path: root/Help/guide/user-interaction/index.rst

User Interaction Guide
**********************

.. only:: html

   .. contents::

Introduction
============

Where a software package supplies a CMake-based buildsystem
with the source of their software, the consumer of the
software is required to run a CMake user interaction tool
in order to build it.

Well-behaved CMake-based buildsystems do not create any
output in the source directory, so typically, the user
performs an out-of-source build and performs the build
there.  First, CMake must be instructed to generate a
suitable buildsystem, then the user invokes a build tool
to process that generated buildsystem.  The generated
buildsystem is specific to the machine used to generate
it and is not redistributable.  Each consumer of a provided
source software package is required to use CMake to
generate a buildsystem specific to their system.

Generated buildsystems should generally be treated as
read-only. The CMake files as a primary artifact should
completely specify the buildsystem and there should be no
reason to populate properties manually in an IDE for
example after generating the buildsystem.  CMake will
periodically rewrite the generated buildsystem, so
modifications by users will be overwritten.

The features and user interfaces described in this manual
are available for all CMake-based build systems by virtue
of providing CMake files.

The CMake tooling may report errors to the user when
processing provided CMake files, such as reporting that
the compiler is not supported, or the compiler does not
support a required compile option, or a dependency can
not be found.  These errors must be resolved by the user
by choosing a different compiler,
:guide:`installing dependencies <Using Dependencies Guide>`,
or instructing CMake where to find them, etc.

Command Line cmake tool
-----------------------

A simple but typical use of :manual:`cmake(1)` with a fresh
copy of software source code is to create a build directory
and invoke cmake there:

.. code-block:: console

  $ cd some_software-1.4.2
  $ mkdir build
  $ cd build
  $ cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/opt/the/prefix
  $ cmake --build .
  $ cmake --build . --target install

It is recommended to build in a separate directory to the
source because that keeps the source directory pristine,
allows for building a single source with multiple
toolchains, and allows easy clearing of build artifacts by
simply deleting the build directory.

The CMake tooling may report warnings which are intended
for the provider of the software, not intended for the
consumer of the software.  Such warnings end with "This
warning is for project developers".  Users may disable
such warnings by passing the ``-Wno-dev`` flag to
:manual:`cmake(1)`.

cmake-gui tool
--------------

Users more accustomed to GUI interfaces may use the
:manual:`cmake-gui(1)` tool to invoke CMake and generate
a buildsystem.

The source and binary directories must first be
populated.  It is always advised to use different
directories for the source and the build.

.. image:: GUI-Source-Binary.png
   :alt: Choosing source and binary directories

Generating a Buildsystem
========================

There are several user interface tools which may be used
to generate a buildsystem from CMake files.  The
:manual:`ccmake(1)` and :manual:`cmake-gui(1)` tools guide
the user through setting the various necessary options.
The :manual:`cmake(1)` tool can be invoked to specify
options on the command line.  This manual describes options
which may be set using any of the user interface tools,
though the mode of setting an option is different for each
tool.

Command line environment
------------------------

When invoking :manual:`cmake(1)` with a command line
buildsystem such as ``Makefiles`` or ``Ninja``, it is
necessary to use the correct build environment to
ensure that build tools are available. CMake must be
able to find the appropriate
:variable:`build tool <CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM>`,
compiler, linker and other tools as needed.

On Linux systems, the appropriate tools are often
provided in system-wide locations and may be readily
installed through the system package manager. Other
toolchains provided by the user or installed in
non-default locations can also be used.

When cross-compiling, some platforms may require
environment variables to be set or may provide
scripts to set the environment.

Visual Studio ships multiple command prompts and
``vcvarsall.bat`` scripts for setting up the
correct environments for command line buildsystems. While
not strictly necessary to use a corresponding
command line environment when using a Visual Studio
generator, doing so has no disadvantages.

When using Xcode, there can be more than one Xcode
version installed.  Which one to use can be selected
in a number of different ways, but the most common
methods are:

* Setting the default version in the preferences
  of the Xcode IDE.
* Setting the default version via the ``xcode-select``
  command line tool.
* Overriding the default version by setting the
  ``DEVELOPER_DIR`` environment variable when running
  CMake and the build tool.

For convenience, :manual:`cmake-gui(1)` provides an
environment variable editor.

Command line ``-G`` option
--------------------------

CMake chooses a generator by default based on the
platform.  Usually, the default generator is sufficient
to allow the user to proceed to build the software.

