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How to Build Package With Cmake?

3 minutes read

Building a package with CMake involves creating a CMakeLists.txt file in the root directory of your project that defines the project, sets up the build environment, and specifies the target to be built.


In the CMakeLists.txt file, you need to define the project using the project() command, set up any required dependencies using the include_directories() and target_link_libraries() commands, and define the target to be built using the add_executable() or add_library() command.


You then need to create a build directory where you will run the cmake command to generate the build system makefiles or project files. You can specify any build options or configuration settings when running the cmake command.


Once the build system files are generated, you can then run the build command (make, nmake, or other depending on your platform) to build the target. After the build completes successfully, you will have your package built and ready to be installed or used.


What is the CMakeLists.txt file used for?

The CMakeLists.txt file is used in CMake, which is a popular tool used to manage the build process of software projects. The CMakeLists.txt file is a script that provides instructions to CMake on how to build the project, specifying things like project name, source files, dependencies, compiler options, and build targets. The CMakeLists.txt file is used to generate platform-specific build scripts (such as Makefiles, Visual Studio projects, or Xcode projects) and facilitate the building of the project on different operating systems and build environments.


How to link libraries in a CMake project?

To link libraries in a CMake project, you can use the target_link_libraries command in your CMakeLists.txt file. Here is an example of how to link a library named mylibrary to your project:

  1. Find the library file or add the library to your project: If the library you want to link is already installed on your system, make sure to find its location. For example, if the library is located in /usr/lib/libmylibrary.so, you can skip this step. If the library is not installed, you can add it to your project by including the library files (e.g., .h, .c, .cpp) in your source code directory.
  2. Modify your CMakeLists.txt file: # Add the executable target add_executable(myexecutable main.cpp) # Link the library to the executable target target_link_libraries(myexecutable mylibrary)
  3. Specify the library location (if necessary): If the library is located in a custom directory or not in the default system directories, you may need to specify the location using the link_directories command: link_directories(/path/to/mylibrary)
  4. Include the library headers (if necessary): If the library has header files that need to be included in your project, use the include_directories command to specify the location of the header files: include_directories(/path/to/mylibrary/include)


After making these changes in your CMakeLists.txt file, CMake will link the specified library to your project, and you should be able to build and run the executable successfully.


How to add source files to a CMake project?

To add source files to a CMake project, you need to modify the CMakeLists.txt file in your project directory. Follow these steps to add source files:

  1. Open the CMakeLists.txt file in a text editor.
  2. Locate the section of the file where the list of source files is defined. This section typically starts with the line "add_executable" or "add_library" followed by the name of the executable or library and a list of source files.
  3. To add a new source file, simply append the file name to the list of source files. Each file should be separated by a space.


For example, if you want to add a new source file called "newfile.cpp" to your project, your CMakeLists.txt file might look something like this:

1

add_executable(myexe main.cpp newfile.cpp)


  1. Save the changes to the CMakeLists.txt file.
  2. Re-run the CMake configuration and build process to incorporate the new source file into the project. You can do this by running the following commands in your project directory: 
1
2

cmake .
make


After following these steps, your CMake project should now include the newly added source file and you can build and run the project as usual.

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