[CMake] append command

[Alexander Neundorf]

On Friday 12 August 2011, Michael Hertling wrote:
> On 08/11/2011 10:04 PM, Alexander Neundorf wrote:
> > On Thursday 11 August 2011, Michael Hertling wrote:
> > ...
> > 
> >> Alternatively, one might consider to introduce a new, say,
> >> modifier "CONCAT" for the SET() command, e.g.
> >> 
> >> SET(<variable> <value> ... CONCAT [SEP <sep>])
> >> 
> >> equivalent to
> >> 
> >> SET(<variable> "${<variable>}<sep><value>...")
> > 
> > I'm not sure this is actually necessary.
> > Personally I'm fine with
> > set(foo "${foo} bar")
> > It's just one line. For properties more code is needed otherwise.
> 
> So far, I also don't need such a string concatenation feature, but
> 
> LIST(APPEND ...)
> 
> and
> 
> SET_PROPERTY(... APPEND/APPEND_STRING ...)
> 
> aren't actually necessary, too, but convenient, so I would not be
> opposed to another convenience feature for concatenating strings.
> 
> >> Besides, David, due to the same reasons as mentioned above, the new
> >> APPEND_STRING subcommand of SET_PROPERTY() is quite misnamed, IMO -
> >> and quite long. Would it be possible to rename it to CONCAT before
> >> it is released officially? In this way, we would consistently have
> >> APPEND subcommands for list-style variables/properties and CONCAT
> >> subcommands for string-style ones.
> > 
> > We can do that, if other people think also that this would be a better
> > name. Or "STRING_APPEND" instead of "APPEND_STRING" ?
> 
> The crucial point is that the subcommand/modifier for concatenating
> strings - regardless for which command(s) it is implemented - should
> 
> - not be named "APPEND" because this term is already in use for lists,
>   and there's at least one occasion where a list-related and a string-
>   related "+=" operation are about to coincide, namely SET_PROPERTY().
> - be named the same in all commands that provide - or possibly will
>   provide - this functionality. SET_PROPERTY() is going to name it
>   APPEND_STRING, a longish and unfortunate misnomer, IMO, that will
>   result in inconsistent CMakeLists.txt code if there'll be a SET()
>   or STRING() implementation for concatenating strings: Certainly,
>   one would not want to call the latter SET(... APPEND_STRING) or
>   STRING(STRING_APPEND ...), so one ends up with two differently
>   named subcommands/modifiers for the same kind of operation.
> 
> For this reason, I'd recommend to reconsider the APPEND_STRING sub-
> command's naming and change it to a term that's also suitable for
> a string concatenation feature in other CMake commands - just to
> leave the door open. Therefor, my suggestion is CONCAT.

Anybody else has an opinion on this ?
I have no preferences among APPEND_STRING, STRING_APPEND and CONCAT.

Alex