The user may override the default generator with
the ``-G`` option:

.. code-block:: console

  $ cmake .. -G Ninja

The output of ``cmake --help`` includes a list of
:manual:`generators <cmake-generators(7)>` available
for the user to choose from.  Note that generator
names are case sensitive.

On Unix-like systems (including Mac OS X), the
:generator:`Unix Makefiles` generator is used by
default.  A variant of that generator can also be used
on Windows in various environments, such as the
:generator:`NMake Makefiles` and
:generator:`MinGW Makefiles` generator.  These generators
generate a ``Makefile`` variant which can be executed
with ``make``, ``gmake``, ``nmake`` or similar tools.
See the individual generator documentation for more
information on targeted environments and tools.

The :generator:`Ninja` generator is available on all
major platforms. ``ninja`` is a build tool similar
in use-cases to ``make``, but with a focus on
performance and efficiency.

On Windows, :manual:`cmake(1)` can be used to generate
solutions for the Visual Studio IDE.  Visual Studio
versions may be specified by the product name of the
IDE, which includes a four-digit year.  Aliases are
provided for other means by which Visual Studio
versions are sometimes referred to, such as two
digits which correspond to the product version of the
VisualC++ compiler, or a combination of the two:

.. code-block:: console

  $ cmake .. -G "Visual Studio 2019"
  $ cmake .. -G "Visual Studio 16"
  $ cmake .. -G "Visual Studio 16 2019"

Visual Studio generators can target different architectures.
One can specify the target architecture using the `-A` option:

.. code-block:: console

  cmake .. -G "Visual Studio 2019" -A x64
  cmake .. -G "Visual Studio 16" -A ARM
  cmake .. -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A ARM64

On Apple, the :generator:`Xcode` generator may be used to
generate project files for the Xcode IDE.

Some IDEs such as KDevelop4, QtCreator and CLion have
native support for CMake-based buildsystems.  Those IDEs
provide user interface for selecting an underlying
generator to use, typically a choice between a ``Makefile``
or a ``Ninja`` based generator.

Note that it is not possible to change the generator
with ``-G`` after the first invocation of CMake.  To
change the generator, the build directory must be
deleted and the build must be started from scratch.

When generating Visual Studio project and solutions
files several other options are available to use when
initially running :manual:`cmake(1)`.

The Visual Studio toolset can be specified with the
``-T`` option:

.. code-block:: console

    $ # Build with the clang-cl toolset
    $ cmake.exe .. -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 -T LLVM
    $ # Build targeting Windows XP
    $ cmake.exe .. -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 -T v120_xp

Whereas the ``-A`` option specifies the _target_
architecture, the ``-T`` option can be used to specify
details of the toolchain used.  For example, `-Thost=x64`
can be given to select the 64-bit version of the host
tools.  The following demonstrates how to use 64-bit
tools and also build for a 64-bit target architecture:

.. code-block:: console

    $ cmake .. -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 -Thost=x64

Choosing a generator in cmake-gui
---------------------------------

The "Configure" button triggers a new dialog to
select the CMake generator to use.

.. image:: GUI-Configure-Dialog.png
   :alt: Configuring a generator

All generators available on the command line are also
available in :manual:`cmake-gui(1)`.

.. image:: GUI-Choose-Generator.png
   :alt: Choosing a generator

When choosing a Visual Studio generator, further options
are available to set an architecture to generate for.

.. image:: VS-Choose-Arch.png
   :alt: Choosing an architecture for Visual Studio generators

.. _`Setting Build Variables`:

Setting Build Variables
=======================

Software projects often require variables to be
set on the command line when invoking CMake.  Some of
the most commonly used CMake variables are listed in
the table below:

========================================== ============================================================
 Variable                                   Meaning
========================================== ============================================================
 :variable:`CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH`              Path to search for
                                            :guide:`dependent packages <Using Dependencies Guide>`
 :variable:`CMAKE_MODULE_PATH`              Path to search for additional CMake modules
 :variable:`CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE`               Build configuration, such as
                                            ``Debug`` or ``Release``, determining
                                            debug/optimization flags.  This is only
                                            relevant for single-configuration buildsystems such
                                            as ``Makefile`` and ``Ninja``.  Multi-configuration
                                            buildsystems such as those for Visual Studio and Xcode
                                            ignore this setting.
 :variable:`CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX`           Location to install the
                                            software to with the
                                            ``install`` build target
 :variable:`CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE`           File containing cross-compiling
                                            data such as
                                            :manual:`toolchains and sysroots <cmake-toolchains(7)>`.
 :variable:`BUILD_SHARED_LIBS`              Whether to build shared
                                            instead of static libraries
                                            for :command:`add_library`
                                            commands used without a type
 :variable:`CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS`  Generate a ``compile_commands.json``
                                            file for use with clang-based tools
========================================== ============================================================

Other project-specific variables may be available
to control builds, such as enabling or disabling
components of the project.

