CMake 3.12.0-rc3 is ready for testing
July 9, 2018
I am proud to announce the third CMake 3.12 release candidate.
https://cmake.org/download/
The first two 3.12.0 release candidates included a change to allow
the target_link_libraries command to modify targets created outside
the current directory. This has been reverted in rc3 due to
problems with visibility of the linked targets. See issue17943.
Documentation is available at:
https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.12
Release notes appear below and are also published at
https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.12/release/3.12.html
Some of the more significant changes in CMake 3.12 are:
- The “target_link_libraries()” command now supports Object
Libraries. Linking to an object library uses its object files in
direct dependents and also propagates usage requirements. - The “file(GLOB)” and “file(GLOB_RECURSE)” commands learned a new
flag “CONFIGURE_DEPENDS” which enables expression of build system
dependency on globbed directory’s contents. - The “Compile Features” functionality is now aware of C++ 20. No
specific features are yet enumerated besides the “cxx_std_20” meta-
feature. - The Visual Studio Generators for VS 2017 learned to support a
“version=14.##” option in the “CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET” value (e.g.
via the “cmake(1)” “-T” option) to specify a toolset version number. - The “cmake(1)” Build Tool Mode (“cmake –build”) gained “–
parallel [<jobs>]” and “-j [<jobs>]” options to specify a parallel
build level. They map to corresponding options of the native build
tool. - The “add_compile_definitions()” command was added to set
preprocessor definitions at directory level. This supersedes
“add_definitions()”. - The “cmake_minimum_required()” and “cmake_policy(VERSION)”
commands now accept a version range using the form
“<min>[…<max>]”. The “<min>” version is required but policies are
set based on the “<max>” version. This allows projects to specify a
range of versions for which they have been updated and avoid
explicit policy settings. - The “find_package()” command now searches a prefix specified by a
“PackageName_ROOT” CMake or environment variable. Package roots are
maintained as a stack so nested calls to all “find_*” commands
inside find modules also search the roots as prefixes. See policy
“CMP0074”. - A new “$<GENEX_EVAL:…>” and “$<TARGET_GENEX_EVAL:target,…>”
“generator expression” has been added to enable consumption of
generator expressions whose evaluation results itself in generator
expressions. - A new “$<TARGET_EXISTS:…>” “generator expression” has been
added. - A new “$<TARGET_NAME_IF_EXISTS:…>” “generator expression” has
been added. - The “FindCURL” module now provides imported targets.
- The “FindJPEG” module now provides imported targets.
- A “FindODBC” module was added to find an Open Database
Connectivity (ODBC) library. - New “FindPython3” and “FindPython2” modules, as well as a new
“FindPython” module, have been added to provide a new way to locate
python environments.
CMake 3.12 Release Notes
************************
Changes made since CMake 3.11 include the following.
New Features
============
Generators
----------
* The Visual Studio Generators for VS 2017 learned to support a
"version=14.##" option in the "CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET" value (e.g.
via the "cmake(1)" "-T" option) to specify a toolset version number.
Command-Line
------------
* The "cmake(1)" Build Tool Mode ("cmake --build") gained "--
parallel [<jobs>]" and "-j [<jobs>]" options to specify a parallel
build level. They map to corresponding options of the native build
tool.
Commands
--------
* The "add_compile_definitions()" command was added to set
preprocessor definitions at directory level. This supersedes
"add_definitions()".
* The "cmake_minimum_required()" and "cmake_policy(VERSION)"
commands now accept a version range using the form
"<min>[...<max>]". The "<min>" version is required but policies are
set based on the "<max>" version. This allows projects to specify a
range of versions for which they have been updated and avoid
explicit policy settings.
* The "file(GLOB)" and "file(GLOB_RECURSE)" commands learned a new
flag "CONFIGURE_DEPENDS" which enables expression of build system
dependency on globbed directory's contents.
* The "file(TOUCH)" and "file(TOUCH_NOCREATE)" commands were added
to expose "TOUCH" functionality without having to use CMake's
command- line tool mode with "execute_process()".
* The "find_package()" command now searches a prefix specified by a
"PackageName_ROOT" CMake or environment variable. Package roots are
maintained as a stack so nested calls to all "find_*" commands
inside find modules also search the roots as prefixes. See policy
"CMP0074".
