Craft: A Cargo-Like Build Tool for C and C++ Aims to Modernize Native Development

Craft: A Cargo-Like Build Tool for C/C++ That Could Change How We Build Native Software

A developer has built Craft, a build tool for C and C++ that aims to bring the developer experience of Rust Cargo to native languages. The Show HN post has gained 94 points and 83 comments on Hacker News.

What Is Cargo

For non-Rust developers, Cargo is Rust build system and package manager that provides:

• One command build: just works
• Dependency management: declares dependencies, Cargo handles fetching and compiling
• Test runner: runs all tests
• Publishing: shares libraries with the community
• Workspaces: Multi-project management with shared lockfiles

What Craft Does for C/C++

Craft brings similar capabilities to C and C++:

• Simple configuration: YAML or TOML-based project configuration instead of complex Makefiles or CMake
• Dependency management: Automatic fetching and building of libraries
• Cross-compilation: Built-in support for targeting multiple platforms
• Build caching: Incremental builds that only recompile what changed
• Testing integration: Run tests with a single command

The C/C++ Build Problem

Building C and C++ projects has historically been painful:

Community Discussion

The HN thread (83 comments) highlighted several perspectives:

Enthusiasm: Many C/C++ developers crave Cargo-like simplicity

Concerns: Fragmenting the C++ ecosystem with yet another build tool

Comparison with existing tools: Conan (package manager), vcpkg, Buck2, xmake

The real problem: C++ ABI compatibility makes dependency management fundamentally harder than Rust

Why This Matters

If Craft or similar tools succeed, they could:

• Lower the barrier to entry for C/C++ development
• Reduce build system complexity in large projects
• Enable easier cross-platform development
• Make open-source C/C++ libraries easier to consume

Source: HN Show HN / GitHub — 94 points, 83 comments