# CMake 3.27.0-rc2 is ready for testing
**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-3-27-0-rc2-is-ready-for-testing/8315
**Category:** Announcements
**Created:** [June 12, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-3-27-0-rc2-is-ready-for-testing/8315 "2023-06-12T19:00:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@johnwparent](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/johnwparent)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-3-27-0-rc2-is-ready-for-testing/8315/1 "2023-06-12T19:00:16Z")
I am proud to announce the second\* CMake 3.27 release candidate.
[https://cmake.org/download/](https://cmake.org/download/)
Documentation is available at:
[https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.27](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.27)
Release notes appear below and are also published at
[https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.27/release/3.27.html](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.27/release/3.27.html)
\*Note: The first release candidate, 3.27.0-rc1, was released but not announced
due to regressions discovered prior to the announcement process.
Some of the more significant changes in CMake 3.27 are:
- “cmake(1)” now supports interactive debugging of the CMake language.
See the “–debugger” option.
- The Visual Studio Generators for VS 2015 and above learned to select
the Windows SDK version explicitly using a “version=” field in the
“CMAKE\_GENERATOR\_PLATFORM” variable. See Visual Studio Platform
Selection.
- Apple text-based stubs (i.e. “.tbd” files) may now be created for
shared libraries on macOS. See the “ENABLE\_EXPORTS” property.
- The “SKIP\_LINTING” source file property was added to suppress
target-wide code checks on specific sources.
- The “COMPILE\_ONLY” generator expression was added to specify
compilation usage requirements without any linking requirements.
- Compatibility with versions of CMake older than 3.5 is now
deprecated and will be removed from a future version. Calls to
“cmake\_minimum\_required()” or “cmake\_policy()” that set the policy
version to an older value now issue a deprecation diagnostic.
- The “FindCUDA” module, which has been deprecated since CMake 3.10,
has been removed by policy “CMP0146”. Port projects to CMake’s
first-class “CUDA” language support.
- The “FindPythonInterp” and “FindPythonLibs” modules, which have been
deprecated since CMake 3.12, have been removed by policy “CMP0148”.
Port projects to “FindPython3”, “FindPython2”, or “FindPython”.
- “cmake --build $dir --verbose” will now print the working directory
and command line used to perform the build.
CMake 3.27 Release Notes
* * *
Changes made since CMake 3.26 include the following.
# New Features
## Debugger
- “cmake(1)” now supports interactive debugging of the CMake language.
See the “–debugger” option.
## Presets
- “cmake-presets(7)” files now support schema version “7”.
- “cmake-presets(7)” now supports “$penv{}” macro expansion in
“include” fields.
## Generators
- The Makefile and Ninja generators now support using the “–
dependency-file” linker flag, added by GNU Binutils 2.35 and LLVM’s
LLD 12.0.0, so that files read by the linker will cause a relink if
they change (typically modified timestamps). See the
“CMAKE\_LINK\_DEPENDS\_USE\_LINKER” variable.
- The Visual Studio Generators for VS 2015 and above learned to select
the Windows SDK version explicitly using a “version=” field in the
“CMAKE\_GENERATOR\_PLATFORM” variable. See Visual Studio Platform
Selection.
## Languages
- The “CXX” language now treats source file extensions “.ccm”,
“.cxxm”, and “.c++m” as C++.
## File-Based API
- The “cmake-file-api(7)” “codemodel” version 2 “version” field has
been updated to 2.6.
- The “cmake-file-api(7)” “codemodel” version 2 “target” object gained
a new “frameworks” field in the “compileGroups” objects.
## Platforms
- Apple text-based stubs (i.e. “.tbd” files) may now be created for
shared libraries on macOS. See the “ENABLE\_EXPORTS” property.
## Commands
- The “add\_custom\_command()” command gained a new
“DEPENDS\_EXPLICIT\_ONLY” option to tell the Ninja Generators not to
add any dependencies implied by the target to which it is attached.