* The "install()" command learned an optional "NAMELINK_COMPONENT"
parameter, which allows you to change the component for a shared
library's namelink. If none is specified, the value of "COMPONENT"
is used by default.
* The "list()" command learned a "JOIN" sub-command to concatenate
list's elements separated by a glue string.
* The "list()" command learned a "SUBLIST" sub-command to get a
sublist of the list.
* The "list()" command learned a "TRANSFORM" sub-command to apply
various string transformation to list's elements.
* The "project()" command learned an optional "HOMEPAGE_URL"
parameter which has the effect of setting variables like
"PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL", "<PROJECT-NAME>_HOMEPAGE_URL" and
"CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL".
* The "string()" command learned a "JOIN" sub-command to concatenate
input strings separated by a glue string.
* "target_compile_options()" and "add_compile_options()" commands
gained a "SHELL:" prefix to specify a group of related options using
shell-like quoting.
* The "target_link_libraries()" command now supports Object
Libraries. Linking to an object library uses its object files in
direct dependents and also propagates usage requirements.
Variables
---------
* The "CMAKE_FOLDER" variable was added to initialize the "FOLDER"
property on all targets.
* The "CMAKE_DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION" variable was defined
to initialize all "DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION" target
properties.
* "CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION*" variables have been introduced:
* "CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION"
* "CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR"
* "CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR"
* "CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH"
* "CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_TWEAK"
* The "CMAKE_SUPPRESS_REGENERATION" variable was extended to support
the "Ninja" and Makefile Generators. It is also now documented.
* "CMAKE_VS_SDK_*_DIRECTORIES" variables were defined to tell Visual
Studio Generators for VS 2010 and above how to populate fields in
".vcxproj" files that specify SDK directories. The variables are:
* "CMAKE_VS_SDK_EXCLUDE_DIRECTORIES"
* "CMAKE_VS_SDK_EXECUTABLE_DIRECTORIES"
* "CMAKE_VS_SDK_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES"
* "CMAKE_VS_SDK_LIBRARY_DIRECTORIES"
* "CMAKE_VS_SDK_LIBRARY_WINRT_DIRECTORIES"
* "CMAKE_VS_SDK_REFERENCE_DIRECTORIES"
* "CMAKE_VS_SDK_SOURCE_DIRECTORIES"
* A "MSVC_TOOLSET_VERSION" variable was added to provide the MSVC
toolset version associated with the current MSVC compiler version in
"MSVC_VERSION".
Properties
----------
* The "COMMON_LANGUAGE_RUNTIME" target property was introduced to
configure the use of managed C++ for Visual Studio Generators for VS
2010 and above. A corresponding "IMPORTED_COMMON_LANGUAGE_RUNTIME"
target property was added to support "C++/CLI" for imported targets.
* The "DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION" target property was
introduced as replacement for "VS_DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION",
which is considered deprecated now.
* An "EXPORT_PROPERTIES" target property was added to specify a
custom list of target properties to include in targets exported by
the "install(EXPORT)" and "export()" commands.
* The "PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY" property learned to support "generator
expressions".
* A "TESTS" directory property was added to hold the list of tests
defined by the "add_test()" command.
* A "VS_DEBUGGER_COMMAND" target property was created to set the
debugging command line with Visual Studio Generators for VS 2010 and
above.
* HLSL source file properties "VS_SHADER_DISABLE_OPTIMIZATIONS" and
"VS_SHADER_ENABLE_DEBUG" gained support for generator expressions.
* HLSL source file property "VS_SHADER_OBJECT_FILE_NAME" has been
added to the Visual Studio Generators for VS 2010 and above. The
property specifies the file name of the compiled shader object.
Modules
-------
* The "FindALSA" module now provides imported targets.
* The "FindCURL" module now provides imported targets.
* The "FindJPEG" module now provides imported targets.
* The "FindLibXml2" module now provides imported targets.
* The "FindMatlab" module now supports the Matlab Runtime Compiler
(MCR) for compiling and linking matlab extensions.
* A "FindODBC" module was added to find an Open Database
Connectivity (ODBC) library.
* The "FindPkgConfig" module has learned to export the found
libraries with full path for direct consumption with the
"target_link_libraries()" command.
