[CMake] How to assign version numbers from a source header to CMake variables?

[SF Markus Elfring]

Hello,

I would like the add the CMake approach for software generation to a project. My 
project example supports also other build tools.
This has got consequences on the way how informations like version numbers are 
shared between these approaches.

The CMake tutorial describes components for the desired solution (in the section 
"Adding a Version Number and Configured Header File").
http://cmake.org/cmake/help/cmake_tutorial.html

I imagine to add a specific header file that will contain the shared data in the 
format of the source programming language. This will be a few C/C++ preprocessor 
definitions.
Now I would like to know how to get these informations into CMake variables for 
further reuse. I would appreciate your advices.

Regards,
Markus