It can be a pain to refrence ExternalProjects when their install targets are messed up. So one may want to build and install ExternalProjects once before generating main project files for given project. Is it possible with CMake and how to do it?
You may use cmake call within execute_process for configure and build CMake project, which contains ExternalProject:
other_project/CMakeLists.txt:
project(other_project)
include(ExternalProject)
ExternalProject_Add(<project_name> <options...>)
CMakeLists.txt:
# Configure external project
execute_process(
COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/other_project
WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/other_project
)
# Build external project
execute_process(
COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} --build ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/other_project
)
Such a way other_project will be configured and built in directory ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/other_project. If you do not disable installation in ExternalProject_Add call, then it will performed when building other_project.
Normally, you want some options to ExternalProject, like SOURCE_DIR, BINARY_DIR, INSTALL_DIR, to be deduced from variables in the main project. You have two ways for achive that:
Create CMakeLists.txt for other_project with configure_file, called from main project (before execute_process command).
Pass variables from main project as -D parameters to ${CMAKE_COMMAND}.
Having separated execute_process calls for sequential COMMANDS is important. Otherwise, if use single execute_process with several COMMANDS, these commands will be just "piped" (executed concurrently but with output of the first command being treated as input for the second).
Related
I want to create a directory by using the file(MAKE_DIRECTORY but it doesn't work with the generator expressions.
I'm trying to use the generator expression inside another CMake module, as a rough code snippet:
function_from_another_module(target_name)
and in that module:
file(MAKE_DIRECTORY $<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${target_name}>/foo/bar)
And in my real case, I'm trying to do some management on my exe targets, copy assets, generate files and some other platform based configurations.
The file() command is executed at configuration time and at that time and at that time generator expressions aren't evaluated yet. Furthermore the result may depend which is never available during the configuration process, just during the build.
You may be able to get the desired outcome by using adding build event logic via add_custom_command though:
add_custom_command(TARGET ${target_name} # correct target to attach logic to?
PRE_BUILD # or PRE_LINK/POST_BUILD ?
COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${target_name}>/foo/bar")
Depending on your asset management logic you may want to create a cmake script doing the copying, execute it using ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P script_file.cmake ... and pass necessary parameters using -D options, see CMake Command Line Tool: Run a Script
Part of my source code is generated by a tool which is also built under our main project with a add_subdirectory. We execute this tool with a execute_process command. Clearly, if the tool is not built before we reach the execute_process statement it will fail.
I use a GLOB (file(GLOB...)) to find the source files generated. I do this because it is not possible to know beforehand how many files are generated, neither their names.
How do I force cmake to wait for the subproject to be compiled before the execute process? I would need something like a DEPENDS property for the execute_process but this option is not available.
# This subproject will source generator the tool
add_subdirectory(generator)
# I need something like: wait_for(generator)
execute_process(COMMAND generator ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src)
file(GLOB GeneratedSources ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/*.cpp)
add_executable(mainprject.exe ${ProcessorSourceFiles}
Command execute_process executes its COMMAND immediately, at configuration stage. So it cannot be arranged after the executable is created with add_executable command: that executable will be built only at build stage.
You need to build subproject at configuration stage too. E.g. with
execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
-S ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/generator
-B ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/generator
-G ${CMAKE_GENERATOR}
)
execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
--build ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/generator
)
The first command invokes cmake for configure the 'generator' project, located under ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/generator directory. With -G option we use for subproject the same CMake generator, as one used for the main project.
The second command builds that project, so it produces generator executable.
After generator executable is created, you may use it for your project:
execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/generator/<...>/generator ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src)
Here you need to pass absolute path to the generator executable as the first parameter to COMMAND: CMake no longer have generator executable target, so it won't substitute its path automatically.
You will need to model this with target dependencies. The tool "generator" should be a cmake target. In that case use add_custom_target instead of execute_process somthing like this:
add_custom_target(generate_sources ALL COMMAND generator ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src))
Then add a target dependency to "generator" using add_dependencies:
add_dependencies(generate_sources generator)
This will make sure your target "generate_sources", which runs the tool will only run during build after the target "generator" has been compiled.
The following is false, see the comments for more info:
Use add_dependencies to add a dependency from "mainproject.exe" to "generate_sources". Now this I have never tested, so take with a grain of salt: With CMake more recent than version 3.12, according to the entry on file, you should then be able to change your file command to:
file(GLOB GeneratedSources CONFIGURE_DEPENDS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/*.cpp)
Which I interpret as this will re-glob the files during build if the directory changes.
I'm working with a code generator that produces C++ and a CMakeLists.txt file, unfortunately I cannot use this in my main CMakeLists.txt file for testing purposes.
