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diff --git a/Web/HTML/About.html b/Web/HTML/About.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..aac273a --- /dev/null +++ b/Web/HTML/About.html @@ -0,0 +1,134 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> + +<html> + +<!--#include virtual="/CMake/HTML/Head.html"--> + +<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" leftmargin=0 topmargin=0 text="black" link="#FFFFFF" +vlink="#000000" alink="#000000"> + +<!--#include virtual="/CMake/HTML/Table.html"--> + +<tr> +<!--#include virtual="/CMake/HTML/SideBar.html"--> + + <td width="550" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> + <div align="left"> + + <font size=5>CMake </font> is an extensible, open-source system that + manages the build process in an operating system and compiler independent + manner. Unlike many cross-platform systems, CMake is designed to be used + in conjunction with the native build environment. Simple configuration + files placed in each source directory (called CMakeLists.txt files) are + used to generate standard build files (e.g., makefiles on Unix and + projects/workspaces in Windows MSVC) which are used in the usual + way. CMake can compile source code, create libraries, generate wrappers, + and build executables in arbitrary combinations. CMake supports in-place + and out-of-place builds, and can therefore support multiple builds from a + single source tree. CMake also supports static and dynamic library + builds. Another nice feature of CMake is that it generates a cache file + that is designed to be used with a graphical editor. For example, when + CMake runs, it locates include files, libraries, and executable, and may + encounter optional build directives. This information is gathered into + the cache, which may be changed by the user prior to the generation of + the native build files. (The following figure is the CMake cache GUI in + the Windows MSVC environment.) + <P> + + CMake is designed to support complex directory hierarchies and + applications dependent on several libraries. For example, CMake supports + projects consisting of multiple toolkits (i.e., libraries), where each + toolkit might contain several directories, and the application depends on + the toolkits plus additional code. CMake can also handle situations where + executables must be built in order to generate code that is then compiled + and linked into a final application. Because CMake is open source, and has + a simple, extensible design, CMake can be extended as necessary to support + new features. + <P> + + Using CMake is simple. The build process is controlled by creating one or + more CMakeLists.txt files in each directory (including subdirectories) + that make up a project. Each CMakeLists.txt consists of one or more + commands. Each command has the form COMMAND (args...) where COMMAND is + the name of the command, and args is a white-space separated list of + arguments. CMake provides many pre-defined commands, but if you need to, + you can add your own commands. In addition, the advanced user can add + other makefile generators for a particular compiler/OS combination. + (While Unix and MSVC++ is supported currently, other developers are + adding other compiler/OS support.) You may wish to study the + <a href="/CMake/HTML/Examples.html">examples</a> page to see more + details. + + <h3>A Summary Of Features</h3> + CMake has several powerful features. These include: + <ul> + <li>Supports complex, large build environments. CMake has been + proven in several large projects. + <li>Generates native build files (e.g., makefiles on Unix; + workspaces/projects on MS Visual C++). Therefore standard + tools can be used on any platform/compiler configuration. + <li>Has powerful commands include the ability to locate + include files, libraries, executables; include external + CMake files that encapsulate standard functionality; + interfaces to testing systems; supports recursive + directory traversal with variable inheritance; can run + external programs; supports conditional builds; supports + regular expression expansion; and so on. + <li>Supports in-place and out-of-place builds. Multiple + compilation trees are possible from a single source tree. + <li>Can be easily extended to add new features. + <li>CMake is open source. + <li>CMake operates with a cache designed to be interfaced with + a graphical editor. The cache provides optional interaction + to conditionally control the build process. + </ul> + + <h3>The Origins of CMake</h3> CMake was created in response to the need + for a powerful, cross-platform build environment for the Insight + Segmentation and Registration Toolkit (ITK) funded by NLM as part of the + Visible Human Project. It grew out of an earlier system called + <b>pcmaker</b> created by Ken Martin and other developers to support the + <a href="http://public.kitware.com/vtk.html">Visualization Toolkit + (VTK)</a> open source 3D graphics and visualization system. To create + CMake, Bill Hoffman at Kitware incorporated some key ideas from pcmaker, + with the thought to adopt some of the functionality of the Unix + <b>configure</b> tool. The initial CMake implementation was mid-2000, + with acclerated development occuring in early 2001. Many improvements + were due to the influences of other developers incorporating CMake into + their own systems. For example, the + <a href="http://www.robots.ox.ac.uk/~vxl/">VXL</a> software community + adopted CMake as their build environment, contributing many essential + features. Brad King added several features in order to support the CABLE + automated wrapping environment and + <a href="http://public.kitware.com/GCC_XML">gcc-XML</a>, and + GE Corporate R&D required support of their testing infrastructure + (the <a href="http://public.kitware.com/Insight/Testing/HTML/TestingResults/Dashboard/MostRecentResults-Nightly/Dashboard.html">quality dashboard</a>). Other + features were added by Ken Martin to support the transition of VTK's + build environment to CMake, and to support ParaView, a parallel + visualization system to support the + <a href="http://www.acl.lanl.gov/">Advanced Computing Lab</a> at Los Alamos + National Laboratory. + + <h3>How Do I Learn CMake?</h3> CMake is a young and rapidly growing + system. It has already seen extensive use in very large software systems + such as VTK, VXL, and ITK, and is therefore, quite + stable. Unfortuneately, the pace of development has outstripped the pace + of documentation. As a result, the best way to learn about CMake is to + study existing CMake installations, and to rely on the CMake mailing + list. There is some existing documentation, but until later in 2001 the + documentation should be treated with caution. Please go to the + <a href="/CMake/HTML/Documentation.html">documentation</a> for more + information. + + </div> + </td> +</tr> + +</table> + +</td> +</tr> +</table> + +</body> +</html> |