Considerations for project development

What is the difference between the project types?	The IDE has these project types: Standard make project — a project that can run the command line make. Developers manage all of the build features in `Makefile`s, except for those commands used to run make itself from IDE. Managed project — a CDT project that is entirely managed from the IDE. Note: In IDE 4.0.1 this type of project couldn't be built from command line; however, in IDE 4.5 and later, the `Makefile` can be generated from this type of project in order to build it from command line. QNX Managed project — a project based on the QNX recursive `Makefile`s. It is managed from either the IDE or from `Makefile`s; however, `Makefile`s require minimal maintenance because most settings for this type of project are automatic. You can build this project from the command line.
How portable are the project types?	The metadata files that should be stored with the project in source control are: .project .cproject .cdtproject (for older projects only) Note: Metadata (also referred to as workspace/.metadata) should never be stored in source control.
Are projects portable between different versions of the IDE?	Projects are portable between different versions of the IDE; however, see the Release Notes for any known issues regarding the import process.
For an existing project without metadata, what's the best method to import it into the IDE?	To import an existing project into the IDE, use the Import wizard ( File > Import… ). Alternately, you can create a link folder; however, the IDE won't copy any of its source code.
How should complex development scenarios be organized?	Typically, you want to organize your projects such that there is one binary/shared library per project (including all multiplatform and debug variants).
How do different projects in the same workspace interact?	You can add a dependency that can affect the build and make dependencies. Typically, you want to add an explicit dependency on particular types, such as shared libraries.
Can more than one executable be created in the same project?	If you use a Standard make project, you can create more than one executable for the same project.