[CMake] Why simple `cmake` does not launch default generator on current directory?

[Rolf Eike Beer]

Adam Strzelecki wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> We started using CMake recently in our projects. And it is really a
> timesaver comparing to Qmake/autotools, however there is one thing that
> bothers me.
> 
> Why typing simple: cmake in command line doesn't trigger configure with
> default generator (i.e. Makefile)? It just prints help, which is anyway
> accessible via cmake -h/--help.
> 
> This is really weird comparing to other tools such as ./configure, quake,
> make, that do not expect any parameter to launch them up.
> 
> Fortunately there is `cmake .`, but the dot is kinda superfluous.

Because that would create an in-source build, and you almost never want that. 
One wants to build out of source. Sadly CMake will stumble if you try to 
create an out-of-source build from a directory that is an in-source build, so 
not having that default of "cmake ." actually saves everyone a lot of trouble.

Eike
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