There is no convention provided by CMake for how
such variables are named between different
provided buildsystems, except that variables with
the prefix ``CMAKE_`` usually refer to options
provided by CMake itself and should not be used
in third-party options, which should use
their own prefix instead.  The
:manual:`cmake-gui(1)` tool can display options
in groups defined by their prefix, so it makes
sense for third parties to ensure that they use a
self-consistent prefix.

Setting variables on the command line
-------------------------------------

CMake variables can be set on the command line either
when creating the initial build:

.. code-block:: console

    $ mkdir build
    $ cd build
    $ cmake .. -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug

or later on a subsequent invocation of
:manual:`cmake(1)`:

.. code-block:: console

    $ cd build
    $ cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug

The ``-U`` flag may be used to unset variables
on the :manual:`cmake(1)` command line:

.. code-block:: console

    $ cd build
    $ cmake . -UMyPackage_DIR

A CMake buildsystem which was initially created
on the command line can be modified using the
:manual:`cmake-gui(1)` and vice-versa.

The :manual:`cmake(1)` tool allows specifying a
file to use to populate the initial cache using
the ``-C`` option.  This can be useful to simplify
commands and scripts which repeatedly require the
same cache entries.

Setting variables with cmake-gui
--------------------------------

Variables may be set in the cmake-gui using the "Add Entry"
button.  This triggers a new dialog to set the value of
the variable.

.. image:: GUI-Add-Entry.png
   :alt: Editing a cache entry

The main view of the :manual:`cmake-gui(1)` user interface
can be used to edit existing variables.

The CMake Cache
---------------

When CMake is executed, it needs to find the locations of
compilers, tools and dependencies.  It also needs to be
able to consistently re-generate a buildsystem to use the
same compile/link flags and paths to dependencies.  Such
parameters are also required to be configurable by the
user because they are paths and options specific to the
users system.

When it is first executed, CMake generates a
``CMakeCache.txt`` file in the build directory containing
key-value pairs for such artifacts.  The cache file can be
viewed or edited by the user by running the
:manual:`cmake-gui(1)` or :manual:`ccmake(1)` tool.  The
tools provide an interactive interface for re-configuring
the provided software and re-generating the buildsystem,
as is needed after editing cached values.  Each cache
entry may have an associated short help text which is
displayed in the user interface tools.

The cache entries may also have a type to signify how it
should be presented in the user interface.  For example,
a cache entry of type ``BOOL`` can be edited by a
checkbox in a user interface, a ``STRING`` can be edited
in a text field, and a ``FILEPATH`` while similar to a
``STRING`` should also provide a way to locate filesystem
paths using a file dialog.  An entry of type ``STRING``
may provide a restricted list of allowed values which are
then provided in a drop-down menu in the
:manual:`cmake-gui(1)` user interface (see the
:prop_cache:`STRINGS` cache property).

The CMake files shipped with a software package may also
define boolean toggle options using the :command:`option`
command.  The command creates a cache entry which has a
help text and a default value.  Such cache entries are
typically specific to the provided software and affect
the configuration of the build, such as whether tests
and examples are built, whether to build with exceptions
enabled etc.

Presets
=======

CMake understands a file, ``CMakePresets.json``, and its
user-specific counterpart, ``CMakeUserPresets.json``, for
saving presets for commonly-used configure settings. These
presets can set the build directory, generator, cache
variables, environment variables, and other command-line
options. All of these options can be overridden by the
user. The full details of the ``CMakePresets.json`` format
are listed in the :manual:`cmake(1)` manual.

Using presets on the command-line
---------------------------------

When using the :manual:`cmake(1)` command line tool, a
preset can be invoked by using the ``--preset`` option. If
``--preset`` is specified, the generator and build
directory are not required, but can be specified to
override them. For example, if you have the following
``CMakePresets.json`` file:

.. code-block:: json

  {
    "version": 1,
    "configurePresets": [
      {
        "name": "ninja-release",
        "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/build/${presetName}",
        "generator": "Ninja",
        "cacheVariables": {
          "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Release"
        }
      }
    ]
  }

and you run the following:

.. code-block:: console

  cmake -S /path/to/source --preset=ninja-release

This will generate a build directory in
``/path/to/source/build/ninja-release`` with the
:generator:`Ninja` generator, and with
:variable:`CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE` set to ``Release``.

