C++ CMake (add non-built files)

Question

I am using cmake to configure my project. I visualize project's files using qtcreator which read the CMakeLists.txt. I have a few text files (non-code: config files, log, ..) and I would like to add them to my cmake project without (of course) compiling/linking them. Is it possible ? The main goal it to open them automatically in the tree of my project with qtcreator and edit them ... Thanks for help.

score 25 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 10 '12 at 23:47

25

You should be able to just add them to your list of sources in whichever add_executable or add_library call is appropriate and they will appear in the IDE.

I believe CMake uses the files' extensions to determine if they are actual source files, so if yours have extensions like ".txt" or ".log" they won't be compiled.

answered Jun 10 '12 at 23:47

Fraser

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Thx. I am wondering if they didn't add smthg like add_doc() in the 2.8 version ? – Eric Jun 11 '12 at 08:09
@Eric Not as far as I know. You could try asking on the mailing list if there are any plans to do this. – Fraser Jun 11 '12 at 09:56
1

What about interface library, e.g.: add_library(${PROJECT_NAME} INTERFACE README.md) it doesn't allow do it at all: "add_library INTERFACE library requires no source arguments" – Mykola Khyliuk Jul 01 '20 at 07:32

Florian · Answer 2 · 2022-08-12T20:06:27.543

6

Instead of adding files which are not directly needed to build your library or executable, you can create a custom target to make these files appear in you IDE:

add_custom_target(myapp-doc
    SOURCES readme.txt)

edited Aug 12 '22 at 20:06

answered Mar 05 '21 at 09:45

Florian

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Marek R · Answer 3 · 2018-10-01T12:35:19.777

Hi I've created this kind of function:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.5)
# cmake_parse_arguments needs cmake 3.5

##
# This function always adds sources to target, but when "WHEN" condition is not meet
# source is excluded from build process.
# This doesn't break build, but source is always visible for the project, what is 
# very handy when working with muti-platform project with sources needed
# only for specific platform
#
# Usage:
#      target_optional_sources(WHEN <condition> 
#                              TARGET <target>
#                              <INTERFACE|PUBLIC|PRIVATE> [items2...]
#                              [<INTERFACE|PUBLIC|PRIVATE> [items2...] ...])
##
function(target_optional_sources)
    set(options OPTIONAL "")
    set(oneValueArgs WHEN TARGET)
    set(multiValueArgs PUBLIC PRIVATE INTERFACE)

    cmake_parse_arguments(target_optional_sources 
                          "${options}" "${oneValueArgs}" "${multiValueArgs}"
                          ${ARGN})

    target_sources(${target_optional_sources_TARGET}
                   PUBLIC ${target_optional_sources_PUBLIC}
                   PRIVATE ${target_optional_sources_PRIVATE}
                   INTERFACE ${target_optional_sources_INTERFACE})

    if (NOT ${target_optional_sources_WHEN})

        set_source_files_properties(${target_optional_sources_PUBLIC}
                                    PROPERTIES HEADER_FILE_ONLY TRUE)
        set_source_files_properties(${target_optional_sources_PRIVATE}
                                    PROPERTIES HEADER_FILE_ONLY TRUE)
        set_source_files_properties(${target_optional_sources_INTERFACE}
                                    PROPERTIES HEADER_FILE_ONLY TRUE)

    endif(NOT ${target_optional_sources_WHEN})

endfunction(target_optional_sources)

On one hand it works as it is desired, ~~on other hand some error is reported, so still working on that~~. Issu turn out to be problem how I used the function not how it is written. Now it works perfectly.

C++ CMake (add non-built files)

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