I am not sure what stops you from using a wrapper script (in Python, portable) and invoking it as a custom target. It works and it is better than much of the CMake juggling.
I think there are a lot of exaggerations around here. I have been a Meson user for long moving from CMake. CMake is quite more frustrating.
> I am not sure what stops you from using a wrapper script (in Python, portable) and invoking it as a custom target
Nothing, when applicable this works and we're doing it already, thank you.
But it doesn't as soon as one needs to abstract over CMake commands themselves (like add this target, set that target property, add this test and so on). Of course we could try to generate CMake files in wrapper scripts, but this is another level of CMake juggling entirely.
> CMake is quite more frustrating.
Could not agree more.
But even more frustrating than CMake programming is Meson checking almost all the boxes yet refusing to provide that last one bit of functionality that would make me switch to it (and giving a wrong justification for it).
I think there are a lot of exaggerations around here. I have been a Meson user for long moving from CMake. CMake is quite more frustrating.