Sorry if this isnt a particularly specific question, I hope this is allowed.

I am a physics student and have so far only worked in python, however my next research project is going to be in C++. I have been learning C++ using the tutorials found on https://www.learncpp.com/, however there seem to be lots of surrounding knowledge which I am lacking.

I have been sent the code to a similar project to try and go through and understand but there are a few things I do not understand. For starters the code includes some examples which are .ini files, I am not sure what these do and how they fit into the picture.

The other problem I am struggling is the configuration with which the projects are compiled. When I start a new project on CLion it generates the configuration and the CMakeLists.txt file automatically. However I am not sure how to create a configuration for this other project which was sent to me. This project has a Makefile if that is relevant.

There are many more of these types of things that I do not understand and I was wondering if there is a way for these things to be learned in a systematic way for those who do not have a CS background.

I have tried to tackle these problems one by one but am struggling to piece them together.