From 5d2dc12becd2339fafe3c3188f7c0e598f8370f5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2025 14:28:27 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 01/17] Modernize CMake configuration and clean up build
 scripts

---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt  | 79 +++++++++++--------
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md       | 16 ++--
 .../app/CMakeLists.txt                        | 16 +++-
 .../doc/CMakeLists.txt                        |  6 +-
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml  |  2 +-
 .../src/CMakeLists.txt                        | 20 ++++-
 .../tests/CMakeLists.txt                      | 27 ++-----
 7 files changed, 95 insertions(+), 71 deletions(-)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
index a53d6c9..3ca2780 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.9)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.23)
 
 # Set a name and a version number for your project:
-project({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} VERSION 0.0.1 LANGUAGES CXX)
+project({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+  VERSION 0.0.1
+  LANGUAGES CXX
+)
 
 {%- if cookiecutter.external_dependency != "None" %}
-
 # Set CMake policies for this project
-
 # We allow <Package>_ROOT (env) variables for locating dependencies
 cmake_policy(SET CMP0074 NEW)
 {%- endif %}
@@ -14,15 +15,14 @@ cmake_policy(SET CMP0074 NEW)
 # Initialize some default paths
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 
-# Define the minimum C++ standard that is required
-set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD {{ cookiecutter.cxx_minimum_standard }})
-set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
-
 {% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" -%}
+# Enable PIC for Python bindings
 set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
 {%- endif %}
 
+{%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" or cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" or cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" %}
 # Compilation options
+{%- endif %}
 {%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
 option(BUILD_PYTHON "Enable building of Python bindings" OFF)
 {%- endif %}
@@ -31,29 +31,35 @@ option(BUILD_DOCS "Enable building of documentation" ON)
 {%- endif %}
 
 {%- if cookiecutter.external_dependency != "None" %}
-
 # Find external dependencies
 find_package({{ cookiecutter.external_dependency }})
 {%- endif %}
 
 {%- if cookiecutter.header_only == "No" %}
-
-# compile the library
+# Compile the library
 add_subdirectory(src)
 {% else %}
 
-# Add an interface target for our header-only library
+# Add an interface target for the header-only library
 add_library({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} INTERFACE)
-target_include_directories({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} INTERFACE
-  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include/>
-  $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}>
+
+# Add the public headers that belong to this library
+target_sources({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+  INTERFACE
+    FILE_SET HEADERS
+    BASE_DIRS include
+    FILES
+      include/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.hpp
 )
+
+# Request a minimum C++ standard for this target
+target_compile_features({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} INTERFACE cxx_std_{{ cookiecutter.cxx_minimum_standard }})
 {%- endif %}
 
-# compile the application
+# Compile the application executable
 add_subdirectory(app)
 
-# compile the tests
+# Compile the tests
 include(CTest)
 if(BUILD_TESTING)
   {%- if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "Yes" %}
@@ -64,14 +70,15 @@ if(BUILD_TESTING)
 endif()
 
 {% if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" -%}
+# Add the documentation
 if(BUILD_DOCS)
-  # Add the documentation
   add_subdirectory(doc)
 endif()
 {%- endif %}
+
 {%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
+# Add Python bindings
 if(BUILD_PYTHON)
-  # Add Python bindings
   find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)
   # Compile the Pybind11 module
   pybind11_add_module(_{{ cookiecutter|modname }} python/{{ cookiecutter|modname }}/_{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.cpp)
@@ -85,55 +92,57 @@ endif()
 # Add an alias target for use if this project is included as a subproject in another project
 add_library({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} ALIAS {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }})
 
-# Install targets and configuration
 {%- if cookiecutter.external_dependency == "None" %}
+# Install the library target and its public headers
 install(
   TARGETS {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
   EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-config
-  RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
-  LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
-  ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
+  FILE_SET HEADERS
 )
 
+# Export the installed target into a simple <Project>-config file, so that find_package({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}) works for consumers
 install(
   EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-config
   NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
   DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
 )
 {%- else %}
+# Install the build target and record it in an export set.
 install(
   TARGETS {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
   EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-targets
-  RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
-  LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
-  ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
+  FILE_SET HEADERS
+)
 
+# Export the target definition so other CMake projects can reconstruct the imported target via find_package()
 install(
   EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-targets
   FILE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets.cmake
   NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
-  DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }})
+  DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+)
 
+# Generate a <Project>Config.cmake file from a template
 include(CMakePackageConfigHelpers)
 configure_package_config_file(
   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake.in
   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake
-  INSTALL_DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }})
+  INSTALL_DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+)
 
+# Install the generated project configuration file alongside the targets
 install(
   FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake
-  DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }})
+  DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+)
 
+# Export targets for the build tree
 export(
   EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-targets
   FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets.cmake
-  NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::)
-{%- endif %}
-
-install(
-  DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/include/
-  DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}
+  NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
 )
+{%- endif %}
 
 # This prints a summary of found dependencies
 include(FeatureSummary)
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md
index 17912f6..e68b105 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 Building {{ cookiecutter.project_name }} requires the following software installed:
 
 * A C++{{ cookiecutter.cxx_minimum_standard }}-compliant compiler
-* CMake `>= 3.9`
+* CMake `>= 3.23`
 {%- if cookiecutter.external_dependency != "None" %}
 * {{ cookiecutter.external_dependency }}
 {%- endif %}
@@ -61,10 +61,8 @@ It assumes that your current working directory is the top-level directory
 of the freshly cloned repository:
 
 ```
-mkdir build
-cd build
-cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
-cmake --build .
+cmake -B build
+cmake --build build
 ```
 
 The build process can be customized with the following CMake variables,
@@ -118,13 +116,13 @@ To build it locally, first ensure the requirements are installed by running this
 pip install -r doc/requirements.txt
 ```
 
-Then build the sphinx documentation from the top-level build directory:
+Then build the sphinx documentation from the top-level directory:
 
 ```
-cmake --build . --target sphinx-doc
+cmake --build build --target sphinx-doc
 ```
 
-The web documentation can then be browsed by opening `doc/sphinx/index.html` in your browser.
+The web documentation can then be browsed by opening `build/doc/sphinx/index.html` in your browser.
 {% elif cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" %}
 {{ cookiecutter.project_name }} provides a Doxygen documentation. You can build
 the documentation locally by making sure that `Doxygen` is installed on your system
@@ -134,7 +132,7 @@ and running this command from the top-level build directory:
 cmake --build . --target doxygen
 ```
 
