qt-creator/doc/src/projects/creator-projects-cmake.qdoc

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/*!
    \contentspage {Qt Creator Manual}
    \previouspage creator-project-other.html
    \page creator-project-cmake.html
    \nextpage creator-project-qbs.html

    \title Setting Up a CMake Project

    CMake is an alternative to qmake for automating the generation of build
    configurations. It controls the software compilation process by using simple
    configuration files, called \c{CMakeLists.txt} files. CMake generates native
    build configurations and workspaces that you can use in the compiler
    environment of your choice.

    Since \QC 1.1, CMake configuration files are supported. Since \QC 1.3, the
    Microsoft tool chain is supported if the CMake version is at least 2.8.

    \section1 Setting the Path for CMake

    You can set the path for the \c CMake executable in \gui{Tools} >
    \gui{Options > Build & Run > CMake}.

    \image qtcreator-cmakeexecutable.png

    \note Before you open a \c CMake project, you must modify the \c{PATH}
    environment variable to include the bin folders of \c mingw and Qt.

    For instance, if the Qt 4 SDK is installed in \c {C:\SDK}, you would use the
    following command to set the environment variables in the command line
    prompt:
    \code
    set PATH=C:\sdk\mingw\bin;C:\sdk\qt\bin;
    \endcode
    Then start \QC by typing:
    \code
    C:\sdk\bin\qtcreator.exe
    \endcode

    \section1 Opening CMake Projects

    To open a \c CMake project:

    \list 1

        \li Select \gui{File} > \gui{Open File or Project}.

        \li Select the \c{CMakeLists.txt} file from your \c CMake project.

    \endlist

    A wizard guides you through the rest of the process.

    \note If the \c CMake project does not have an in-place build, \QC
    lets you specify the directory in which the project is built
    (\l{glossary-shadow-build}{shadow build}).

    \image qtcreator-cmake-import-wizard1.png

    The screenshot below shows how you can specify command line arguments to
    \c CMake for your project.

    \image qtcreator-cmake-import-wizard2.png

    Normally, there is no need to pass any command line arguments for projects
    that are already built, as \c CMake caches that information.

    \section1 Building CMake Projects

    \QC builds \c CMake projects by running \c make, \c mingw32-make, or
    \c nmake depending on your platform. The build errors and warnings are
    parsed and displayed in the \gui{Issues} output pane.

    By default, \QC builds the \b{all} target. You can specify which
    targets to build in \gui{Project} mode, under \gui{Build Settings}.

    \image qtcreator-cmake-build-settings.png

    \QC supports multiple build configurations. You can change the build
    directory after the initial import.

    \section1 Running CMake Projects

    \QC automatically adds \gui{Run Configurations} for all targets specified
    in the \c CMake project file.

    For more information about known issues for the current version, see
    \l{Known Issues}.

    \section1 Deploying CMake Projects to Embedded Linux Devices

    \QC cannot extract files to be installed from a CMake project, and
    therefore, only executable targets are automatically added to deployment
    files. You must specify all other files in the \c QtCreatorDeployment.txt
    file that you create and place in the root directory of the CMake project.

    Use the following syntax in the file:

    \code
    <deployment/prefix>
    <relative/source/file1>:<relative/destination/dir1>
    ...
    <relative/source/filen>:<relative/destination/dirn>
    \endcode

    Where:

    \list

        \li \c{<deployment/prefix>} is the (absolute) path prefix to where files
            are copied on the remote machine.

        \li \c{<relative/source/file>} is the file path relative to the CMake
            project root. No directories or wildcards are allowed in this
            value.

        \li \c{<relative/destination/dir>} is the destination directory path
            relative to \c{deployment/prefix}.

    \endlist

    To automate the creation of \c QtCreatorDeployment.txt file:

    \list 1

        \li Define the following macros in the top level \c CMakeLists.txt file:

            \code
            file(WRITE "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/QtCreatorDeployment.txt" "<deployment/prefix>\n")

            macro(add_deployment_file SRC DEST)
                file(RELATIVE_PATH path ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
                file(APPEND "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/QtCreatorDeployment.txt" "${path}/${SRC}:${DEST}\n")
            endmacro()

            macro(add_deployment_directory SRC DEST)
                file(GLOB_RECURSE files RELATIVE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}" "${SRC}/*")
                foreach(filename ${files})
                    get_filename_component(path ${filename} PATH)
                    add_deployment_file("${filename}" "${DEST}/${path}")
                endforeach(filename)
            endmacro()
            \endcode

        \li Use \c {add_deployment_file(<file/name>)} to add files and
            \c {add_deployment_directory(<folder/name>)} to add directories
             (including subdirectories) to the \c QtCreatorDeployment.txt file.

        \li Re-run \c cmake after you add or remove files using the macros.

    \endlist

    \section1 Adding External Libraries to CMake Projects

    Through external libraries, \QC can support code completion and syntax
    highlighting as if they were part of the current project or the Qt library.

    \QC detects the external libraries using the \c FIND_PACKAGE()
    macro. Some libraries come with the CMake installation. You can find those
    in the \c {Modules} directory of your CMake installation.

    \note If you provide your own libraries, you also need to provide your own
    \c FindFoo.cmake file. For more information, see
    \l{http://vtk.org/Wiki/CMake_FAQ#Writing_FindXXX.cmake_files}{CMake FAQ}.

    Syntax completion and highlighting work once your project successfully
    builds and links against the external library.

*/