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0014404

CMake

public

2013-09-12 21:13

2014-03-05 09:58

Reporter

Cedric Perthuis

Assigned To

Priority

high

Severity

feature

Reproducibility

always

Status

closed

Resolution

no change required

Platform

OS Version

Product Version

CMake 2.8.11.2

Target Version

Fixed in Version

Summary

0014404: custom build rule for files in visual studio project

Description

Hi,

I would like a way to define a true custom build rule for files in visual studio projects.
For example, I would like to add to the project a file called myAsset.def and defines a custom build rule to compile it which would be to call a python script called asset_generator.py.

The closest I got with cmake so far is to use a custom_command with myAsset.def in input and myAsset.h in output and add myAsset.h to the project.

This adds to the project:
1 - CMake_Rules/myAsset.def.rule
2 - myAsset.h
3 - myAsset.def

1: this file has a custom build rule contains the call to asset_generator.py. I don't want to see this extra file showing up in my project.
2: this is the output of the custom command, I don't want to see it in the project either. I had to name it a .h file because else the whole rule is skipped.
3: this is my source, this is what I want to see in the project. It doesn't have any custom build rule set to it. But I would like to have the custom build rule define on it.

So here's what I would suggest:

1) a new property called FILE in add_custom_command:

add_custom_command(
FILE myAsset.def
COMMAND python
ARGS ${abs_script} ${abs_infile} ${abs_outfile}
DEPENDS ${infile} VERBATIM)

2) add_executable / add_library would let me pass "myAsset.def" and it would show up properly in the project with the build rule set on it.

3) On other platforms, the current behavior is fine, I don't know about xcode, if it supports custom build rule like visual, it'd be nice to also support it there.

Note: The input and output files from the custom build rule will be automatically discovered by Visual studio (2010 and above). So what I describe above is really all we're missing, we don't need any complicated dependency system. On other platforms, we will probably use a different mechanism and stick with the current add_custom_command.

This is somewhat critical for the projects we plan on using cmake for.
GYP supports this, and that might tilt the balance in favor of GYP for us.

Thanks.

Steps To Reproduce

macro(add_asset infile)
  get_filename_component(outfile ${infile} NAME_WE)
  set(outfilepath "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_CFG_INTDIR}/asset_${outfile}.h")
  get_filename_component(abs_outfile ${outfilepath} ABSOLUTE)
  get_filename_component(abs_infile ${infile} ABSOLUTE)
  get_filename_component(abs_script ${MAIN_DIR}/build/asset_generator.py ABSOLUTE)
  add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${outfilepath}
    COMMAND python
    ARGS ${abs_script} ${abs_infile} ${abs_outfile}
    DEPENDS ${infile} VERBATIM)
  set (asset_sources ${asset_sources} ${infile} ${abs_outfile})
endmacro()

add_asset(myAsset.def)
add_executable(myExe main.cpp ${asset_sources})

Notes
(0033815) Brad King (manager) 2013-09-13 08:20	Use the MAIN_DEPENDENCY option. Please bring questions like this up on the mailing list before assuming it is a bug or missing feature.

(0035257) Robert Maynard (manager) 2014-03-05 09:58	Closing resolved issues that have not been updated in more than 4 months

Issue History
Date Modified	Username	Field	Change
2013-09-12 21:13	Cedric Perthuis	New Issue
2013-09-13 08:20	Brad King	Note Added: 0033815
2013-09-13 08:20	Brad King	Status	new => resolved
2013-09-13 08:20	Brad King	Resolution	open => no change required
2014-03-05 09:58	Robert Maynard	Note Added: 0035257
2014-03-05 09:58	Robert Maynard	Status	resolved => closed

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