I am trying to understand what is the purpose of making files using commands such as cmake .. and make, I have tried looking online but there is no concise explanation on its purpose that i could find.
Also, is it necessary to use make on a project folder that is not built in order to use the source (C++) in other projects.
I know this may be a simplistic question, but as i am fairly new to building files, any information or references would be much appreciated.