* New "FindPython3" and "FindPython2" modules, as well as a new
"FindPython" module, have been added to provide a new way to locate
python environments.
* The "UseSWIG" module gained a whole refresh and is now more
consistent with standard CMake commands to generate libraries and is
fully configurable through properties.
* The "UseSWIG" module learned to manage multiple behaviors through
"UseSWIG_MODULE_VERSION" variable to ensure legacy support as well
as more robust handling of "SWIG" advanced features (like
"%template").
* The "UseSWIG" module learned to support CSHARP variant wrapper
files.
* The "WriteCompilerDetectionHeader" module gained a "BARE_FEATURES"
option to add a compatibility define for the exact keyword of a new
language feature.
Generator Expressions
---------------------
* A new "$<GENEX_EVAL:...>" and "$<TARGET_GENEX_EVAL:target,...>"
"generator expression" has been added to enable consumption of
generator expressions whose evaluation results itself in generator
expressions.
* A new "$<IN_LIST:...>" "generator expression" has been added.
* A new "$<TARGET_EXISTS:...>" "generator expression" has been
added.
* A new "$<TARGET_NAME_IF_EXISTS:...>" "generator expression" has
been added.
CTest
-----
* The "ctest_start()" command has been reworked so that you can
simply call "ctest_start(APPEND)" and it will read all the needed
information from the TAG file. The argument parsing has also been
relaxed so that the order of the arguments is less significant.
* A "PROCESSOR_AFFINITY" test property was added to request that
CTest run a test with CPU affinity for a set of processors disjoint
from other concurrently running tests with the property set.
CPack
-----
* The "CPack" module now uses variables
"CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR", "CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR" and
"CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH" to initialize corresponding CPack
variables.
* "cpack(1)" gained basic support for NuGet. See the "CPackNuGet"
module.
Other
-----
* The "Compile Features" functionality is now aware of C++ 20. No
specific features are yet enumerated besides the "cxx_std_20" meta-
feature.
* The "Compile Features" functionality is now aware of the
availability of C features in MSVC since VS 2010.
* The "Compile Features" functionality is now aware of C language
standards supported by Texas Instruments C compilers.
Deprecated and Removed Features
===============================
* The "Visual Studio 8 2005" generator has been removed.
* CMake no longer produces "<tgt>_LIB_DEPENDS" cache entries for
library targets. See policy "CMP0073".
Other Changes
=============
* Include flags for directories marked as "SYSTEM" are now moved
after non-system directories. The "-isystem" flag does this
automatically, so moving them explicitly to the end makes the
behavior consistent on compilers that do not have any "-isystem"
flag.
* Fortran dependency scanning now supports dependencies implied by
Fortran Submodules.
* The existence and functionality of the file
"${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/cmake_install.cmake" has now been documented in
the "install()" documentation so that external packaging software
can take advantage of CPack-style component installs.
* The "CheckIncludeFile" module "check_include_file" macro learned
to honor the "CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES" variable. See policy
"CMP0075".
* The "CheckIncludeFileCXX" module "check_include_file_cxx" macro
learned to honor the "CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES" variable. See policy
"CMP0075".
* The "CheckIncludeFiles" module "check_include_files" macro learned
to honor the "CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES" variable. See policy
"CMP0075".
* The "cmake(1)" "-E copy_directory" tool now fails when the source
directory does not exist. Previously it succeeded by creating an
empty destination directory.
* The "UseSWIG" module "swig_add_library()" command (and legacy
"swig_add_module" command) now set the prefix of Java modules to
"""" for MINGW, MSYS, and CYGWIN environments.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes made since CMake 3.12.0-rc2:
Adriaan de Groot (1):
FindLua: Set CMP0012 to NEW for the revised search code
Andrew Fuller (1):
CPack/Deb: Restore setting of root as the owner of files
Brad King (2):
Revert "target_link_libraries: Allow use with targets in other directories"
CMake 3.12.0-rc3
Craig Scott (1):
Help: Clarify ... behavior for policy-related commands
Marc Chevrier (2):
UseSWIG: reintroduce legacy target name management
Help: fix add_compile_definitions() documentation
Robert Dailey (1):
VS: Only link cs files when they're not in binary dir