[CMake] Building a DLL and test driver EXE using CMake -- error by design?

Tue Mar 22 19:21:47 EDT 2011

Hi,

Instead of using the following structure:
<PROJECT_ROOT>
   |---- FeatureViewer
   |---- TestDriver

You should use the following one:
<PROJECT_ROOT>
   |---- FeatureViewer
             |---- TestDriver

The naming convention we use in our different porject is the following:
<PROJECT_ROOT>
   |---- FeatureViewer
             |---- Testing
                       |---- Cpp

Often we also add the extra subdirectory named "Cpp", doing so allows the
project to scale nicely in case the project deals with other language like
Python. In that case, we will add a subdirectory named "Python".

What motivates the change of the structure ?

Within the directory FeatureViewer, VTK is found and the following command
is executed: INCLUDE(${VTK_USE_FILE})

The variable VTK_USE_FILE points to a file named UseVTK.cmake that will be
included. De facto all CMake command listed in that file will be executed.
Among them, let's note the use of this one:
   INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${VTK_INCLUDE_DIRS})

After being executed, this later one will allow you to include VTK header
files from files associated with FeatureViewer target and targets located in
subdirectories. For example tests.

Moreover, in your example, it seems the command "LINK_DIRECTORIES" is
missing. Indeed, you should add the following command before calling
ADD_LIBRARY(FeatureViewer
...):

LINK_DIRECTORIES(${VTK_LIBRARY_DIRS})

To summarize:

 Changing the layout associated with the use of LINK_DIRECTORIES will:

   - allow unit test to include featureViewer headers that internally
include VTK headers.

  - allow the linking of the test with FeatureViewer to work properly since
the corresponding target will be defined in the current scope.

HTH
Jc

On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 6:33 PM, Chris Volpe ARA/SED <cvolpe at ara.com> wrote:

