[CMake] Specify extra files for display in IDE

[Eric Noulard]

Le mer. 5 sept. 2018 à 11:00, Daniel Eiband <daniel.eiband at brainlab.com> a
écrit :

> Hi,
>
>
>
> I managed to solve the presentation of object libraries by renaming the
> targets and hiding certain targets in folders. I think this solution is
> acceptable.
>
>
>
> The issue with the display of header only libraries in IDEs, which are
> implemented as interface libraries, is still unsolved. The add_library()
> command doesn’t accept any sources.
>

For an interface library you can add sources with

target_sources(yourlib INTERFACE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/whatever.h)

You need the INTERFACE keyword though:
https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/command/add_library.html#interface-libraries

is this not working for you?

Could you provide a strip-down archive which exhibit this issue I may try
it on my side?


> Also setting the SOURCES property of an interface library target is
> rejected by CMake.
>

This is because you can only populate INTERFACE_SOURCES on an INTERFACE
target:
https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/prop_tgt/INTERFACE_SOURCES.html
https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/command/target_sources.html#command:target_sources



> I haven’t found any other way of adding the files to the interface library
> so that they are presented in the IDE.
>

Like I said in a previous email on my side, interface library (INTERFACE)
sources are displayed in vscode and qtcreator, may be the fact that they
are not displayed by Visual Studio
is a Visual Studio bug?

By the way there is an old issue on this subject:
https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/issues/15234



> I know the workaround of adding an empty custom target. This is however
> not really satisfying, because Visual Studio for example displays them with
> a completely different icon and the suffix “(utility target)”. Doesn’t look
> like a C++ library any longer. It also sort of highlights the library
> because of the non-C++ icon and I have to hide even more targets (the real
> interface libraries).
>
>
>
> From a CMake interface perspective this is also an asymmetry: Why can I
> add arbitrary files to executable and static/shared library targets being
> displayed in IDEs without contributing to the build artifact while this is
> not possible for interface libraries? I think, the restriction on interface
> libraries should not be that they don’t have any source files. Interface
> libraries must not have source files which produce build artifacts.
>

Agreed and I think it would more "natural" to be able to simply
target_sources / add_library "as usual" and promote SOURCES to
INTERFACE_SOURCES automatically since the target is an INTERFACE lib.


>
> Is this worth an enhancement bug or has this already been discussed?
>

The only one I am aware of is this one:
https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/issues/15234

-- 
Eric
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