-The web documentation can then be browsed by opening `doc/html/index.html` in your browser.
+The web documentation can then be browsed by opening `build/doc/html/index.html` in your browser.
 {% else %}
 {{ cookiecutter.project_name }} *should* provide a documentation.
 {% endif -%}
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/app/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/app/CMakeLists.txt
index 6ad2c76..7cf57e7 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/app/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/app/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,14 @@
-add_executable({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_app {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_app.cpp)
-target_link_libraries({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_app PRIVATE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }})
+# Declare an executable target
+add_executable({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_app)
+
+# Add source files to the executable target
+target_sources({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_app
+  PRIVATE
+    {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_app.cpp
+)
+
+# Link the executable against the library
+target_link_libraries({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_app
+  PRIVATE
+    {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+)
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
index 7793e77..0b213c1 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,8 +5,12 @@ set(DOXYGEN_SHORT_NAMES YES)
 {% if cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" -%}
 set(DOXYGEN_GENERATE_XML YES)
 {%- endif %}
+
 doxygen_add_docs(doxygen
-  ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+  ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include
+{%- if cookiecutter.header_only == "No" %}
+  ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src
+{%- endif %}
   WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
   COMMENT Building doxygen documentation...
 )
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml
index 4dda9b1..67fc415 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ dependencies = []
 
 # The configuration for the scikit-build-core build process
 [tool.scikit-build]
-cmake.version = ">=3.9"
+cmake.version = ">=3.23"
 build.verbose = true
 
 [tool.scikit-build.cmake.define]
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/CMakeLists.txt
index afe63b1..7b2bccc 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
-add_library({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.cpp)
-target_include_directories({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} PUBLIC
-  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include/>
-  $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}>
+# Declare a new library target
+add_library({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }})
+
+# Add the implementation file and mark the public headers that belong to this library
+target_sources({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+  PRIVATE
+    {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.cpp
+
+  PUBLIC
+    FILE_SET HEADERS
+    BASE_DIRS ../include
+    FILES
+      ../include/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.hpp
 )
+
+# Request a minimum C++ standard for this target
+target_compile_features({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} PUBLIC cxx_std_{{ cookiecutter.cxx_minimum_standard }})
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 3b7ca76..bf87b76 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,36 +1,25 @@
 {%- if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "No" %}
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Enable CMake's FetchContent module, which allows downloading dependencies like
-# Catch2 automatically at configure time.
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Enable CMake's FetchContent module, which allows downloading dependencies like Catch2 automatically at configure time.
 include(FetchContent)
 
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Declare a dependency on Catch2 via FetchContent. This will clone the Catch2
-# GitHub repository during configuration.
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Declare a dependency on Catch2 via FetchContent. This will clone the Catch2 GitHub repository during configuration.
 FetchContent_Declare(
   Catch2
   GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2.git
   GIT_TAG v{{ cookiecutter._catch_version }})
 
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Make Catch2 available in this project. This defines the CMake targets like
-# Catch2::Catch2 and Catch2::Catch2WithMain.
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Make Catch2 available in this project. This defines the CMake targets like Catch2::Catch2 and Catch2::Catch2WithMain.
 FetchContent_MakeAvailable(Catch2)
 
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Make Catch2 available in this project. This defines the CMake targets like
-# Catch2::Catch2 and Catch2::Catch2WithMain.
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Make Catch2 available in this project. This defines the CMake targets like Catch2::Catch2 and Catch2::Catch2WithMain.
 include(Catch)
 {%- endif %}
 
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Create a single test binary that compiles all test files.
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-add_executable(tests {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_t.cpp)
+add_executable(tests)
+
+# Add the implementation file
+target_sources(tests PRIVATE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_t.cpp)
 
 # Link the test binary
 target_link_libraries(tests PUBLIC {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} Catch2::Catch2WithMain)

From a52bf5a4e0b1e36dd0dc72338f54e589d8e37b4c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2025 14:37:14 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 02/17] Remove setting CMP0074 to NEW explicitly, as it the
 default for CMake > 3.12

---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt | 6 ------
 1 file changed, 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
index 3ca2780..0944d84 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,12 +6,6 @@ project({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
   LANGUAGES CXX
 )
 
-{%- if cookiecutter.external_dependency != "None" %}
-# Set CMake policies for this project
-# We allow <Package>_ROOT (env) variables for locating dependencies
-cmake_policy(SET CMP0074 NEW)
-{%- endif %}
-
 # Initialize some default paths
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 

From ec150ef40c0be5b6bd6a42b3e02192759d42472d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:19:46 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 03/17] Since Catch2 is installed via FetchContent or included
 as a git submodule, we do not have to install it manually in CI

---
 .github/workflows/ci.yml                      | 23 -----------
 .../.github/workflows/ci.yml                  | 38 -------------------
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml  | 11 ------
 .../tests/CMakeLists.txt                      |  4 +-
 4 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 74 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 1f11500..251fef3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ on:
   schedule:
   - cron: "0 5 * * 1"
 
-env:
-  CATCH2_VERSION: 3.11.0
-
 jobs:
   test:
     name: Testing on ${{ matrix.os }} with Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
@@ -46,26 +43,6 @@ jobs:
 
     - uses: ssciwr/doxygen-install@v1
 
-    - name: Install Catch2 (Linux + MacOS)
-      if: runner.os != 'Windows'
-      run: |
-        git clone -b v$CATCH2_VERSION https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2.git
-        cd Catch2
-        mkdir build
-        cd build
-        cmake -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF  ..
-        sudo cmake --build . --target install
-
-    - name: Install Catch2 (Windows)
-      if: runner.os == 'Windows'
-      run: |
-        git clone -b v$Env:CATCH2_VERSION https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2.git
-        cd Catch2
-        mkdir build
-        cd build
-        cmake -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF  ..
-        cmake --build . --target install
-
     - name: Set up git identity
       run: |
         git config --global user.email "ssc@citestuser.com"
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index ad6d673..ba98713 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -12,11 +12,6 @@ on:
   # as well as upon manual triggers through the 'Actions' tab of the Github UI
   workflow_dispatch:
 
-{%- if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "No" %}
-env:
-  CATCH2_VERSION: {{ cookiecutter._catch_version }}
-{%- endif %}
-
 jobs:
   build-and-test:
     name: Testing on ${{ "{{matrix.os}}" }}
@@ -32,28 +27,6 @@ jobs:
         submodules: 'recursive'
 {%- endif %}
 