For example you have the following CMakeLists.txt file:
project(SomeProject CXX C)
add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${SRCS}
COMMAND ${CODEGEN_CLI_PATH} -i "${INPUT}" -o "${OUT}"
COMMENT "Generating sources"
WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
VERBATIM
)
add_custom_target(CODEGEN
DEPENDS
${SRCS}
)
# Needs to be executed after the custom command
add_subdirectory(${GENERATED_CMAKE_LISTS_LOCATION})
Is it possible to use functions such as add_subdirectory only after you execute custom commands for a particular target, such as CODEGEN?
I've already tried to execute it by adding an extra line to the existing custom command:
COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -D DIR=${GENERATED_CMAKE_LISTS_LOCATION} -P add_subdirectories.cmake
Unfortuantly this doesn't work because it isn't allowed to execute functions like add_subdirectory in script mode.
Neither I can manage to call custom made functions (that are executing add_subdirectory) from add_custom_command that are located in the same file.
Nope, it is not possible. The add_subdirectory command is run during configuration step, while CODEGEN is a target that runs during build.
You seem to be doing something wrong, so the only advice I can give you is to use execute_process command to run commands you need. The execute_process command is executed during configuration stage, so it will be able to generate files you need before add_subdirectory.
But again, please describe your problem, why do you want CMake to do that.
I have a huge fixed unsigned char array that I compiled into a static library. The way I work around it is by:
if(NOT EXISTS ${PATH_TO_FOLDER}/smeagol.a)
add_subdirectory(smeagol)
endif()
I'm still looking for a nicer kung-fu way to do it using cmake. I feel that its out there, and I will update this answer once i find it.
Is there a way to configure CMake such that a single make command will launch both host and target builds? I have a project that is meant to be run on a target platform but requires some generated data from a generator that needs to run on the host platform (PC). From CMake's documentation and looking around, I need a 2 pass build - first host to create the generator then the target crosscompiling build. My question is specifically how to launch the 2-pass build with a single make command through CMake configurations (not using an external bash or python script).
Things I know
CMake doesn't allow changing toolchain within a single build
Almost solutions like: How to instruct CMake to use the build architecture compiler? Which is fine except I need to skip the 2nd step of using an external script
How to separate what's run during crosscompiling or not cmake - compile natively and crosscompile the same code
It is supposedly possible to launch multiple CMake builds using CMake How to make CMake targeting multiple plattforms in a single build
Turning my comment into an answer
Let's say you have an buildTool sub-directory for the host build tools:
buildTools\CMakeLists.txt
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)
project(BuildTools)
add_executable(genfoo genfoo.cpp)
Then you could have a main:
CMakeLists.txt
if (CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
set(_genfoo "bin/genfoo${CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX}")
add_custom_command(
OUTPUT ${_genfoo}
COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING="Release"
-DCMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_RELEASE:PATH="${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin"
-B"bin"
-H"${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/buildTools"
COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} --build bin --config Release
)
else()
set(_genfoo genfoo)
add_subdirectory(buildTools)
endif()
add_custom_command(
OUTPUT foo.h
COMMAND ${_genfoo}
DEPENDS ${_genfoo}
)
add_executable(bar bar.cpp foo.h)
target_include_directories(bar PRIVATE ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
References
How to instruct CMake to use the build architecture compiler?
I am having the following directory structure:
/CMakeLists.txt
/component-a/CMakeLists.txt
/...
/component-b/CMakeLists.txt
/...
/doc/CMakeLists.txt
/create-doc.sh
The shell script create-doc.sh creates a documentation file (doc.pdf). How can I use CMake to execute this shell script at build time and copy the file doc.pdf to the build directory?
I tried it by using add_custom_command in the CMakeLists.txt file inside the directory doc:
add_custom_command ( OUTPUT doc.pdf
COMMAND ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/create-doc.sh
WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/)
Unfortunately the command is never run.
I also tried execute_process:
execute_process ( COMMAND ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/create-doc.sh
WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ )
Now the script is executed during the configuration phase, but not at build time.
You got almost there with add_custom_command. This is indeed the correct way to tell CMake how to generate a file. However, CMake will only run that when something depends on that file.
When, as in your case, the file itself is the end product and is not used any further by subsequent build steps, the usual approach is to create a custom target to drive the relevant custom command(s):
add_custom_target(
BuildDocs ALL
DEPENDS doc.pdf
)
This (custom target driver for custom commands) is a very common idiom in CMake.
You can of course play around with arguments for add_custom_target (e.g. ALL, COMMENT) as it suits you.