**Course Title:** Build and Package Management in Modern Development **Section Title:** Introduction to Build Management **Topic:** Set up a simple project and manually build it from source.(Lab topic) **Objective:** In this lab topic, we will set up a simple project and manually build it from source. This exercise will help you understand the build process, identify potential challenges, and appreciate the need for automation. By the end of this topic, you will be able to: 1. Create a simple project structure 2. Write build instructions 3. Manually build the project from source 4. Understand the limitations of manual builds **Materials Needed:** * A text editor or IDE (Integrated Development Environment) of your choice (e.g., Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA) * A terminal or command prompt * A simple project to build (e.g., a "Hello World" program in a programming language of your choice) **Step 1: Create a Simple Project Structure** Create a new directory for your project and navigate to it in your terminal or command prompt. Create the following subdirectories: * `src`: for source code * `bin`: for compiled binaries * `lib`: for libraries Your project structure should look like this: ``` myproject/ |--- src/ |--- bin/ |--- lib/ ``` **Step 2: Write Build Instructions** Create a `build.txt` file in the root directory of your project. This file will contain the build instructions. For example, if you're building a C++ program, your `build.txt` file might look like this: ```bash # Compile the source code g++ -c src/main.cpp -o bin/main.o # Link the object file g++ bin/main.o -o bin/myprogram # Copy the executable to the lib directory cp bin/myprogram lib/ ``` **Step 3: Manually Build the Project from Source** Open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the root directory of your project. Run the following command to execute the build instructions: ```bash bash build.txt ``` This will compile and link your source code, creating an executable file in the `bin` directory. **Step 4: Run the Executable** Run the executable file by navigating to the `bin` directory and running the following command: ```bash ./myprogram ``` This should print "Hello World" to the console. **Limitations of Manual Builds** As you can see, manual builds can be time-consuming and error-prone. You have to write and execute build instructions manually, which can lead to mistakes and inconsistencies. Additionally, as your project grows, the build process becomes more complex, making it harder to manage manually. **Conclusion:** In this lab topic, we set up a simple project and manually built it from source. We wrote build instructions, compiled and linked the source code, and executed the resulting executable. We also discussed the limitations of manual builds and how they can be error-prone and time-consuming. **What's Next?** In the next topic, we'll explore Package Management Basics and learn about package managers, which can help automate the build process and manage dependencies. **External Resources:** * [A beginner's guide to build systems](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/a-beginners-guide-to-build-systems/) * [Introduction to automated builds](https://www.atlassian.com/continuous-delivery/continuous-integration/introduction-to-automated-builds) **Do you have any questions or need help with this topic? Leave a comment below.**