If you want to see the list of available presets, you can
run:

.. code-block:: console

  cmake -S /path/to/source --list-presets

This will list the presets available in
``/path/to/source/CMakePresets.json`` and
``/path/to/source/CMakeUsersPresets.json`` without
generating a build tree.

Using presets in cmake-gui
--------------------------

If a project has presets available, either through
``CMakePresets.json`` or ``CMakeUserPresets.json``, the
list of presets will appear in a drop-down menu in
:manual:`cmake-gui(1)` between the source directory and
the binary directory. Choosing a preset sets the binary
directory, generator, environment variables, and cache
variables, but all of these options can be overridden after
a preset is selected.

Invoking the Buildsystem
========================

After generating the buildsystem, the software can be
built by invoking the particular build tool.  In the
case of the IDE generators, this can involve loading
the generated project file into the IDE to invoke the
build.

CMake is aware of the specific build tool needed to invoke
a build so in general, to build a buildsystem or project
from the command line after generating, the following
command may be invoked in the build directory:

.. code-block:: console

  $ cmake --build .

The ``--build`` flag enables a particular mode of
operation for the :manual:`cmake(1)` tool.  It invokes
the  :variable:`CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM` command associated
with the :manual:`generator <cmake-generators(7)>`, or
the build tool configured by the user.

The ``--build`` mode also accepts the parameter
``--target`` to specify a particular target to build,
for example a particular library, executable or
custom target, or a particular special target like
``install``:

.. code-block:: console

  $ cmake --build . --target myexe

The ``--build`` mode also accepts a ``--config`` parameter
in the case of multi-config generators to specify which
particular configuration to build:

.. code-block:: console

  $ cmake --build . --target myexe --config Release

The ``--config`` option has no effect if the generator
generates a buildsystem specific to a configuration which
is chosen when invoking cmake with the
:variable:`CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE` variable.

Some buildsystems omit details of command lines invoked
during the build.  The ``--verbose`` flag can be used to
cause those command lines to be shown:

.. code-block:: console

  $ cmake --build . --target myexe --verbose

The ``--build`` mode can also pass particular command
line options to the underlying build tool by listing
them after ``--``.  This can be useful to specify
options to the build tool, such as to continue the
build after a failed job, where CMake does not
provide a high-level user interface.

For all generators, it is possible to run the underlying
build tool after invoking CMake.  For example, ``make``
may be executed after generating with the
:generator:`Unix Makefiles` generator to invoke the build,
or ``ninja`` after generating with the :generator:`Ninja`
generator etc.  The IDE buildsystems usually provide
command line tooling for building a project which can
also be invoked.

Selecting a Target
------------------

Each executable and library described in the CMake files
is a build target, and the buildsystem may describe
custom targets, either for internal use, or for user
consumption, for example to create documentation.

CMake provides some built-in targets for all buildsystems
providing CMake files.

``all``
  The default target used by ``Makefile`` and ``Ninja``
  generators.  Builds all targets in the buildsystem,
  except those which are excluded by their
  :prop_tgt:`EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL` target property or
  :prop_dir:`EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL` directory property.  The
  name ``ALL_BUILD`` is used for this purpose for the
  Xcode and Visual Studio generators.
``help``
  Lists the targets available for build.  This target is
  available when using the :generator:`Unix Makefiles` or
  :generator:`Ninja` generator, and the exact output is
  tool-specific.
``clean``
  Delete built object files and other output files.  The
  ``Makefile`` based generators create a ``clean`` target
  per directory, so that an individual directory can be
  cleaned.  The ``Ninja`` tool provides its own granular
  ``-t clean`` system.
``test``
  Runs tests.  This target is only automatically available
  if the CMake files provide CTest-based tests.  See also
  `Running Tests`_.
``install``
  Installs the software.  This target is only automatically
  available if the software defines install rules with the
  :command:`install` command.  See also
  `Software Installation`_.
``package``
  Creates a binary package.  This target is only
  automatically available if the CMake files provide
  CPack-based packages.
``package_source``
  Creates a source package.  This target is only
  automatically available if the CMake files provide
  CPack-based packages.

For ``Makefile`` based systems, ``/fast`` variants of binary
build targets are provided. The ``/fast`` variants are used
to build the specified target without regard for its
dependencies.  The dependencies are not checked and
are not rebuilt if out of date.  The :generator:`Ninja`
generator is sufficiently fast at dependency checking that
such targets are not provided for that generator.

``Makefile`` based systems also provide build-targets to
preprocess, assemble and compile individual files in a
particular directory.

