The document provides an overview of CMake, a cross-platform build system for C/C++ projects, detailing its principles, workflow, and usage across platforms. It covers aspects such as useful variables, package finding, and compiler command line options, with additional notes on its integration with various IDEs. Finally, it touches on advanced features, installation, and packaging tips for projects, particularly in the context of Android and iOS development.

1. CMake introduction

2. 1- PRINCIPLES AND POTENTIALS
1.1- INTRO
1.2- WORKFLOW
2- CROSSPLATEFORM USAGES
2.1- USEFUL VARIABLES AND USE
2.2- GUI AND CACHE
3- FIND PACKAGE
4- ADVANCED AND MORE
5- INSTALLATION, EXPORT, PACKAGE
(NOT PRESENTED HERE)
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3. 1- Principles and potentials
1.1- Intro
• Objectif :
Crossplateform toolbox (linux/windows/mac) to help to the build / creation /
compilation of C/C++ projects.
• Usage :
Hight level of script language
• Generation :
Files which are used for the chosen developement environnement in the current
platform
• Developped by KitWare in open source version and started in 1999 for ITK
projects then used by VTK project.
• At this moment at 3.0 version and used by many big projects like OGRE,
OpenSceneGraph…
http://www.ohloh.net/p/cmake?ref=sample
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4. 1- Principles and potentials
CMake / Ctest / CPack
Compiler
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Modules
CMake
[*.cmake]
[*.in]
Sources C/C++/Java CMakeLists.txt / Ctest scripts
CMakeCache.txt
Native build system files [MakeFiles, sln…]
Targets [executables, libraries, plugins]
1.2- Workflow

5. 2- CROSSPLATEFORM USAGES
Cmake [options] <path-to-source>
$ cd projectName
$ mkdir build && cd build
$ cmake ..
$ make install
$ cd projectName
$ mkdir build && cd build
$ cmake-gui ..
$ make install
Generators / IDE compatibilities :
• Borland
• MinGW
• Nmake
• Unix
• Visual Studio 6/7/8/9/10/11
• Xcode
• codeBlocks
• Eclipse
• QtCreator
3 tree structures :
• CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR
• CMAKE_BINARY_DIR
• CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX
OR
jerome.esnault@inria.fr 02 July 2014 - 5

6. 2- CROSSPLATEFORM USAGES
2.1- Useful variables and use CMake_presentation
CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR CMAKE_BINARY_DIR CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX
rootFolder
CMakeLists.txt
Cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)
Project(foo)
…
Add_subdirectory(subFolder1)
…
subFolder1
CMakeLists.txt
build
Same structure
but with generated
or temp files
Project(bar)
…
Add_executable(myApp mySources)
subFolder2
CMakeLists.txt
CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR
(=subFolder2)
CMakeFiles
Structure defined by
‘install()’ cmake
instruction
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7. 2- CROSSPLATEFORM USAGES
2.1- Useful variables and use CMake_Useful_Variables
CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR
(=path to rootFolder)
CMAKE_BINARY_DIR
(=path to build)
CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME (=foo) CMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY
CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY
CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY
PROJECT_NAME (=bar)
UNIX WIN32 APPLE
MSVC
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bool
Place where target name will be generated, see:
Add_executable(name sources)
Add_library(name srouces [STATIC|SHARED])

