CMakeGraphVizOptions

The builtin Graphviz support of CMake.

Generating Graphviz files

CMake can generate Graphviz files showing the dependencies between the targets in a project, as well as external libraries which are linked against.

When running CMake with the --graphviz=foo.dot option, it produces:

  • a foo.dot file, showing all dependencies in the project

  • a foo.dot.<target> file for each target, showing on which other targets it depends

  • a foo.dot.<target>.dependers file for each target, showing which other targets depend on it

Those .dot files can be converted to images using the dot command from the Graphviz package:

dot -Tpng -o foo.png foo.dot

Added in version 3.10: The different dependency types PUBLIC, INTERFACE and PRIVATE are represented as solid, dashed and dotted edges.

Variables specific to the Graphviz support

The resulting graphs can be huge. The look and content of the generated graphs can be controlled using the file CMakeGraphVizOptions.cmake. This file is first searched in CMAKE_BINARY_DIR, and then in CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR. If found, the variables set in it are used to adjust options for the generated Graphviz files.

GRAPHVIZ_GRAPH_NAME

The graph name.

GRAPHVIZ_GRAPH_HEADER

The header written at the top of the Graphviz files.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: "node [ fontsize = "12" ];"

GRAPHVIZ_NODE_PREFIX

The prefix for each node in the Graphviz files.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: "node"

GRAPHVIZ_EXECUTABLES

Set to FALSE to exclude executables from the generated graphs.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: TRUE

GRAPHVIZ_STATIC_LIBS

Set to FALSE to exclude static libraries from the generated graphs.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: TRUE

GRAPHVIZ_SHARED_LIBS

Set to FALSE to exclude shared libraries from the generated graphs.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: TRUE

GRAPHVIZ_MODULE_LIBS

Set to FALSE to exclude module libraries from the generated graphs.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: TRUE

GRAPHVIZ_INTERFACE_LIBS

Set to FALSE to exclude interface libraries from the generated graphs.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: TRUE

GRAPHVIZ_OBJECT_LIBS

Set to FALSE to exclude object libraries from the generated graphs.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: TRUE

GRAPHVIZ_UNKNOWN_LIBS

Set to FALSE to exclude unknown libraries from the generated graphs.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: TRUE

GRAPHVIZ_EXTERNAL_LIBS

Set to FALSE to exclude external libraries from the generated graphs.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: TRUE

GRAPHVIZ_CUSTOM_TARGETS

Set to TRUE to include custom targets in the generated graphs.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: FALSE

GRAPHVIZ_IGNORE_TARGETS

A list of regular expressions for names of targets to exclude from the generated graphs.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: empty

GRAPHVIZ_GENERATE_PER_TARGET

Set to FALSE to not generate per-target graphs foo.dot.<target>.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: TRUE

GRAPHVIZ_GENERATE_DEPENDERS

Set to FALSE to not generate depender graphs foo.dot.<target>.dependers.

  • Mandatory: NO

  • Default: TRUE