CMake - Revision history

Admin at 15:49, 28 May 2011

2011-05-28T15:49:36Z

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	[[Category:C++]]		[[Category:C++]]
			[[Category:Build Tools]]

Admin at 15:49, 28 May 2011

2011-05-28T15:49:05Z

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	Cmake is a build system for C++ projects. It is an alternative to [[Autotools\|GNU autotools]].		Cmake is a build system for [[C++]] projects. It is an alternative to [[Autotools\|GNU autotools]].

	= Installing =		= Installing =
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	{{Programs}}		{{Programs}}

			[[Category:C++]]

Admin at 15:39, 28 May 2011

2011-05-28T15:39:49Z

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			{{Programs}}

	~~[[Category:Computers]]~~
	~~[[Category:~~Programs]]

Admin: /* Advantages */

2011-04-06T02:32:04Z

Advantages

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:32, 6 April 2011
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	You can specify which version of CMake to emulate when running CMake - so if you have CMake 2.6, you can make a CMakeLists.txt that works like CMake 2.4. You can also require users to have a certain minimum version of CMake (although this can sometimes be a pain for users.)		You can specify which version of CMake to emulate when running CMake - so if you have CMake 2.6, you can make a CMakeLists.txt that works like CMake 2.4. You can also require users to have a certain minimum version of CMake (although this can sometimes be a pain for users.)

			===Doxygen Compatibility===

			You can use a macro to generate Doxygen documentation if Doxygen is available on the system. This is a convenient feature - anything that makes generating documentation easier is good.

			===Testing Capabilities===

			CMake makes running software tests very easy - you basically create your test and then add something like

			<pre>
			ENABLE_TESTING()
			ADD_TEST( testname testexecutable args )
			</pre>

			into your CMakeLists.txt. This test system allows for downloading from a version control system and outputting test results in a variety of formats. This makes regression testers quite simple. You can even use a tool like CDash to display your outputs in a pretty format.

			See http://www.cdash.org for more info on CDash.

	==Disadvantages==		==Disadvantages==

Admin: /* Finding Packages */

2011-04-06T02:24:45Z

Finding Packages

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	This can also cause unfortunate consequences, such as (if your user is on a Mac, like me) requiring users to install Boost through ridiculous third-party software packages like [[MacPorts]], which build everything they need from source, taking forever and requiring still more ridiculous software packages like zlib, which requires the ridiculous IDE XCode 3.1, which is no longer available on Mac's Developers page, or the also ridiculous IDE XCode 3.2, which requires you to upgrade your entire operating system to 10.6 so that you can successfully install a piece of software (iPhone SDK) that you don't want, don't need, and will never ever use because you don't own an iPhone. Or, you can shell out a hundred dollars for XCode 4.0, with all kinds of useless features you'll also never use, so that you can be part of the elite "Mac Developers Club for Snobs."		This can also cause unfortunate consequences, such as (if your user is on a Mac, like me) requiring users to install Boost through ridiculous third-party software packages like [[MacPorts]], which build everything they need from source, taking forever and requiring still more ridiculous software packages like zlib, which requires the ridiculous IDE XCode 3.1, which is no longer available on Mac's Developers page, or the also ridiculous IDE XCode 3.2, which requires you to upgrade your entire operating system to 10.6 so that you can successfully install a piece of software (iPhone SDK) that you don't want, don't need, and will never ever use because you don't own an iPhone. Or, you can shell out a hundred dollars for XCode 4.0, with all kinds of useless features you'll also never use, so that you can be part of the elite "Mac Developers Club for Snobs."

	~~'''~~You see what you did??? And you thought you were just requiring Boost.~~'''~~		You see what you did??? And you thought you were just requiring Boost.

	Incidentally, many consider this an "advantage". Whatever.		Incidentally, many consider this an "advantage". Whatever.

Admin: /* Advantages and Disadvantages */

2011-04-06T02:17:58Z

Advantages and Disadvantages

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	Most software projects that are built from source code have to distribute binaries for non-Unix systems (basically, Windows). However, using CMake, you can specify that you want to create a configuration for a software project that will work for a Make system (Unix), or another IDE like XCode (Mac) or Visual C++ (Windows). It's always good to let people choose their own IDEs/platforms (even if their IDEs/platforms suck a golf ball through a garden hose).		Most software projects that are built from source code have to distribute binaries for non-Unix systems (basically, Windows). However, using CMake, you can specify that you want to create a configuration for a software project that will work for a Make system (Unix), or another IDE like XCode (Mac) or Visual C++ (Windows). It's always good to let people choose their own IDEs/platforms (even if their IDEs/platforms suck a golf ball through a garden hose).

