[cmake-developers] new generator question - xml file output for embedded IDE platforms.

[duane at duaneellis.com]

>> configure_file is not the right command 

Yea, it's the nearest existing item, and it only does the most
simplistic replacement that's why I use that as a basis for my example.
It is in effect, like the final last 'sed' step done by gnu
autoconfigure tools. Nothing more.

>> If an IDE is actually not supported by CMake a generator it will have to be implemented for that in the source code of CMake. 

yea, i'm trying to avoid that - but I can write that if required :-(

It's more then the IDE, it is also the CHIP effectively the SYSTEM

What I need is the variable data that Cmake has already and I need to be
able to tell CMake that it *cannot* run the compiler instead, all of the
information about the compiler will be provided via some Cmake script,
for example names like this, either on the command line or specified in
a Cmake file that holds alot of variables.

   Cmake-Embedded-${CompilerName}.txt
   Cmake-Embedded-${ChipName}.txt

Possibly:

   Cmake-Embedded-${RtosName}.txt

or 

   Cmake-Embedded-BareMetal.txt

And packages (aka: Libraries) that you might want to use would never be
discovered and would instead be specified in some form, for example

   Cmake-Embedded-Package-${PackageName}.txt

An Embedded Package (aka: A static library) provided it does not require
a specific hardware access should EASILY be re-usable in a host
environment.

Thus, a package could provide for example

   Cmake-Embedded-Package-HostLib-${PackageName}

And several unit test type applications like this.

   Cmake-Embedded-Package-HostTest-${PackageName}

Key thing to remember, i'm approaching this from the *embedded*side*
where most - if not all of the flexibility found on a HOST simply does
not exist, thus moving an embedded package to host is easy because the
host side is far more flexibility then the embedded.

the WIN I am looking for is the "HostLib" and "HostTest" Cmake already
provides this, why re-invent the wheel.

Other alternatives is autoconfig - which - is very Windows Unfriendly,
lots and lots of embedded types use Windows - in some cases the IDE is
only available on windows.

Bottom line: 

Given the information in the Cmake-Embedded-*.txt files there is enough
information to create the embedded IDE project files which are generally
simple XML files
And that's the idea ...

Thanks for your help & comments.

-Duane.