> Jc-
>
>
>
> I already tried that, which is why I ended up with the ordering I did.
> Originally, with FeatureViewer first, I figured CMake would “know about” the
> dependent VTK libraries by the time it got to TestDriver, thereby enabling
> the undesired behavior. I then put TestDriver first, hoping that it would
> generate a project file to build against FeatureViewer without having gone
> into the subdirectory to find out about FeatureViewer’s VTK dependencies.
> But, alas, clearly it must descend into FeatureViewer anyway before actually
> generating the project file for TestDriver in order for it to know where to
> find the FeatureViewer library. So, clearly, it must go through a “gather
> all information” pass before it embarks on the “generate all project files”
> pass.
>
>
>
> So, my options at this point appear to be:
>
> 1.       Generate the project files, remove the VTK lib dependencies from
> TestDriver, and divorce myself from CMake at this point, doing all further
> project modifications (e.g. new classes/sources) directly within Visual
> Studio, or…
>
> 2.       Continue working within CMake, and continually remove the VTK lib
> dependencies each time I re-run CMake (a pain).
>
>
>
> I’m amazed that nobody has ever experienced this problem before. It seems
> like a very natural thing to want to do.
>
>
>
> Thanks for the quick response.
>
>
>
> -Chris
>
>
>
> *From:* Jean-Christophe Fillion-Robin [mailto:jchris.fillionr at kitware.com]
>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, March 22, 2011 2:41 PM
> *To:* Chris Volpe ARA/SED
> *Cc:* cmake at cmake.org
> *Subject:* Re: [CMake] Building a DLL and test driver EXE using CMake --
> error by design?
>
>
>
> Hi Chris,
>
> Try to change the order of the ADD_DUBDIRECTORY.
>
> add_subdirectory(FeatureViewer)
>
> add_subdirectory(TestDriver)
>
>
>
> instead of
>
> add_subdirectory(TestDriver)
>
> add_subdirectory(FeatureViewer)
>
>
> As mentioned in the doc<http://www.cmake.org/cmake/help/cmake-2-8-docs.html#command:add_subdirectory>:
> "*The CMakeLists.txt file in the specified source directory will be
> processed immediately by CMake before processing in the current input file
> continues beyond this command.*"
>
> Changing the order of subdirectory will ensure that FeatureViewer dll is
> built before TestDriver ...
>
> Jc
>
> On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 10:16 AM, Chris Volpe ARA/SED <cvolpe at ara.com>
> wrote:
>
> I posted this question in the VTK Users mailing list originally, but have
> since determined that it is more of a CMake issue than a VTK issue, and the
> involvement of VTK is only tangential.
>
>
>
> I am trying to set up a source tree which will allow CMake to create a
> MSVC++ .sln file that contains the following two projects:
>
> 1.       A DLL (called “FeatureViewer”) containing a vanilla C++ class
> that links against several VTK kits (Graphics, Rendering, and Hybrid).
>
> 2.       An EXE (called “TestDriver”) that links against the
> aforementioned library containing the vanilla C++ class.
>
>
>
> I want to deliver the DLL, LIB, and class header file from (1) above (as
> well as the dependent VTK DLLs) to a co-worker who has his own application
> and wants to use the functionality I’m encapsulating, but he doesn’t want to
> “vtk-ify” his build process. The EXE in (2) above is simply my test driver
> for (1).
>
>
>
> My problem is that the EXE won’t build because the generated project is
> spuriously looking for vtk libraries (e.g. vtkGraphics.lib et. al.) at link
> time that it doesn’t directly reference, and it doesn’t know where to find
> them. The EXE shouldn’t need to know about them because their use is
> strictly within the FeatureViewer library. If I go into the EXE project
> properties and manually delete the references to vtkGraphics.lib et. al.
> from the linker->input->additional-dependencies list, it works.
>
>
>
> At first, I thought I was just doing something wrong in my CMakeLists.txt
> files, but page 25 of the CMake User’s Guide suggests that this behavior is
> by design.
>
> The example given is:
>
>
>
> add_library(foo foo.cxx)
>
> target_link_libraries(foo bar)
>
>
>
> add_executable(foobar foobar.cxx)
>
> target_link_libraries(foobar foo)
>
>
>
> The text below the example states, *“This will link the libraries foo and
> bar into the executable foobar even [sic], although only foo was explicitly
> linked into foobar. With shared or DLL builds this linking is not always
> needed, but the extra linkage is harmless.”*
>
>
>
> It seems to me that this extra linkage is not harmless: I don’t want
> clients of FeatureViewer to have to know about vtkGraphics.lib et. al., but
> CMake is creating a spurious reference.
>
>
>
> Can someone provide a work-around?
>
>
>
> My CMakeLists.txt files look like this:
>
>
>
> Top Level:
>
> CMAKE_MINIMUM_REQUIRED(VERSION 2.4)
>
> IF(COMMAND CMAKE_POLICY)
>
>   CMAKE_POLICY(SET CMP0003 NEW)
>
> ENDIF(COMMAND CMAKE_POLICY)
>
>
>
> PROJECT(FeatureViewer)
>
>
>
> add_subdirectory(TestDriver)
>
> add_subdirectory(FeatureViewer)
>
>
>
> FeatureViewer:
>
> SET (FeatureViewer_SRCS
>
>   FeatureViewer.cxx
>
> )
>
>
>
> IF(NOT VTK_BINARY_DIR)
>
> FIND_PACKAGE(VTK REQUIRED)
>
> IF(NOT VTK_USE_RENDERING)
>
>   MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "Example ${PROJECT_NAME} requires
> VTK_USE_RENDERING.")
>
> ENDIF(NOT VTK_USE_RENDERING)
>
> INCLUDE(${VTK_USE_FILE})
>
> ENDIF(NOT VTK_BINARY_DIR)
>
>
>
> ADD_LIBRARY(FeatureViewer SHARED ${FeatureViewer_SRCS})
>
> TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(FeatureViewer vtkGraphics vtkRendering vtkHybrid)
>
>
>
> TestDriver:
>
> ADD_EXECUTABLE(TestDriver TestDriver.cxx)
>
>
>
> TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(TestDriver FeatureViewer)
>
>
>
> INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${FeatureViewer_SOURCE_DIR}/FeatureViewer)
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance!!
>
> Chris
>
> --
> Christopher R. Volpe,
> Ph.D.                                                           Email:
> cvolpe at ara.com
>
> Senior Scientist, Information Exploitation Systems             Main Desk:
> 919-582-3300
>
> Applied Research Associates, Inc <http://www.ara.com/>
> Direct: 919-582-3380
>
> 8537 Six Forks Rd., Suite
> 6000                                                            Fax :
> 919-582-3301
>
> Raleigh, NC 27615                                         Web:
> http://www.ara.com/offices/NC.htm
>
>
>
>
>
>
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