Hi,
I'm using CMake for a while now for cross-platform project.
In opposition to Linux, Windows does not have a library system
management through a repository system. I would say that 99% of
applications that have common libraries between them does not share the
runtimes. Each time, the .dll files are duplicated for each application.
We have to live with that, and to create proper CMakeLists.txt that can
handle DLL integration.
I think many of CMake users have the following pipeline on Windows:
1. Run CMake (this will execute some find_library to get the correct
.lib files)
2. Compile the application
3. Run the INSTALL target
4. Copy the .dll files into the output binary folder.
5. Package the application with the DLL inside (e.g innosetup)
Currently find_library does not search for runtime, but only for .lib.
So even if a developer is using find_library, he/she has to implement
some additional CMake code to retrieve the path to .dll files and copy
them using the install or the file CMake commands. I added my current
code for handling Qt library in my project at the end of this email. (I
put a huge part of it if someone want to reuse it). You will notice that
this code is handling the case where you are debugging using Visual
Studio, to avoid the missing .DLL issue.
This steps are tedious and I'm wondering if there is a mechanism that
exists or that have to be imagined to make the DLL nightmare end.
All the best
Louis-Paul Cordier
...
#Folder where compiled files for release/debug install will be placed
set(G3_RELEASE_DIR "release")
set(G3_DEBUG_DIR "debug")
find_package(Qt5 ${QT5VC2015_VERSION} EXACT COMPONENTS Core OpenGL
Concurrent REQUIRED)
QT5_WRAP_UI(...)
QT5_WRAP_CPP(...)
target_include_directories(...)
target_compile_definitions(...)
#Add Qt libraries to the linker
target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
${Qt5Widgets_LIBRARIES}
${Qt5OpenGL_LIBRARIES}
${Qt5Concurrent_LIBRARIES}
)
if( WIN32 )
SET(QT_DLL
Qt5Core
Qt5Gui
Qt5Widgets
Qt5OpenGL
Qt5Concurrent
)
foreach( _file ${QT_DLL} )
list( APPEND DLL_LIBRARIES "${QT5_DIR}/bin/${_file}.dll" )
list( APPEND DLL_LIBRARIES_D "${QT5_DIR}/bin/${_file}d.dll" )
endforeach( _file ${QT_DLL} )
#TODO: add the platform libraries.
endif( WIN32 )
# I add other DLLs of other project's library by appending to
DLL_LIBRARIES and DLL_LIBRARIES_D
#Handle DLLs under Windows.
if(WIN32)
set(DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH "")
set(DLL_LIBRARIES_D_PATH "")
#Process Release libraries.
foreach( _file ${DLL_LIBRARIES} )
# Convert path to CMake path to avoid escaping issues.
file(TO_CMAKE_PATH ${_file} _file_cmake_path)
#check file existance
if(NOT EXISTS ${_file_cmake_path})
message(FATAL_ERROR "Missing dll file: ${_file_cmake_path}")
endif(NOT EXISTS ${_file_cmake_path})
# Add the DLL to the installation process.
install(FILES ${_file_cmake_path}
DESTINATION ${G3_RELEASE_DIR}
CONFIGURATIONS Release RelWithDebInfo MinSizeRel Release_CMT
Release_Net)
# Extract the folder path of the DLL. It allows to add the folder
where the
# DLLs are stored to the PATH environment of Visual Studio, in
order to avoid
# copying DLL after each builds.
if(MSVC)
get_filename_component(_dll_folder ${_file} DIRECTORY)
list(APPEND DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH ${_dll_folder})
endif(MSVC)
endforeach( _file ${DLL_LIBRARIES} )
#Process Debug libraries.
foreach( _file ${DLL_LIBRARIES_D} )
# Convert path to CMake path to avoid escaping issues.
file(TO_CMAKE_PATH ${_file} _file_cmake_path)
#check file existance
if(NOT EXISTS ${_file_cmake_path})
message(FATAL_ERROR "Missing dll file: ${_file_cmake_path}")
endif(NOT EXISTS ${_file_cmake_path})
# Add the DLL to the installation process.
install(FILES ${_file_cmake_path}
DESTINATION ${G3_DEBUG_DIR}
CONFIGURATIONS Debug)
# Extract the folder path of the DLL. It allows to add the folder
where the
# DLLs are stored to the PATH environment of Visual Studio, in
order to avoid
# copying DLL after each builds.
if(MSVC)
get_filename_component(_dll_folder ${_file} DIRECTORY)
list(APPEND DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH_D ${_dll_folder})
endif(MSVC)
endforeach( _file ${DLL_LIBRARIES_D} )
if(MSVC)
#Remove duplicate entries
list(REMOVE_DUPLICATES DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH)
list(REMOVE_DUPLICATES DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH_D)
#Set architecture
if(ARCH_X64)
set(DLL_LIBRARIES_ARCH "x64")
else(ARCH_X64)
set(DLL_LIBRARIES_ARCH "Win32")
endif(ARCH_X64)
# The output file goes in the build dir.
# @ONLY means only variables of the form @VAR@ will be substituted.
# This method need DLL_LIBRARIES_ARCH, DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH and
DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH_D
# variables to be set. DONT FORGET TO RESTART VISUAL STUDIO if DLL
paths changes, as
# vcxproj.user files are loaded only once at Visual Studio startup.
configure_file(project.vcxproj.user.in
${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}.vcxproj.user @ONLY)
endif(MSVC)
endif(WIN32)
-------------------
NOTE:
For those who are wondering the content of project.vcxproj.user.in:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003";>
<PropertyGroup
Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|@DLL_LIBRARIES_ARCH@'">
<LocalDebuggerEnvironment>PATH=@DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH@;%PATH%</LocalDebuggerEnvironment>
<DebuggerFlavor>WindowsLocalDebugger</DebuggerFlavor>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup
Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='RelWithDebInfo|@DLL_LIBRARIES_ARCH@'">
<LocalDebuggerEnvironment>PATH=@DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH@;%PATH%</LocalDebuggerEnvironment>
<DebuggerFlavor>WindowsLocalDebugger</DebuggerFlavor>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup
Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='MinSizeRel|@DLL_LIBRARIES_ARCH@'">
<LocalDebuggerEnvironment>PATH=@DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH@;%PATH%</LocalDebuggerEnvironment>
<DebuggerFlavor>WindowsLocalDebugger</DebuggerFlavor>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup
Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|@DLL_LIBRARIES_ARCH@'">
<LocalDebuggerEnvironment>PATH=@DLL_LIBRARIES_PATH_D@;%PATH%</LocalDebuggerEnvironment>
<DebuggerFlavor>WindowsLocalDebugger</DebuggerFlavor>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>
--
--
Powered by www.kitware.com
Please keep messages on-topic and check the CMake FAQ at:
http://www.cmake.org/Wiki/CMake_FAQ
Kitware offers various services to support the CMake community. For more
information on each offering, please visit:
CMake Support: http://cmake.org/cmake/help/support.html
CMake Consulting: http://cmake.org/cmake/help/consulting.html
CMake Training Courses: http://cmake.org/cmake/help/training.html
Visit other Kitware open-source projects at
http://www.kitware.com/opensource/opensource.html
Follow this link to subscribe/unsubscribe:
http://public.kitware.com/mailman/listinfo/cmake