-{% if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "No" %}
-    - name: Install Catch2 (Linux + MacOS)
-      if: runner.os != 'Windows'
-      run: |
-        git clone -b v$CATCH2_VERSION https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2.git
-        cd Catch2
-        mkdir build
-        cd build
-        cmake -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF  ..
-        sudo cmake --build . --target install
-
-    - name: Install Catch2 (Windows)
-      if: runner.os == 'Windows'
-      run: |
-        git clone -b v$Env:CATCH2_VERSION https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2.git
-        cd Catch2
-        mkdir build
-        cd build
-        cmake -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF  ..
-        cmake --build . --target install
-{%- endif %}
-
     - name: make build directory
       run: cmake -E make_directory ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
 
@@ -115,17 +88,6 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         sudo apt-get install -y lcov
 
-{% if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "No" %}
-    - name: Install Catch2
-      run: |
-        git clone -b v$CATCH2_VERSION https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2.git
-        cd Catch2
-        mkdir build
-        cd build
-        cmake -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF  ..
-        sudo cmake --build . --target install
-{%- endif %}
-
 {% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
     - name: Install Python package editable
       run: |
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 1172b1f..ce89ce3 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 variables:
 {%- if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "Yes" %}
   GIT_SUBMODULE_STRATEGY: recursive
-{%- else %}
-  CATCH2_VERSION: {{ cookiecutter._catch_version }}
 {%- endif %}
 
 .template: &template
@@ -13,15 +11,6 @@ variables:
     - echo "Installing potential dependencies..."
 {% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
     - apt install -y python3-dev
-{%- endif %}
-{% if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "No" %}
-    - git clone -b v$CATCH2_VERSION https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2.git
-    - cd Catch2
-    - mkdir build
-    - cd build
-    - cmake -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF ..
-    - make install
-    - cd ../..
 {%- endif %}
   script:
     - cmake -E make_directory build
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index bf87b76..426bbd8 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ FetchContent_Declare(
   GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2.git
   GIT_TAG v{{ cookiecutter._catch_version }})
 
-# Make Catch2 available in this project. This defines the CMake targets like Catch2::Catch2 and Catch2::Catch2WithMain.
+# Make Catch2 available in this project. This defines the imported targets Catch2::Catch2 and Catch2::Catch2WithMain.
 FetchContent_MakeAvailable(Catch2)
 
-# Make Catch2 available in this project. This defines the CMake targets like Catch2::Catch2 and Catch2::Catch2WithMain.
+# Include Catch2's CMake helper functions (e.g. catch_discover_tests).
 include(Catch)
 {%- endif %}
 

From 7bf6b40e46510568dac6d1d020fc6d2269e5784b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:19:24 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 04/17] Reflect changed available C++ standards, with C++14
 being the default and minimum

---
 README.md | 6 +++---
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6379085..382046e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ In order to use this C++ Project Cookiecutter you need the following software in
 In addition, the project that is generated from this cookiecutter will require the following software:
 
 * A C++ compiler, e.g. `g++` or `clang++`
-* CMake `>= 3.9`
+* CMake `>= 3.23`
 * Doxygen (optional, but recommended)
 
 # Using C++ Project Cookiecutter
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ This cookiecutter accepts the following configuration options:
 * `gitlab_ci`: Whether to add a CI workflow for GitLab CI
 * `readthedocs`: Whether to create a Sphinx-documentation that can automatically be deployed to readthedocs.org
 * `doxygen`: Whether a Doxygen documentation should be extracted from the project
-* `cxx_minimum_standard`: The minimum C++ standard required for this project. It can be chosen from `11` (default), `14`, `17` and `20`.
-  `C++03` and earlier are not supported, because the generated project will depend on libraries that require `C++11` ([Catch2](https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2)
+* `cxx_minimum_standard`: The minimum C++ standard required for this project. It can be chosen from `14` (default), `17`, `20` and `23`.
+  `C++11` and earlier are not supported, because the generated project will depend on libraries that require `C++14` ([Catch2](https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2)
   for testing and [pybind11](https://github.com/pybind/pybind11) for potential Python bindings).
 * `python_bindings`: Whether to automatically add a PyBind11-based Python binding package.
 * `pypi_release`: Whether to add an automatic PyPI deploy workflow to the CI system.

From ab0cf74c267bf8bcf1b15262cfae35a4f57c626c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:36:18 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 05/17] cmake: namespace targets, scope options, and guard
 app/docs builds

---
 .../.github/workflows/ci.yml                  |  6 ++---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml  |  2 +-
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt  | 26 ++++++++++++++-----
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md       | 10 +++----
 .../doc/CMakeLists.txt                        |  6 ++---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/conf.py     |  4 +--
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml  | 10 +++----
 .../tests/CMakeLists.txt                      | 10 ++++---
 8 files changed, 44 insertions(+), 30 deletions(-)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index ba98713..9d0cc2f 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: configure cmake
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
-      run: cmake $GITHUB_WORKSPACE -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -DBUILD_DOCS=OFF
+      run: cmake $GITHUB_WORKSPACE -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS=OFF
 
     - name: build
       shell: bash
@@ -99,14 +99,14 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         python -m pytest --cov --cov-report=xml
 {% else %}
-    - name: Creat cmake build directory
+    - name: Create cmake build directory
       run: cmake -E make_directory ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
 
     - name: configure cmake
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
       run: |
-        cmake $GITHUB_WORKSPACE -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="--coverage" -DBUILD_DOCS=OFF
+        cmake $GITHUB_WORKSPACE -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="--coverage" -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS=OFF
 
     - name: build
       shell: bash
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
index ce89ce3..a24add5 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ variables:
   script:
     - cmake -E make_directory build
     - cd build
-    - cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -DBUILD_DOCS=OFF ..
+    - cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS=OFF ..
     - cmake --build .
     - ctest
 
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
index 0944d84..2a27906 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,10 +18,20 @@ set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
 # Compilation options
 {%- endif %}
 {%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
-option(BUILD_PYTHON "Enable building of Python bindings" OFF)
+if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
+  option({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON "Enable building of Python bindings" ON)
+else()
+  option({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON "Enable building of Python bindings" OFF)
+endif() 
 {%- endif %}
+
+
 {%- if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" or cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" %}
-option(BUILD_DOCS "Enable building of documentation" ON)
+if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
+  option({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS "Enable building of documentation" ON)
+else()
+  option({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS "Enable building of documentation" OFF)
+endif() 
 {%- endif %}
 
