available for your configuration.
•Inspect: Use conan graph info . to see the dependency tree.

Remote Management

•List Remotes: conan remote list
•Add Remote: conan remote add <remote_name> <url>
•Upload: conan upload <package_name> -r <remote_name>

Reference

•
Project Structure: Best practices for directory layout. See project-structure.md.
•
Configuration: Core settings, cache location, and profiles. See configuration.md.
•
Runtime & Build Layout: Build directory structure and how to find shared libraries. See runtime-layout.md.
•
Internal Files: Understanding conanmanifest.txt, conaninfo.txt, etc. See internal-files.md.
•
Commands: Comprehensive list of common commands. See commands.md.