[CMake] postBuildInstallation howto

[Michael Hertling]

On 11/13/2010 08:06 PM, luxInteg wrote:
> Greetings,
> 
> I am learning cmake
> 
> 
> --I want to know how to set   the installation directory tree.  Is this done 
> in the CMakeList.txt in the base directory; if not where and how?

IIRC, the INSTALL() command with the FILES, PROGRAMS and DIRECTORY
signature may appear in any CMakeLists.txt, but with the TARGETS
signature, it must be placed in the same CMakeLists.txt as the
targets it refers to. Anyway, IMO, it's a good style to have
the INSTALL() commands near their subjects, generally.

> --I want to install   man pages, TEX files etc, I checked this 
> http://www.cmake.org/Wiki/CMake:Install_Commands   but did not see any 
> references to files of the latter types -So how are these installed  from a 
> ~/doc directory in the build tree?

E.g., in the source directory's ~/doc/CMakeLists.txt, say

INSTALL(FILES ${MANPAGES} DESTINATION man)

with the variable MANPAGES containing the to-be-installed man pages
with their absolute paths within the build directory, or preferably

INSTALL(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/doc/man/ DESTINATION man)

to install the contents of ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/doc/man to the
${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/man directory; note the trailing slash.

BTW, don't use the old INSTALL_{FILES,PROGRAMS,TARGETS}() commands; use
the new comprehensive INSTALL() command with its signatures exclusively.

> --If say one has a directory named INCLUDE in the build tree and one sets  the 
> files therein as ${headers}  does one  do 
> INSTALL_FILES(/include ${headers}) to install into ${Install_prefix}/include 

If the headers variable contains absolute paths, you might say
INCLUDE(FILES ${headers} DESTINATION include) anywhere the headers
variable is defined to install to the ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/include
directory. Otherwise, you should say INCLUDE(DIRECTORY <absolute/path/
to/INCLUDE>/ DESTINATION include) to install the contents of the whole
INCLUDE directory to ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/include - preferable again.

> and is it done from a CMakeLists.txt within ~/INCLUDE to 
> effect installation OR do you do otherwise and if so how so?

You said the INCLUDE directory is in the build tree, and the build tree
has no CMakeLists.txt unless you're doing a discouraged in-source build:

<http://www.cmake.org/Wiki/CMake_FAQ#Out-of-source_build_trees>

Regards,

Michael