 {%- if cookiecutter.external_dependency != "None" %}
@@ -50,12 +60,14 @@ target_sources({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
 target_compile_features({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} INTERFACE cxx_std_{{ cookiecutter.cxx_minimum_standard }})
 {%- endif %}
 
-# Compile the application executable
-add_subdirectory(app)
+if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
+  # Compile the application executable
+  add_subdirectory(app)
+endif()
 
 # Compile the tests
 include(CTest)
-if(BUILD_TESTING)
+if({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_TESTING)
   {%- if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "Yes" %}
   add_subdirectory(ext/Catch2)
   include(./ext/Catch2/extras/Catch.cmake)
@@ -65,14 +77,14 @@ endif()
 
 {% if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" -%}
 # Add the documentation
-if(BUILD_DOCS)
+if({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS)
   add_subdirectory(doc)
 endif()
 {%- endif %}
 
 {%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
 # Add Python bindings
-if(BUILD_PYTHON)
+if({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON)
   find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)
   # Compile the Pybind11 module
   pybind11_add_module(_{{ cookiecutter|modname }} python/{{ cookiecutter|modname }}/_{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.cpp)
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md
index e68b105..9736c0e 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Building {{ cookiecutter.project_name }} requires the following software install
 * The testing framework [Catch2](https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2) for building the test suite
 {%- endif %}
 {%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" -%}
-* Python `>= 3.8` for building Python bindings
+* Python `>= 3.10` for building Python bindings
 {%- endif %}
 
 # Building {{ cookiecutter.project_name }}
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@ cmake --build build
 The build process can be customized with the following CMake variables,
 which can be set by adding `-D<var>={ON, OFF}` to the `cmake` call:
 
-* `BUILD_TESTING`: Enable building of the test suite (default: `ON`)
+* `{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_TESTING`: Enable building of the test suite (default: `ON`)
 {%- if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" or cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" %}
-* `BUILD_DOCS`: Enable building the documentation (default: `ON`)
+* `{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS`: Enable building the documentation (default: `ON`)
 {%- endif %}
 {%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
-* `BUILD_PYTHON`: Enable building the Python bindings (default: `ON`)
+* `{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON`: Enable building the Python bindings (default: `ON`)
 {%- endif %}
 
 {% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ python -m pip install .
 
 # Testing {{ cookiecutter.project_name }}
 
-When built according to the above explanation (with `-DBUILD_TESTING=ON`),
+When built according to the above explanation (with `-D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_TESTING=ON`),
 the C++ test suite of `{{ cookiecutter.project_name }}` can be run using
 `ctest` from the build directory:
 
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
index 0b213c1..0e1966e 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ set(DOXYGEN_SHORT_NAMES YES)
 set(DOXYGEN_GENERATE_XML YES)
 {%- endif %}
 
-doxygen_add_docs(doxygen
+doxygen_add_docs({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-doxygen
   ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include
 {%- if cookiecutter.header_only == "No" %}
   ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ doxygen_add_docs(doxygen
   COMMENT Building doxygen documentation...
 )
 {% if cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" -%}
-add_custom_target(sphinx-doc
+add_custom_target({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-sphinx-doc
                   COMMAND
                   sphinx-build -b html
                   -Dbreathe_projects.{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}="${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/xml"
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@ add_custom_target(sphinx-doc
                   WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
                   COMMENT "Generating documentation with Sphinx..."
                   )
-add_dependencies(sphinx-doc doxygen)
+add_dependencies({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-sphinx-doc {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-doxygen)
 {%- endif %}
 {%- endif -%}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/conf.py b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/conf.py
index da38342..3a71811 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/conf.py
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/conf.py
@@ -67,6 +67,6 @@
     cwd = os.getcwd()
     os.makedirs("build-cmake", exist_ok=True)
     builddir = os.path.join(cwd, "build-cmake")
-    subprocess.check_call("cmake -DBUILD_DOCS=ON -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF {% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == 'Yes' %}-DBUILD_PYTHON=OFF{% endif %} ../..".split(), cwd=builddir)
-    subprocess.check_call("cmake --build . --target doxygen".split(), cwd=builddir)
+    subprocess.check_call("cmake -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS=ON -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_TESTING=OFF {% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == 'Yes' %}-D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON=OFF{% endif %} ../..".split(), cwd=builddir)
+    subprocess.check_call("cmake --build . --target {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-doxygen".split(), cwd=builddir)
     breathe_projects["{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"] = os.path.join(builddir, "doc", "xml")
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml
index 67fc415..b0017d5 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ readme = "README.md"
 maintainers = [
     { name = "{{ cookiecutter.full_name}}", email = "your@email.com" },
 ]
-requires-python = ">=3.9"
+requires-python = ">=3.10"
 {%- if cookiecutter.license != "None" %}
 license-files = ["LICEN[CS]E*"]
 {%- if cookiecutter.license == "MIT" %}
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ cmake.version = ">=3.23"
 build.verbose = true
 
 [tool.scikit-build.cmake.define]
-BUILD_PYTHON = "ON"
-BUILD_TESTING = "OFF"
-BUILD_DOCS = "OFF"
+{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON = "ON"
+{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_TESTING = "OFF"
+{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS = "OFF"
 
 # The following is the configuration for the pytest test suite
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ testpaths = ["tests/python"]
 build-verbosity = 3
 
 # We restrict ourselves to recent Python versions
-skip = "pp* *p27-* cp35-* cp36-* cp37-* cp38-* *musllinux*"
+skip = "pp* *p27-* cp35-* cp36-* cp37-* cp38-* cp39-* *musllinux*"
 
 # Testing commands for our wheels
 test-command = "pytest {package}/tests/python"
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 426bbd8..dc12b70 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,13 +16,15 @@ include(Catch)
 {%- endif %}
 
 # Create a single test binary that compiles all test files.
-add_executable(tests)
+add_executable({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests)
 
 # Add the implementation file
-target_sources(tests PRIVATE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_t.cpp)
+target_sources({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests PRIVATE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_t.cpp)
 
 # Link the test binary
-target_link_libraries(tests PUBLIC {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} Catch2::Catch2WithMain)
+target_link_libraries({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests PUBLIC {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} Catch2::Catch2WithMain)
 