The “CMAKE\_ADD\_CUSTOM\_COMMAND\_DEPENDS\_EXPLICIT\_ONLY” variable was
added to enable “DEPENDS\_EXPLICIT\_ONLY” on all calls to
“add\_custom\_command()” command.
- The “cmake\_file\_api()” command was added for projects to add “CMake
file API” queries for the current CMake run.
- The “find\_package()” command now searches prefixes specified by
upper-case “\_ROOT” CMake variables and upper-case
“\_ROOT” environment variables. See policy “CMP0144”.
- The “install(CODE)” and “install(SCRIPT)” commands now support the
“$\” generator expression.
## Variables
- The “CMAKE\_DLL\_NAME\_WITH\_SOVERSION” variable and associated
“DLL\_NAME\_WITH\_SOVERSION” target property were added to optionally
append the “SOVERSION” to the filename of the “.dll” part of a
shared library on Windows.
- Variables “CMAKE\_VS\_DEBUGGER\_COMMAND”,
“CMAKE\_VS\_DEBUGGER\_COMMAND\_ARGUMENTS”,
“CMAKE\_VS\_DEBUGGER\_ENVIRONMENT”, and
“CMAKE\_VS\_DEBUGGER\_WORKING\_DIRECTORY” were added to initialize
corresponding target properties.
- The “CMAKE\_VS\_WINDOWS\_TARGET\_PLATFORM\_MIN\_VERSION” variable was
added to initialize the “VS\_WINDOWS\_TARGET\_PLATFORM\_MIN\_VERSION”
target property on all targets when they are created.
## Properties
- A “CUDA\_CUBIN\_COMPILATION” target property was added to Object
Libraries to support compiling to “.cubin” files instead of host
object files. Currently only supported with NVIDIA.
- A “CUDA\_FATBIN\_COMPILATION” target property was added to Object
Libraries to support compiling to “.fatbin” files instead of host
object files. Currently only supported with NVIDIA.
- A “CUDA\_OPTIX\_COMPILATION” target property was added to Object
Libraries to support compiling to “.optixir” files instead of host
object files. Currently only supported with NVIDIA.
- The “\_CLANG\_TIDY”, “\_CPPCHECK”, “\_CPPLINT”, and
“\_INCLUDE\_WHAT\_YOU\_USE”, target properties now support
“generator expressions”.
- The “\_LINKER\_LAUNCHER” target property now supports “generator
expressions”.
- The “SKIP\_LINTING” source file property was added to suppress
target-wide code checks on specific sources.
## Modules
- The “FindCUDAToolkit” module now provides an imported target for
“cudla”, and imported targets for CUPTI’s “nvperf” and “pcsampling”
components.
- The “FindDoxygen” module’s “doxygen\_add\_docs()” command gained a
“CONFIG\_FILE” option to specify a custom doxygen configuration file.
- The “FindOpenGL” module gained support for components “GLES2” and
“GLES3”.
- The “FindwxWidgets” module now provides an imported target.
## Generator Expressions
- The “COMPILE\_ONLY” generator expression was added to specify
compilation usage requirements without any linking requirements.
- “$LIST:...” generator expressions were added for query,
transformation, and ordering operations on lists.
- “$PATH:...” generator expressions for decomposition and
transformation operations learned to process lists of paths element-
wise.
## Autogen
- The “CMAKE\_AUTOMOC\_EXECUTABLE”, “CMAKE\_AUTORCC\_EXECUTABLE”, and
“CMAKE\_AUTOUIC\_EXECUTABLE” variables were added to initialize the
corresponding target properties as targets are created.
- The “AUTOGEN\_USE\_SYSTEM\_INCLUDE” target property and corresponding
“CMAKE\_AUTOGEN\_USE\_SYSTEM\_INCLUDE” variable were added to explicitly
control whether autogen headers are considered system headers.
- The “INTERFACE\_AUTOMOC\_MACRO\_NAMES” target property was added to
specify macro names for “moc” as a transitive usage requirement.
