This page describes how an AUI application is built.
Trivia#
On this page, libraries and executables are represented with Windows (operating system) file name extensions with shared linking. Other platforms and configurations follow the same principles but with different file types.
- LIBRARY.dll refers to a binary (compiled) representation of LIBRARY
- PROGRAM.exe refers to a binary (compiled) representation of PROGRAM (executable)
Also, on this page, the build system is demonstrated on Minimal UI Template with Assets.
Generic scenario#
The most common and straightforward scenario. CMake handles everything.
This is applicable for most desktop platforms.
flowchart BT
subgraph ide["User's IDE (optional)"]
CLion
VSCode
end
subgraph cmake_cli[CMake CLI]
cmake_configure["mkdir build && cd build && cmake .."]
cmake_build["cmake --build . -t app"]
end
cmake_cli --> ide
auib["aui.boot.cmake"] -->|download aui.boot| cmake_configure
auib_import["auib_import(aui aui-framework/aui)"] -->|import aui| cmake_configure
auib ---> auib_import
subgraph AUI
aui.core.dll
aui.views.dll
aui_other["..."]
aui.toolbox.exe
end
subgraph sys["System Libraries"]
direction LR
c++["C++ STD Lib"]
sys_other[...]
end
subgraph aui_deps["AUI Dependencies"]
direction LR
ZLIB
OpenSSL
deps[...]
end
sys -->|find_package| AUI
aui_deps -->|aui.boot.cmake| AUI
AUI ---> auib_import
AUI ---> app.exe
app.exe --> cmake_build
main.cpp -->|C++ compiler| app.exe
icon.svg.cpp -->|C++ compiler| app.exe
ass_conv[convert icon.svg to icon.svg.cpp] --> icon.svg.cpp
aui.toolbox.exe ---> ass_conv
assets/icon.svg --> ass_conv
Things to note:
- AUI Boot is downloaded in your
CMakeLists.txt, which downloads AUI itself and all its dependencies.
- Among with AUI libraries, there's
aui.toolbox, which participates in the build process. In particular, it converts assets to cpp files, compressing them, making them available in the application, effectively embedding them to the application binary.
Mobile scenario#
On mobile platforms, the build process is overcomplicated by:
- Need to support multiple architectures (ARM, x86, etc)
- Platform specific packaging requirements (APK, IPA)
- Integrating with platform-specific build systems (Gradle, Xcode)
- Interfacing to Kotlin/Swift (Java/Objective-C) from/to C++
- Deliver Kotlin/Swift (Java/Objective-C) platform-specific code through CMake
In this section, we'll consider Android (armv7 + arm64) as the target platform and Windows as the build host platform. On combinations of the other host/target platforms, the build process remains similar.
flowchart BT
gradle_gen --> gradle_build
app.apk --> gradle_build
gradle_build --> as["Android Studio"]
%% app.apk
app.apk
AUI --->|Template| gradle_gen
arm64/libapp.so -->|CMake| app.apk
armv7/libapp.so -->|CMake| app.apk
AUI_arm64 --------->|aui.boot.cmake| arm64/libapp.so
AUI_armv7 --------->|aui.boot.cmake| armv7/libapp.so
%% HOST
AUI ---> auib_import
subgraph cmake_cli[CMake CLI]
cmake_configure["mkdir build && cd build && cmake .. -DAUI_BUILD_FOR=android"]
cmake_build["cmake --build . -t apps"]
end
auib["aui.boot.cmake"] -->|download aui.boot| cmake_configure
auib_import["auib_import(aui aui-framework/aui)"] -->|import aui| cmake_configure
auib --> auib_import
subgraph AUI["AUI (Host)"]
direction LR
aui.core.dll
aui.views.dll
aui.toolbox.exe
gradle_project_template["Android project template"]
end
subgraph sys["System Libraries (Host)"]
direction LR
c++["C++ STD Lib"]
sys_other[...]
end
subgraph aui_deps["AUI Dependencies (Host)"]
direction LR
ZLIB
OpenSSL
deps[...]
end
sys -->|find_package| AUI
aui_deps --->|aui.boot.cmake| AUI
%% arm64
subgraph AUI_arm64["AUI (arm64)"]
direction LR
libaui.core.a_arm64["libaui.core.a"]
libaui.views.a_arm64["libaui.views.a"]
libaui_other_arm64["..."]
end
subgraph sys_arm64["System Libraries (arm64)"]
direction LR
c++_arm64["C++ STD Lib"]
sys_other_arm64[...]
end
subgraph aui_deps_arm64["AUI Dependencies (arm64)"]
direction LR
ZLIB_arm64[ZLIB]
OpenSSL_arm64[OpenSSL]
deps_arm64[...]
end
sys_arm64 -->|find_package| AUI_arm64
aui_deps_arm64 --->|aui.boot.cmake| AUI_arm64
icon.svg.cpp -->|"C++ compiler (arm64)"| arm64/libapp.so
main.cpp -->|"C++ compiler (arm64)"| arm64/libapp.so
%% armv7
subgraph AUI_armv7["AUI (armv7)"]
direction LR
libaui.core.a_armv7["libaui.core.a"]
libaui.views.a_armv7["libaui.views.a"]
libaui_other_armv7["..."]
end
subgraph sys_armv7["System Libraries (armv7)"]
direction LR
c++_armv7["C++ STD Lib"]
sys_other_armv7[...]
end
subgraph aui_deps_armv7["AUI Dependencies (armv7)"]
direction LR
ZLIB_armv7[ZLIB]
OpenSSL_armv7[OpenSSL]
deps_armv7[...]
end
sys_armv7 -->|find_package| AUI_armv7
aui_deps_armv7 --->|aui.boot.cmake| AUI_armv7
main.cpp -->|"C++ compiler (armv7)"| armv7/libapp.so
icon.svg.cpp ---->|"C++ compiler (armv7)"| armv7/libapp.so
ass_conv[convert icon.svg to icon.svg.cpp] --> icon.svg.cpp
assets/icon.svg --> ass_conv
AUI ----->|aui.toolbox.exe | ass_conv
gradle_gen["Generate Gradle Project"] --> cmake_build
gradle_build["./gradle build"] --> cmake_build
Things to note:
- Mobile scenario slightly resembles Generic scenario.
- There are multiple CMake processes: one of the host, which defines
apps meta target, which invokes Gradle, which invokes another CMakes per architecture, supplying CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN.
- There are several AUI instances: for the host platform, arm64 (for the target) and armv7 (for the target).
- The host version of AUI supplies
aui.toolbox, which is used to compile assets; and a copy of Gradle/Xcode project to generate from. Also, this template delivers Kotlin/Swift platform code of AUI.
- Libraries (the components defined with aui_module) are built statically. This is needed to avoid code signing hell on iOS.
- On Android, the application executable (the one defined with aui_executable) is compiled as a shared library, because JVM is the executable of an Android application, which is then loads a shared library containing native code.
