Meson
Meson is an open-source build system designed to be fast, user-friendly, and cross-platform, primarily for C, C++, and other compiled languages. It uses a Python-like domain-specific language to define build configurations, automating tasks like dependency resolution, compilation, and linking. It aims to simplify the build process while supporting multiple backends such as Ninja, Visual Studio, and Xcode.
Developers should learn Meson when working on medium to large C/C++ projects that require efficient, cross-platform builds, as it reduces configuration complexity and speeds up compilation times. It is particularly useful in open-source software development, embedded systems, and game engines where build performance and portability are critical. Meson's declarative syntax and automatic dependency handling make it a strong alternative to traditional build systems like Make or CMake.