 # allow user to run tests with `make test` or `ctest`
-catch_discover_tests(tests)
+catch_discover_tests({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests
+  TEST_PREFIX "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}."
+)

From 79c8a6597586316f45e45aa0130006b7bf82d697 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:37:11 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 06/17] enable modern pybind11 FindPython

---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt | 1 +
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
index 2a27906..e299dfe 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ endif()
 {%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
 # Add Python bindings
 if({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON)
+  set(PYBIND11_FINDPYTHON ON)
   find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)
   # Compile the Pybind11 module
   pybind11_add_module(_{{ cookiecutter|modname }} python/{{ cookiecutter|modname }}/_{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.cpp)

From 0e86c22d0352b7272dd31810be7b4b311ac70b1e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:31:29 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 07/17] Format CMLs such that baked projects have always
 exactly one blank line between cmake commands

---
 tests/test_bake_project.py                    |  6 ++-
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt  | 53 ++++++++-----------
 .../doc/CMakeLists.txt                        |  3 +-
 .../tests/CMakeLists.txt                      |  7 ++-
 4 files changed, 33 insertions(+), 36 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tests/test_bake_project.py b/tests/test_bake_project.py
index 31d9195..ad060b9 100644
--- a/tests/test_bake_project.py
+++ b/tests/test_bake_project.py
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ def test_readthedocs(cookies):
     )
     check_bake(bake)
     with inside_bake(bake):
-        build_cmake(target='sphinx-doc')
+        project = bake.context['project_slug']
+        build_cmake(target=f'{project}-sphinx-doc')
         assert os.path.exists(os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "doc", "sphinx", "index.html"))
 
 
@@ -136,7 +137,8 @@ def test_doxygen(cookies):
     )
     check_bake(bake)
     with inside_bake(bake):
-        build_cmake(target='doxygen')
+        project = bake.context['project_slug']
+        build_cmake(target=f'{project}-doxygen')
         assert os.path.exists(os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "doc", "html", "index.html"))
 
 
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
index e299dfe..ccd4474 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,38 +8,32 @@ project({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
 
 # Initialize some default paths
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
+{%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
 
-{% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" -%}
 # Enable PIC for Python bindings
 set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
-{%- endif %}
 
-{%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" or cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" or cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" %}
-# Compilation options
-{%- endif %}
-{%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
 if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
   option({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON "Enable building of Python bindings" ON)
 else()
   option({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON "Enable building of Python bindings" OFF)
-endif() 
-{%- endif %}
-
+endif()
+{%- endif -%}
+{% if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" or cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" %}
 
-{%- if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" or cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" %}
 if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
   option({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS "Enable building of documentation" ON)
 else()
   option({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS "Enable building of documentation" OFF)
-endif() 
+endif()
 {%- endif %}
-
 {%- if cookiecutter.external_dependency != "None" %}
+
 # Find external dependencies
 find_package({{ cookiecutter.external_dependency }})
 {%- endif %}
-
 {%- if cookiecutter.header_only == "No" %}
+
 # Compile the library
 add_subdirectory(src)
 {% else %}
@@ -65,26 +59,26 @@ if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
   add_subdirectory(app)
 endif()
 
-# Compile the tests
-include(CTest)
-if({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_TESTING)
+if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
+  # Compile the tests
+  include(CTest)
+  if({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_TESTING)
   {%- if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "Yes" %}
-  add_subdirectory(ext/Catch2)
-  include(./ext/Catch2/extras/Catch.cmake)
+    add_subdirectory(ext/Catch2)
   {%- endif %}
-  add_subdirectory(tests)
+    add_subdirectory(tests)
+  endif()
 endif()
+{%- if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" %}
 
-{% if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" -%}
 # Add the documentation
-if({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS)
+if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL AND {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS)
   add_subdirectory(doc)
 endif()
 {%- endif %}
-
-{%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
+{% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
 # Add Python bindings
-if({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON)
+if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL AND {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON)
   set(PYBIND11_FINDPYTHON ON)
   find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)
   # Compile the Pybind11 module
@@ -94,12 +88,10 @@ if({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON)
   # Install the Python module shared library
   install(TARGETS _{{ cookiecutter|modname }} DESTINATION .)
 endif()
-{%- endif %}
-
+{% endif %}
 # Add an alias target for use if this project is included as a subproject in another project
 add_library({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} ALIAS {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }})
-
-{%- if cookiecutter.external_dependency == "None" %}
+{% if cookiecutter.external_dependency == "None" %}
 # Install the library target and its public headers
 install(
   TARGETS {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
@@ -113,7 +105,7 @@ install(
   NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
   DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
 )
-{%- else %}
+{% else %}
 # Install the build target and record it in an export set.
 install(
   TARGETS {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
@@ -149,8 +141,7 @@ export(
   FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets.cmake
   NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
 )
-{%- endif %}
-
+{% endif %}
 # This prints a summary of found dependencies
 include(FeatureSummary)
 feature_summary(WHAT ALL)
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
index 0e1966e..642b2ea 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ doxygen_add_docs({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-doxygen
   WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
   COMMENT Building doxygen documentation...
 )
-{% if cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" -%}
+{%- if cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" %}
+
 add_custom_target({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-sphinx-doc
                   COMMAND
                   sphinx-build -b html
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index dc12b70..2543f00 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{%- if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "No" %}
+{%- if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "No" -%}
 # Enable CMake's FetchContent module, which allows downloading dependencies like Catch2 automatically at configure time.
 include(FetchContent)
 
@@ -11,8 +11,11 @@ FetchContent_Declare(
 # Make Catch2 available in this project. This defines the imported targets Catch2::Catch2 and Catch2::Catch2WithMain.
 FetchContent_MakeAvailable(Catch2)
 
-# Include Catch2's CMake helper functions (e.g. catch_discover_tests).
+# Include Catch2's CMake helper functions (e.g., catch_discover_tests).
 include(Catch)
+
+{%- else -%}
+include(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/ext/Catch2/extras/Catch.cmake)
 {%- endif %}
 
 # Create a single test binary that compiles all test files.

From a2841d0fa5d4cb2a90c2f533d3d5551efa1b4504 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:32:39 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 08/17] Remove cmake-format and cmake-lint pre-commit hooks

