building

name	building
description	Build, test, and run MAGDA DAW. Use when compiling, running tests, or launching the app. Always use Makefile commands, never raw cmake/ninja.

Building MAGDA

Always use Makefile targets. Never use cmake or ninja directly.

Build Commands

Command	Purpose
make debug	Debug build (default)
make release	Release build
make configure	Force CMake reconfigure
make clean	Remove all build artifacts
make rebuild	Clean + debug build

Test Commands

Command	Purpose
make test	Build and run all tests
make test-build	Build tests only
make test-verbose	Run tests with verbose output
make test-list	List all available tests
make test-window	Plugin window tests only
make test-shutdown	Shutdown sequence tests only
make test-threading	Thread safety tests only

Run Commands

Command	Purpose
make run	Build and launch app (GUI)
make run-console	Build and run with stdout visible
make run-profile	Run with performance profiling

Code Quality

Command	Purpose
make format	clang-format all source files
make lint	clang-tidy on all sources
make lint-changed	clang-tidy on modified files only
make lint-file FILE=path	clang-tidy on a specific file

Build Directories

• Debug: cmake-build-debug/
• Release: cmake-build-release/

Key Notes

• Debug build directory is cmake-build-debug, NOT build/
• Test binary is at cmake-build-debug/tests/magda_tests
• App bundle is at cmake-build-debug/magda/daw/magda_daw_app_artefacts/Debug/MAGDA.app
• Pre-commit hooks run clang-format automatically; if commit fails due to formatting, re-stage and commit again

When to Build

• Small cosmetic / non-logic changes (UI sizes, paddings, colors, icon swaps, layout tweaks, comment edits, gitignore, etc.): do NOT build automatically. The user prefers to build these themselves. Just make the change and stop.
• Logic changes (new functions, control flow, state management, threading, audio code, refactors, anything that could compile-fail or introduce bugs): always build to verify it compiles and to catch errors early.
• When unsure, ask the user whether they want you to build.