How to Run A Basic `Add_custom_command` In Cmake?

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To run a basic add_custom_command in CMake, you need to first specify the target for which the command will be run. This can be done using the add_custom_command function in CMake.


Here is an example of how to use add_custom_command:

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add_custom_command(TARGET my_target POST_BUILD
    COMMAND echo "Custom command executed after building my_target"
)


In this example, my_target is the target for which the custom command will be executed. The POST_BUILD keyword specifies that the custom command should be executed after the target has been built. COMMAND specifies the command that should be executed, in this case, it is echo "Custom command executed after building my_target".


You can customize the command that is run after the target is built based on your specific requirements. This can include running scripts, copying files, or any other operation that needs to be performed as part of the build process.


How to add dependencies to a custom command in cmake?

To add dependencies to a custom command in CMake, you can use the add_dependencies command. Here's an example:

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# Define a custom command
add_custom_command(OUTPUT output.txt
                   COMMAND echo "Hello, world!" > output.txt
                   DEPENDS input.txt)

# Add a dependency to the custom command
add_dependencies(my_custom_command input.txt)


In this example, we first define a custom command that generates an output.txt file by echoing "Hello, world!" into it. We specify that this custom command depends on an input.txt file.


Next, we use the add_dependencies command to add a dependency to our custom command. In this case, we specify that my_custom_command depends on input.txt. This ensures that input.txt will be generated or updated before running the custom command defined in my_custom_command.


This way, you can specify dependencies for your custom commands in CMake.


What is the syntax for adding a custom command in cmake?

To add a custom command in CMake, you can use the add_custom_command function. Here is the syntax for adding a custom command:

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add_custom_command(
    OUTPUT output_file1 output_file2 ...
    COMMAND command_name arguments
    DEPENDS input_file1 input_file2 ...
    WORKING_DIRECTORY working_directory
    COMMENT "This is a custom command"
)


Explanation of each parameter:

  • OUTPUT: The list of output files generated by the command.
  • COMMAND: The command to be executed.
  • DEPENDS: The list of input files that the custom command depends on.
  • WORKING_DIRECTORY: The directory in which the command will be executed.
  • COMMENT: Optional comment for the custom command.


You can add multiple custom commands by calling add_custom_command multiple times in your CMake script.


How to configure the order in which custom commands are executed in cmake?

To configure the order in which custom commands are executed in CMake, you can specify dependencies between custom commands using the add_custom_command() function. By specifying dependencies, you can ensure that certain custom commands are executed before others.


Here is an example of how to configure the order in which custom commands are executed in CMake:

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# Define custom commands
add_custom_command(
    OUTPUT file1.txt
    COMMAND command1
    DEPENDS input.txt
)

add_custom_command(
    OUTPUT file2.txt
    COMMAND command2
    DEPENDS file1.txt
)

# Add dependencies between custom commands
add_custom_target(my_target DEPENDS file2.txt)


In this example, command1 will be executed before command2 because file1.txt is specified as a dependency for file2.txt. Additionally, by creating a custom target with a dependency on file2.txt, you can ensure that all custom commands are executed in the specified order when building the target.


You can further customize the order of custom commands by adding more dependencies or by specifying the order in which dependencies are added to the custom target. By carefully managing dependencies between custom commands, you can control the order in which they are executed in CMake.

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