	===Backward-Forward Compatibility==		===Backward-Forward Compatibility===

	You can specify which version of CMake to emulate when running CMake - so if you have CMake 2.6, you can make a CMakeLists.txt that works like CMake 2.4. You can also require users to have a certain minimum version of CMake (although this can sometimes be a pain for users.)		You can specify which version of CMake to emulate when running CMake - so if you have CMake 2.6, you can make a CMakeLists.txt that works like CMake 2.4. You can also require users to have a certain minimum version of CMake (although this can sometimes be a pain for users.)

Admin at 02:17, 6 April 2011

2011-04-06T02:17:32Z

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 Then you can type <code>make</code> and <code>make install</code>, and you're good to go.  Don't forget to add <code>/path/to/cmake/build/bin</code> to your <code>$PATH</code>!
 =Advantages and Disadvantages=
 ==Advantages==
 ==Disadvantages==
 ===Finding Packages===
@@ Line 42: / Line 118: @@
 While these can be customized, they are cryptic and can take a long time to try and figure out.  Due to these esoteric "find rules", it can be difficult to get CMake to "pick up" on custom installs of third-party packages like Boost.  This isn't the case with all third-party packages, just the ones for which "find rules" exist.
 Incidentally, many consider this an "advantage".  Whatever.
 = Presentations =
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 =References=
 * Explanation of how the <code>find_package()</code> function works: http://www.itk.org/Wiki/CMake:How_To_Find_Libraries

Admin at 01:36, 6 April 2011

2011-04-06T01:36:26Z

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	While these can be customized, they are cryptic and can take a long time to try and figure out. Due to these esoteric "find rules", it can be difficult to get CMake to "pick up" on custom installs of third-party packages like Boost. This isn't the case with all third-party packages, just the ones for which "find rules" exist.		While these can be customized, they are cryptic and can take a long time to try and figure out. Due to these esoteric "find rules", it can be difficult to get CMake to "pick up" on custom installs of third-party packages like Boost. This isn't the case with all third-party packages, just the ones for which "find rules" exist.

			Incidentally, many consider this an "advantage". Whatever.

	= Presentations =		= Presentations =

Admin at 01:32, 6 April 2011

2011-04-06T01:32:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:32, 6 April 2011
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	Cmake is a build system for C++ projects. It is an alternative to [[autotools]].		Cmake is a build system for C++ projects. It is an alternative to [[Autotools\|GNU autotools]].

	= Installing =		= Installing =

Admin at 01:31, 6 April 2011

2011-04-06T01:31:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:31, 6 April 2011
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	Then you can type <code>make</code> and <code>make install</code>, and you're good to go. Don't forget to add <code>/path/to/cmake/build/bin</code> to your <code>$PATH</code>!		Then you can type <code>make</code> and <code>make install</code>, and you're good to go. Don't forget to add <code>/path/to/cmake/build/bin</code> to your <code>$PATH</code>!

			=Advantages and Disadvantages=

			==Advantages==

			==Disadvantages==

			===Finding Packages===

			Using the CMake function find_package() can cause many difficulties, because Cmake has an unusual way of dealing with software dependencies. Unlike GNU autotools, you can't always point CMake to a path where you built something and expect it to "just work". (Boost is an excellent example of this.)

			CMake contains pre-existing "rules" for finding things that can make life difficult for people who specify <code>--prefix</code> when they install things. CMake contains a list of rules in <code>/path/to/cmake/X.X/Modules/cmake-X.X/</code>. These rules will be in files named Find(Package).cmake (e.g. FindBoost.cmake).

			While these can be customized, they are cryptic and can take a long time to try and figure out. Due to these esoteric "find rules", it can be difficult to get CMake to "pick up" on custom installs of third-party packages like Boost. This isn't the case with all third-party packages, just the ones for which "find rules" exist.

	= Presentations =		= Presentations =