.. code-block:: console

  $ make foo.cpp.i
  $ make foo.cpp.s
  $ make foo.cpp.o

The file extension is built into the name of the target
because another file with the same name but a different
extension may exist.  However, build-targets without the
file extension are also provided.

.. code-block:: console

  $ make foo.i
  $ make foo.s
  $ make foo.o

In buildsystems which contain ``foo.c`` and ``foo.cpp``,
building the ``foo.i`` target will preprocess both files.

Specifying a Build Program
--------------------------

The program invoked by the ``--build`` mode is determined
by the :variable:`CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM` variable.  For most
generators, the particular program does not need to be
configured.

===================== =========================== ===========================
      Generator           Default make program           Alternatives
===================== =========================== ===========================
 XCode                 ``xcodebuild``
 Unix Makefiles        ``make``
 NMake Makefiles       ``nmake``                   ``jom``
 NMake Makefiles JOM   ``jom``                     ``nmake``
 MinGW Makefiles       ``mingw32-make``
 MSYS Makefiles        ``make``
 Ninja                 ``ninja``
 Visual Studio         ``msbuild``
 Watcom WMake          ``wmake``
===================== =========================== ===========================

The ``jom`` tool is capable of reading makefiles of the
``NMake`` flavor and building in parallel, while the
``nmake`` tool always builds serially.  After generating
with the :generator:`NMake Makefiles` generator a user
can run ``jom`` instead of ``nmake``.  The ``--build``
mode would also use ``jom`` if the
:variable:`CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM` was set to ``jom`` while
using the :generator:`NMake Makefiles` generator, and
as a convenience, the :generator:`NMake Makefiles JOM`
generator is provided to find ``jom`` in the normal way
and use it as the :variable:`CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM`. For
completeness, ``nmake`` is an alternative tool which
can process the output of the
:generator:`NMake Makefiles JOM` generator, but doing
so would be a pessimisation.

Software Installation
=====================

The :variable:`CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX` variable can be
set in the CMake cache to specify where to install the
provided software.  If the provided software has install
rules, specified using the :command:`install` command,
they will install artifacts into that prefix.  On Windows,
the default installation location corresponds to the
``ProgramFiles`` system directory which may be
architecture specific.  On Unix hosts, ``/usr/local`` is
the default installation location.

The :variable:`CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX` variable always
refers to the installation prefix on the target
filesystem.

In cross-compiling or packaging scenarios where the
sysroot is read-only or where the sysroot should otherwise
remain pristine, the :variable:`CMAKE_STAGING_PREFIX`
variable can be set to a location to actually install
the files.

The commands:

.. code-block:: console

  $ cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local \
    -DCMAKE_SYSROOT=$HOME/root \
    -DCMAKE_STAGING_PREFIX=/tmp/package
  $ cmake --build .
  $ cmake --build . --target install

result in files being installed to paths such
as ``/tmp/package/lib/libfoo.so`` on the host machine.
The ``/usr/local`` location on the host machine is
not affected.

Some provided software may specify ``uninstall`` rules,
but CMake does not generate such rules by default itself.

Running Tests
=============

The :manual:`ctest(1)` tool is shipped with the CMake
distribution to execute provided tests and report
results.  The ``test`` build-target is provided to run
all available tests, but the :manual:`ctest(1)` tool
allows granular control over which tests to run, how to
run them, and how to report results.  Executing
:manual:`ctest(1)` in the build directory is equivalent
to running the ``test`` target:

.. code-block:: console

  $ ctest

A regular expression can be passed to run only tests
which match the expression.  To run only tests with
``Qt`` in their name:

.. code-block:: console

  $ ctest -R Qt

Tests can be excluded by regular expression too.  To
run only tests without ``Qt`` in their name:

.. code-block:: console

  $ ctest -E Qt

Tests can be run in parallel by passing ``-j`` arguments
to :manual:`ctest(1)`:

.. code-block:: console

  $ ctest -R Qt -j8

The environment variable :envvar:`CTEST_PARALLEL_LEVEL`
can alternatively be set to avoid the need to pass
``-j``.

By default :manual:`ctest(1)` does not print the output
from the tests. The command line argument ``-V`` (or
``--verbose``) enables verbose mode to print the
output from all tests.
The ``--output-on-failure`` option prints the test
output for failing tests only.  The environment variable
:envvar:`CTEST_OUTPUT_ON_FAILURE`
can be set to ``1`` as an alternative to passing the
``--output-on-failure`` option to :manual:`ctest(1)`.