---
 .../.pre-commit-config.yaml                    |  6 ------
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt   | 14 ++++++++++----
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md        |  2 +-
 .../doc/CMakeLists.txt                         | 18 +++++++++---------
 .../src/CMakeLists.txt                         |  5 ++++-
 .../tests/CMakeLists.txt                       | 11 +++++++++--
 6 files changed, 33 insertions(+), 23 deletions(-)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index eca991b..f2c2945 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -33,12 +33,6 @@ repos:
       # Unify file endings
       - id: end-of-file-fixer
 
-  # CMake Formatting/Linting Utility
-  - repo: https://github.com/cheshirekow/cmake-format-precommit
-    rev: v0.6.13
-    hooks:
-      - id: cmake-format
-      - id: cmake-lint
 {%- if cookiecutter.github_actions_ci == "Yes" %}
 
   # GitHub Actions Workflow linter
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
index ccd4474..1d7c3ce 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@ target_sources({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
 )
 
 # Request a minimum C++ standard for this target
-target_compile_features({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} INTERFACE cxx_std_{{ cookiecutter.cxx_minimum_standard }})
+target_compile_features({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+  INTERFACE
+    cxx_std_{{ cookiecutter.cxx_minimum_standard }}
+)
 {%- endif %}
 
 if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
@@ -83,7 +86,10 @@ if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL AND {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON)
   find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)
   # Compile the Pybind11 module
   pybind11_add_module(_{{ cookiecutter|modname }} python/{{ cookiecutter|modname }}/_{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.cpp)
-  target_link_libraries(_{{ cookiecutter|modname }} PUBLIC {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }})
+  target_link_libraries(_{{ cookiecutter|modname }}
+    PUBLIC
+      {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+  )
 
   # Install the Python module shared library
   install(TARGETS _{{ cookiecutter|modname }} DESTINATION .)
@@ -102,8 +108,8 @@ install(
 # Export the installed target into a simple <Project>-config file, so that find_package({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}) works for consumers
 install(
   EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-config
-  NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
   DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+  NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
 )
 {% else %}
 # Install the build target and record it in an export set.
@@ -117,8 +123,8 @@ install(
 install(
   EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-targets
   FILE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets.cmake
-  NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
   DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+  NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
 )
 
 # Generate a <Project>Config.cmake file from a template
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md
index 9736c0e..0c36fd0 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/README.md
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ Building {{ cookiecutter.project_name }} requires the following software install
 {%- if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "No" %}
 * The testing framework [Catch2](https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2) for building the test suite
 {%- endif %}
-{%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" -%}
+{%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
 * Python `>= 3.10` for building Python bindings
 {%- endif %}
 
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
index 642b2ea..a28041e 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/doc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,15 +17,15 @@ doxygen_add_docs({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-doxygen
 {%- if cookiecutter.readthedocs == "Yes" %}
 
 add_custom_target({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-sphinx-doc
-                  COMMAND
-                  sphinx-build -b html
-                  -Dbreathe_projects.{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}="${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/xml"
-                  -c ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
-                  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
-                  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/sphinx
-                  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
-                  COMMENT "Generating documentation with Sphinx..."
-                  )
+  COMMAND
+    sphinx-build -b html
+    -Dbreathe_projects.{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}="${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/xml"
+    -c ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/sphinx
+  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
+  COMMENT "Generating documentation with Sphinx..."
+)
 add_dependencies({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-sphinx-doc {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-doxygen)
 {%- endif %}
 {%- endif -%}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 7b2bccc..8c53dac 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,4 +14,7 @@ target_sources({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
 )
 
 # Request a minimum C++ standard for this target
-target_compile_features({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} PUBLIC cxx_std_{{ cookiecutter.cxx_minimum_standard }})
+target_compile_features({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+  PUBLIC
+    cxx_std_{{ cookiecutter.cxx_minimum_standard }}
+)
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 2543f00..55bddce 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,10 +22,17 @@ include(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/ext/Catch2/extras/Catch.cmake)
 add_executable({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests)
 
 # Add the implementation file
-target_sources({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests PRIVATE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_t.cpp)
+target_sources({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests
+  PRIVATE
+    {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_t.cpp
+)
 
 # Link the test binary
-target_link_libraries({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests PUBLIC {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} Catch2::Catch2WithMain)
+target_link_libraries({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests
+  PUBLIC
+    {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+    Catch2::Catch2WithMain
+)
 
 # allow user to run tests with `make test` or `ctest`
 catch_discover_tests({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests

From 1596acf761d66f943d314930db68586a18870365 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:41:08 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 09/17] Modernize target exports and installation

---
 cookiecutter.json                             |  4 +-
 hooks/post_gen_project.py                     |  1 -
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt  | 53 +++++++++----------
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/TODO.md         |  6 +--
 ...cookiecutter.project_slug}}Config.cmake.in |  8 +++
 ...cookiecutter.project_slug}}Config.cmake.in | 15 ------
 6 files changed, 37 insertions(+), 50 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/cmake/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}Config.cmake.in
 delete mode 100644 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}Config.cmake.in

diff --git a/cookiecutter.json b/cookiecutter.json
index 5fe092a..47eddbf 100644
--- a/cookiecutter.json
+++ b/cookiecutter.json
@@ -21,6 +21,6 @@
         "local_extensions.CurrentDateExtension"
     ],
     "__python_module": "{{ cookiecutter|modname }}",
-    "_catch_version": "3.11.0",
-    "_cibuildwheel_version": "3.3.0"
+    "_catch_version": "3.12.0",
+    "_cibuildwheel_version": "3.3.1"
 }
diff --git a/hooks/post_gen_project.py b/hooks/post_gen_project.py
index 3bba2bc..01ad4f0 100644
--- a/hooks/post_gen_project.py
+++ b/hooks/post_gen_project.py
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ def conditional_remove(condition, path):
 conditional_remove("{{ cookiecutter.pypi_release }}" != "Yes", ".github/workflows/pypi.yml")
 conditional_remove("{{ cookiecutter.codecovio }}" == "No", "codecov.yml")
 conditional_remove("{{ cookiecutter.github_actions_ci }}" == "No", ".github")
-conditional_remove("{{ cookiecutter.external_dependency }}" == "None", "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake.in")
 conditional_remove(not {{ have_precommit }}, ".pre-commit-config.yaml")
 conditional_remove(os.stat("TODO.md").st_size == 0, "TODO.md")
 
