[cmake-developers] [CMake] Bug fix requests for the *next* release of CMake...

[Alexander Neundorf]

On Monday 05 July 2010, David Cole wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Now that we have released CMake 2.8.2 last Monday, and we have switched to
> this new workflow using branches in the git repository, *now* would be a
> great time to prioritize bug fixes for the next release of CMake.
>
> We are leaning towards quarterly releases from now on, scheduling them
> every 3 months. That would make the next release of CMake version 2.8.3 and
> scheduled to have an "rc1" release candidate in approximately
> mid-September, 2010.
>
> If you have a particular issue that you think should be fixed for inclusion
> in 2.8.3, please bring it up now. Ideally, each issue will be discussed as
> needed on the mailing list to come to any consensus about what should be
> done to fix it, and then an entry in the bug tracker may be used to keep it
> on the radar screen, and to track activity related to it.
>
> Patches are always welcome. Patches that include testing of any new
> features, or tests that prove a bug is really fixed on the dashboards,
> basically any patch with testing is preferred over a patch with no testing.
> Also, if you are *adding* code, then you also probably need to add *tests*
> of that code, so that the coverage percentage stays as is or rises.
>
> Please discuss issues here as needed, and add notes to existing issues in
> the bug tracker that you are interested in seeing fixed for 2.8.3 -- we
> will be looking at the mailing list and activity in the bug tracker to help
> prioritize the bug fixes that will occur in the next several weeks.

Ok, here's my (short) list:

* add support for Win CE
http://public.kitware.com/Bug/view.php?id=7919
(maybe this is related: http://public.kitware.com/Bug/view.php?id=5796 )

This bug report contains patches, which are in production use by several 
people, at least the original developer and also the people at KDAB.
Applying the patches is currently blocked by comment 0016786 and related from 
Brad.
Patrick (on CC) currently has time to work on the patches to bring them into 
shape so they can be committed into offical CMake, but he needs advice on 
what needs to be done.


* add support for Symbian
http://public.kitware.com/Bug/view.php?id=8486

The bug report contains actually two different patch sets.
One patch set for a Carbide generator, which is a full-blown new generator. It 
seems to be in use by some people. Although the issue is assigned to me, I 
can't help with this part. I don't have Windows, so I don't have Carbide, and 
beside that, I don't have the time to maintain a full generator.

Additionally to that it also contains patches to add Symbian support to the 
Makefile generators (so basically a Symbian.cmake and Symbian-GNU-C/CXX.cmake 
files). They are almost working, and I could maintain them, but I'd need the 
help of a Symbian expert to get them into a good working state for all 
releases of Symbian (there are not too many).


From my impression at Akademy these two issues are the two major technical 
issues which need to be solved before CMake can be a candidate as buildsystem 
for Qt. They just can't choose CMake if it doesn't support Symbian and WinCE.


Personally I'd like to see the following issues solved:

* make it possible to use add_dependencies() with imported targets, this would 
make using the ExternalProject support significantly nicer:
http://public.kitware.com/Bug/view.php?id=10395


* make it possible to use imported library targets with try_compile(), 
currently we have to work around that in KDE by checking via a macro whether 
any of the libraries listed in CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES are imported targets 
and handle that accordingly:
http://public.kitware.com/Bug/view.php?id=8761


Alex