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IDProjectCategoryView StatusDate SubmittedLast Update
0013594CMakeCMakepublic2012-10-17 07:402016-06-10 14:31
Reportertfry 
Assigned ToKitware Robot 
PrioritynormalSeverityfeatureReproducibilityN/A
StatusclosedResolutionmoved 
PlatformOSOS Version
Product VersionCMake 2.8.9 
Target VersionFixed in Version 
Summary0013594: ADD_SUBDIRECTORY to look for CMakeSubLists.txt in addition to CMakeLists.txt
DescriptionWish:
If ADD_SUBDIRECTORY() fails to locate a CMakeLists.txt-file in the specified directory, it should look for CMakeSubLists.txt, instead.

Documentation will encourage to use the file name "CMakeLists.txt" for cmake files which are valid as a top-level build file, and "CMakeSubLists.txt" for cmake files which rely on being included from a parent directory.

Rationale:
One common build error that users of my project run into is that they point cmake to a subdirectory of the sources, rather than the top-level directory containing the main CMakeLists.txt. Admittedly, this type of error is "encouraged" by a somewhat unlucky directory naming scheme. However, it can easily be hit in many projects. Users running into this will hit rather unhelpful error messages, typically about undefined macros.

One way around this is to guard the CMakeLists.txt in each subdirectory, e.g. by checking whether the PROJECT_NAME, or some other indicative variable has been set. However, this check would need to be added to each CMakeLists.txt, decreasing the signal-to-noise-ratio in the build files.

With the change as outlined, above, I could rename those CMakeLists.txt-files, which are not meant to be used as top-level cmake files to CMakeSubLists.txt. Cmake files, which *can* be used as top-level cmake files will continue to be named CMakeLists.txt. Thus, only those cmake files which can stand for themselves will be considered by the cmake-command, while CMakeSubLists.txt-files will only be considered when included using ADD_SUBDIRECTORY().

Projects not updating the naming scheme for cmake files will not be affected by this change (but will not benefit from the new feature, either).
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(0042133)
Kitware Robot (administrator)
2016-06-10 14:28

 Resolving issue as `moved`.

This issue tracker is no longer used. Further discussion of this issue may take place in the current CMake Issues page linked in the banner at the top of this page.

 Issue History
Date Modified Username Field Change
2012-10-17 07:40 tfry New Issue
2016-06-10 14:28 Kitware Robot Note Added: 0042133
2016-06-10 14:28 Kitware Robot Status new => resolved
2016-06-10 14:28 Kitware Robot Resolution open => moved
2016-06-10 14:28 Kitware Robot Assigned To => Kitware Robot
2016-06-10 14:31 Kitware Robot Status resolved => closed

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