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
index 1d7c3ce..75e3dc6 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -97,57 +97,52 @@ endif()
 {% endif %}
 # Add an alias target for use if this project is included as a subproject in another project
 add_library({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} ALIAS {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }})
-{% if cookiecutter.external_dependency == "None" %}
-# Install the library target and its public headers
-install(
-  TARGETS {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
-  EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-config
-  FILE_SET HEADERS
-)
 
-# Export the installed target into a simple <Project>-config file, so that find_package({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}) works for consumers
-install(
-  EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-config
-  DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
-  NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
-)
-{% else %}
-# Install the build target and record it in an export set.
+# Install the target and headers
 install(
   TARGETS {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
-  EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-targets
+  EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets
   FILE_SET HEADERS
 )
 
-# Export the target definition so other CMake projects can reconstruct the imported target via find_package()
+# Install the exported targets (this creates {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets.cmake)
 install(
-  EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-targets
-  FILE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets.cmake
+  EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets
   DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
   NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
 )
 
-# Generate a <Project>Config.cmake file from a template
+# Include helpers for calling configure_package_config_file
 include(CMakePackageConfigHelpers)
+
+# Generate the {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake file
 configure_package_config_file(
-  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake.in
+  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake.in
   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake
   INSTALL_DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
 )
 
-# Install the generated project configuration file alongside the targets
+# Install the generated Config file
 install(
-  FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake
+  FILES
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake
   DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
 )
 
-# Export targets for the build tree
-export(
-  EXPORT {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}-targets
-  FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets.cmake
-  NAMESPACE {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::
+# Generate a version file
+write_basic_package_version_file(
+  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}ConfigVersion.cmake
+  VERSION ${PROJECT_VERSION}
+  COMPATIBILITY SameMajorVersion
 )
-{% endif %}
+
+# Install the version file
+install(
+  FILES
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}ConfigVersion.cmake
+  DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+)
+
 # This prints a summary of found dependencies
 include(FeatureSummary)
 feature_summary(WHAT ALL)
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/TODO.md b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/TODO.md
index 8192e76..45833ad 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/TODO.md
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/TODO.md
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ The following tasks need to be done to get a fully working project:
 {%- endif %}
 * Make sure that the following software is installed on your computer:
   * A C++-{{ cookiecutter.cxx_minimum_standard}}-compliant C++ compiler
-  * CMake `>= 3.9`
+  * CMake `>= 3.23`
 {%- if cookiecutter.use_submodules == "No" %}
   * The testing framework [Catch2](https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2)
 {%- endif %}
 {%- if cookiecutter.external_dependency != "None" %}
-  * Adapt your list of external dependencies in `CMakeLists.txt` and `{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake.in`.
+  * Adapt your list of external dependencies in `CMakeLists.txt` and `cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake.in`.
     You can e.g.
     * Link your library or applications to your dependency. For this to work, you need
       to see if your dependency exports targets and what their name is. As this is highly
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ The following tasks need to be done to get a fully working project:
     * Add more dependencies in analogy to `{{ cookiecutter.external_dependency }}`
     * Make dependencies requirements by adding `REQUIRED` to `find_package()`
     * Add version constraints to dependencies by adding `VERSION` to `find_package()`
-    * Make a dependency a pure build time dependency by removing it from `{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake.in`
+    * Make a dependency a pure build time dependency by removing it from `cmake/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Config.cmake.in`
 {%- endif %}
 {%- if cookiecutter.gitlab_ci == "Yes" %}
 * Make sure that CI/CD pipelines are enabled in your Gitlab project settings and that
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/cmake/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}Config.cmake.in b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/cmake/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}Config.cmake.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..83c1e48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/cmake/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}Config.cmake.in
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+@PACKAGE_INIT@
+
+{% if cookiecutter.external_dependency != "None" %}
+include(CMakeFindDependencyMacro)
+
+find_dependency({{ cookiecutter.external_dependency }})
+{% endif %}
+include("${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets.cmake")
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}Config.cmake.in b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}Config.cmake.in
deleted file mode 100644
index 0a57aac..0000000
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}Config.cmake.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-get_filename_component(
-  {{ cookiecutter.project_slug|upper }}_CMAKE_DIR
-  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE}
-  PATH
-)
-set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${{ "{" }}{{ cookiecutter.project_slug|upper }}_CMAKE_DIR} ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH})
-
-include(CMakeFindDependencyMacro)
-if(@{{ cookiecutter.external_dependency|upper }}_FOUND@)
-find_dependency({{ cookiecutter.external_dependency }})
-endif()
-
-if(NOT TARGET {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}::{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }})
-  include("${{ "{" }}{{ cookiecutter.project_slug|upper }}_CMAKE_DIR}/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}Targets.cmake")
-endif()

From 1173129002338a8363206256ec8029cdb68c8f13 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:47:16 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 10/17] Bump CI python versions to 3.10 and 3.14, bump
 actions/checkout to v6

---
 .github/workflows/ci.yml | 12 ++++--------
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 251fef3..16b68ef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -22,15 +22,11 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest, windows-latest]
-        # We test on the oldest and newest supported Python versions
-        # Unfortenately, we can't test on the latest Python version, as the
-        # pytest-virtualenv plugin does not support it yet, see
-        # https://github.com/man-group/pytest-plugins/issues/220
-        python-version: ["3.9", "3.13"]
+        python-version: ["3.10", "3.14"]
 
     steps:
     - name: Checking out the cookie cutter repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
     - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
       uses: actions/setup-python@v6
@@ -63,11 +59,11 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - name: Checking out the cookie cutter repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
     - uses: actions/setup-python@v6
       with:
-        python-version: "3.13"
+        python-version: "3.14"
 
     - name: Install test requirements
       run: |

From 51f0c6cd09e8ca9336e5c93ae5a3a9ac6f986574 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:22:04 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 11/17] Install doxygen and pybind11 in baked project's CI

---
 .../.github/workflows/ci.yml                  | 31 ++++++++++++-------
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml  |  3 ++
 2 files changed, 23 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 9d0cc2f..b801017 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -26,21 +26,24 @@ jobs:
       with:
         submodules: 'recursive'
 {%- endif %}
-
-    - name: make build directory
+{% if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" %}
+    - name: Install Doxygen
+      uses: ssciwr/doxygen-install@v1
+{% endif %}
+    - name: Make build directory
       run: cmake -E make_directory ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
 
-    - name: configure cmake
+    - name: Configure cmake
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
       run: cmake $GITHUB_WORKSPACE -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS=OFF
 
-    - name: build
+    - name: Build
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
       run: cmake --build .
 
