>I don't understand how such a popular language can have such a weak story in dependency management and integration with third party libraries.
>All of it could literally be replaced by something akin to: cppvenv --depend-on grpc-1.40 zeromq json
C++ existed about ~20 years before the practice of "automatically reach out to the internet and download dependencies".
As a result, C++ doesn't yet have a Schelling Point[1]. Your proposed packager syntax requires a Schelling Point (i.e. canonical http repo source as a Focal Point to download "grpc-1.40,zeromq,json"). My previous comment about this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22583139
Tldr, no vendor with enough sway to influence the fragmented C++ community (commercial shrinkwrap software vs open source, embedded vs server, HPC/scientific, games, etc) has created such a Schelling Point.