8. 2- CROSSPLATEFORM USAGES
2.1- Useful variables and use
CMake instructions act on :
• new project / sub-project creations
CMake_Wiki
• cmake variables and list (cached or not)
(content of a cmake variableis ${myCmakeVar})
• system file manipulation
• building out of source, installation and packaging an installer
• the « automatique » research of dependencies package
and files
• the cmake function and macros creation (for reusable code)
• the customization of target properties
or systeme file properties
Project(…)
Add_subdirectory(…)
Add_dependencies(…)
Include_directories(…)
Target_link_libraries(…)
Set(…) – unset(…)
List(…)
Option(…)
Foreach() … endforeach()
If() … else() … endif()
File(…) - String(…)
Configure_file(…)
Install(…)
Find_package(…)
Find_library(…)
Find_file(…) – Find_path(…)
Include(…)
Function()…endfunction()
Macro()…endmacro()
Add_definition(…)
Define_property(…)
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9. 2- CROSSPLATEFORM USAGES
2.2- GUI and CACHE
CMAKE_BINARY_DIR
(=path to build)
CMakeCache.txt
Foo.sln
Cmake generated
or temp files
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10. 2- CROSSPLATEFORM USAGES
QUESTION ?
EXAMPLES with current IBR projects,
Showing differences between
spixel_warp
Ulrvr
Ibr_common
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11. 3- Find Package
3.1- How to use
CMake_find
find_package(<package> [version] [EXACT] [QUIET]
[REQUIRED] [[COMPONENTS] [components...]]
[CONFIG|NO_MODULE]
[NO_POLICY_SCOPE]
[NAMES name1 [name2 ...]]
[CONFIGS config1 [config2 ...]]
[HINTS path1 [path2 ... ]]
[PATHS path1 [path2 ... ]]
[PATH_SUFFIXES suffix1 [suffix2 ...]]
[NO_DEFAULT_PATH]
[NO_CMAKE_ENVIRONMENT_PATH]
[NO_CMAKE_PATH]
[NO_SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT_PATH]
[NO_CMAKE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY]
[NO_CMAKE_BUILDS_PATH]
[NO_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PATH]
[NO_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY]
[CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_BOTH |
ONLY_CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH |
NO_CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH])
2 ways :
1. With a Find<package>.cmake module file
2. With a cmake config file provided by the dependency
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12. 3- Find Package
3.1- How to use
CMake_find
2 ways :
1. With a Find<package>.cmake module file
find_package (foo) Will look for Findfoo.cmake into : 1- CMAKE_MODULE_PATH list of dirs if not empty
2- ${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules
The objective of a Findfoo.cmake try to locate libraries and includes files (and executables) to
let user then use cmake variable to abstract paths and names whatever is the platform.
Findfoo.cmake may use :
find_library (<VAR> name1 [path1 path2 ...])
find_path (<VAR> name1 [path1 path2 ...])
find_file (<VAR> name1 [path1 path2 ...])
find_program (<VAR> name1 [path1 path2 ...])
FIND_PACKAGE_HANDLE_STANDARD_ARGS(<name>
Paths may be set using :
* foo_DIR cmake variable
* $ENV{name} cmake variable
* [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE …]
(DEFAULT_MSG|"Custom failure message") <var1>...<varN> )
For find_* cmake instructions, some additional global list of dirs may be set with :
CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH
CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH
CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH
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13. 3- Find Package
3.1- How to use
CMake_find
2 ways :
1. With a Find<package>.cmake module file
Inside Findfoo.cmake, we have some ‘ready to use’ cmake variable according to the
arguments passed to the find_package(…), for example :
foo_FIND_REQUIRED if REQUIRED was given
foo_FIND_COMPONENTS list if COMPONENTS was given with list of modules to find
EXAMPLES OR QUESTION ?
See standard FindOpenAL.cmake or FindGDAL.cmake
for simple examples.
See standard FindBoost.cmake or FindQt4.cmake for
complexe examples.
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14. 3- Find Package
3.1- How to use
CMake_find
2 ways :
2. With a cmake config file provided by the dependency
The 3rdParty project may provide a cmake config file which was generated by
cmake on installation time (using the EXPORT command)
On your side, if no Findfoo.cmake was found, cmake try to locate instead :
fooConfig.cmake or foo-config.cmake file (as you need at least to provide foo_DIR
which point to this file).
For advanced cmake user,
Should be discussed latter.
jerome.esnault@inria.fr 02 July 2014 - 14

15. 4- ADVANCED AND MORE
For compiler command line:
CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS cmake var
For preprocessors :
add_definitions(-DFOO -DBAR ...)
configure_file(<input> <output>
For more examples:
suitesparse-metis-for-windows
[COPYONLY] [ESCAPE_QUOTES] [@ONLY]
[NEWLINE_STYLE [UNIX|DOS|WIN32|LF|CRLF] ])
For custom targets :
add_custom_target(Name [ALL] [command1 [args1...]]
[COMMAND command2 [args2...] ...]
[DEPENDS depend depend depend ... ]
[WORKING_DIRECTORY dir]
[COMMENT comment] [VERBATIM]
[SOURCES src1 [src2...]])
For installation (see doxygen example) :
Install(…) (multiples signatures)
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16. 5-INSTALLATION, EXPORT, PACKAGE
TIPS here
And here
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17. ANDROID && iOS toolchain
• ANDROID : https://github.com/taka-no-me/android-cmake
• iOS : https://code.google.com/p/ios-cmake/
• Global integration with Qt and QtCreator topic :
(http://qt-project.org/forums/viewthread/36359)
jerome.esnault@inria.fr 02 July 2014 - 17