-    - name: run tests
+    - name: Run tests
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
       run: ctest
@@ -63,7 +66,10 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
         python-version: "3.13"
-
+{% if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" %}
+    - name: Install Doxygen
+      uses: ssciwr/doxygen-install@v1
+{% endif %}
     - name: Run Python tests
       shell: bash
       run: |
@@ -87,7 +93,10 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install LCov
       run: |
         sudo apt-get install -y lcov
-
+{% if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" %}
+    - name: Install Doxygen
+      uses: ssciwr/doxygen-install@v1
+{% endif %}
 {% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
     - name: Install Python package editable
       run: |
@@ -102,24 +111,24 @@ jobs:
     - name: Create cmake build directory
       run: cmake -E make_directory ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
 
-    - name: configure cmake
+    - name: Configure cmake
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
       run: |
         cmake $GITHUB_WORKSPACE -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="--coverage" -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS=OFF
 
-    - name: build
+    - name: Build
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
       run: cmake --build .
 {% endif %}
 
-    - name: run tests
+    - name: Run tests
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
       run: ctest
 
-    - name: collect coverage report
+    - name: Collect coverage report
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}
       run: |
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
index a24add5..de50805 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ variables:
 {% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
     - apt install -y python3-dev
 {%- endif %}
+{% if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" %}
+    - apt install -y doxygen
+{% endif %}
   script:
     - cmake -E make_directory build
     - cd build

From 49ba5294d659a0ce7a569ea3fafe68693d1e56ba Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2026 13:25:37 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 12/17] Set _BUILD_PYTHON CMake option to OFF when building
 with cmake only, set python version to 3.14

---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml | 4 ++--
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml           | 9 +++------
 2 files changed, 5 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index b801017..f6d4db0 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Configure cmake
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}/build
-      run: cmake $GITHUB_WORKSPACE -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS=OFF
+      run: cmake $GITHUB_WORKSPACE -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS=OFF -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON=OFF
 
     - name: Build
       shell: bash
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Set up Python
       uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
-        python-version: "3.13"
+        python-version: "3.14"
 {% if cookiecutter.doxygen == "Yes" %}
     - name: Install Doxygen
       uses: ssciwr/doxygen-install@v1
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
index de50805..f0dcc75 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -16,12 +16,9 @@ variables:
     - apt install -y doxygen
 {% endif %}
   script:
-    - cmake -E make_directory build
-    - cd build
-    - cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS=OFF ..
-    - cmake --build .
-    - ctest
-
+    - cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_DOCS=OFF -D{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON=OFF
+    - cmake --build build
+    - ctest --test-dir build
 
 # Note: You can use your own Docker images here that e.g. include relevant
 #       dependencies and development tools. We choose well-maintained images

From 89282a1662f4eaf933416be7f69853dffa8a937b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 07:28:11 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 13/17] Enable PIC only when python bindings are requested

---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt | 6 +++---
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
index 75e3dc6..5c6ff08 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@ project({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 {%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
 
-# Enable PIC for Python bindings
-set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
-
 if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
   option({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON "Enable building of Python bindings" ON)
 else()
@@ -82,6 +79,9 @@ endif()
 {% if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
 # Add Python bindings
 if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL AND {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON)
+  # Enable PIC for Python bindings
+  set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
+
   set(PYBIND11_FINDPYTHON ON)
   find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)
   # Compile the Pybind11 module

From 7ca662f015d17e6e8e57985e896171e9ef04421d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:42:18 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 14/17] Ignore coverage error for unused exclude patterns

---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f6d4db0..8aca8b5 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ jobs:
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ "{{ github.workspace }}" }}
       run: |
-        lcov --directory ./build{% if cookiecutter.header_only == "No" %}/src{% endif %} --capture --output-file coverage.info --ignore-errors mismatch --exclude '*/catch2/*'
+        lcov --directory ./build{% if cookiecutter.header_only == "No" %}/src{% endif %} --capture --output-file coverage.info --ignore-errors mismatch,unused --exclude '*/catch2/*'
 
     - name: Upload C++ coverage to Codecov
       uses: codecov/codecov-action@v5

From 33878bdd331583c0c9a6ccb40c419608f0ad4b4d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:53:29 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 15/17] Configure Catch2 via add_subdirectory() and
 find_package() when using git submodules

---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt | 9 +++++----
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 55bddce..6f02f52 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,13 +11,14 @@ FetchContent_Declare(
 # Make Catch2 available in this project. This defines the imported targets Catch2::Catch2 and Catch2::Catch2WithMain.
 FetchContent_MakeAvailable(Catch2)
 
-# Include Catch2's CMake helper functions (e.g., catch_discover_tests).
-include(Catch)
-
 {%- else -%}
-include(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/ext/Catch2/extras/Catch.cmake)
+# Find the Catch2 package
+find_package(Catch2 3 REQUIRED)
 {%- endif %}
 
+# Include Catch2's CMake helper functions (e.g., catch_discover_tests).
+include(Catch)
+
 # Create a single test binary that compiles all test files.
 add_executable({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_tests)
 

From dfd7c9bb2af72f2d9ddf2b7687d0135fbb30d087 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2026 12:52:17 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 16/17] set CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE on target instead
 of globally

Co-authored-by: Liam Keegan <liam@keegan.ch>
---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt | 5 ++++-
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
index 5c6ff08..02c0fd7 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -80,7 +80,10 @@ endif()
 # Add Python bindings
 if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL AND {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_PYTHON)
   # Enable PIC for Python bindings
-  set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
+  set_target_properties({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
+    PROPERTIES
+      POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON
+  )
 
   set(PYBIND11_FINDPYTHON ON)
   find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)

From 484bd8598d8ca65616c8b3e91fb3b553fe63d417 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Thomas Isensee <26852629+thomasisensee@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2026 12:58:25 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 17/17] Add option for switching building tests on or off

---
 {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt | 3 +++
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
index 02c0fd7..b354d10 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ project({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}
 
 # Initialize some default paths
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
+
+# Define build options
+option({{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}_BUILD_TESTING "Enable building of tests" OFF)
 {%- if cookiecutter.python_bindings == "Yes" %}
 
 if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)