## CTest
- The “TIMEOUT\_SIGNAL\_NAME” and “TIMEOUT\_SIGNAL\_GRACE\_PERIOD” test
properties were added to specify a POSIX signal to send to a test
process when its timeout is reached.
## CPack
- The “CPack Inno Setup Generator” was added to package using Inno
Setup.
# Deprecated and Removed Features
- Compatibility with versions of CMake older than 3.5 is now
deprecated and will be removed from a future version. Calls to
“cmake\_minimum\_required()” or “cmake\_policy()” that set the policy
version to an older value now issue a deprecation diagnostic.
- The Extra Generators have been deprecated. IDEs may use the “cmake-
file-api(7)” to view CMake-generated project build trees.
- The “FindCUDA” module, which has been deprecated since CMake 3.10,
has been removed by policy “CMP0146”. Port projects to CMake’s
first-class “CUDA” language support.
- The “FindPythonInterp” and “FindPythonLibs” modules, which have been
deprecated since CMake 3.12, have been removed by policy “CMP0148”.
Port projects to “FindPython3”, “FindPython2”, or “FindPython”.
- The “Dart” and “FindDart” modules have been deprecated via policy
“CMP0145”. Port projects to the “CTest” module.
- The “Visual Studio 9 2008” generator is now deprecated and will be
removed in a future version of CMake.
# Other Changes
- “cmake --build $dir --verbose” will now print the working directory
and command line used to perform the build.
- The “ExternalProject” and “FetchContent” modules now resolve
relative “GIT\_REPOSITORY” paths as relative to the parent project’s
remote, not as a relative local file system path. See “CMP0150”.
- The “ExternalProject” “configure” step no longer re-runs on every
build when the “UPDATE\_DISCONNECTED” option is enabled. It will only
re-run if details of the “download”, “update”, or “patch” step
change.
- The “ExternalProject” “update” and “patch” steps now always re-run
if any of their details change, even if the “UPDATE\_DISCONNECTED”
option is enabled. If using the “GIT” download method, and the
“GIT\_TAG” is changed to a commit that is not already known locally,
an error is now issued instead of silently using the previous
“GIT\_TAG”.
- The “FindPython”, “FindPython2” and “FindPython3” modules now
support the Windows ARM64 platform.
- The “file(GET\_RUNTIME\_DEPENDENCIES)” command now case-preserves DLL
names reported on Windows. They are still converted to lowercase
for filter matching.
- The “SYSTEM” target property is now honored for Apple Frameworks.
- Visual Studio Generators, for VS 15.8 (2017) and newer, now build
custom commands in parallel. See policy “CMP0147”.
* * *
Changes made since CMake 3.27.0-rc1:
Ben Boeckel (1):
- Makefiles: quote `$(COLOR)` expansions
Björn Esser (1):
- bootstrap: Add --(no-)system-cppdap configuration switch
Brad King (2):
- Modules: Restore unnecessary inclusions for compatibility
- CMake 3.27.0-rc2
Marc Chevrier (1):
- add\_test: Restore support for empty test arguments
---
### Author:  [@neundorf](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/neundorf)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-3-27-0-rc2-is-ready-for-testing/8315/2 "2023-06-12T21:03:17Z")
> [@johnwparent](#):
>
> RUNTIME\_
The new generator expression TARGET\_RUNTIME\_DLL\_DIRS might be worth mentioning.
Maybe also that the Visual Studio generators now list the cmake files under the ZERO\_CHECK target.
---
### Author:  [@brad.king](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/brad.king)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-3-27-0-rc2-is-ready-for-testing/8315/3 "2023-06-13T15:11:17Z")
> [@neundorf](#):
>
> The new generator expression TARGET\_RUNTIME\_DLL\_DIRS might be worth mentioning.
That was added by [CMake MR 8247](https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/merge_requests/8247), which forgot to add a release note. [CMake MR 8558](https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/merge_requests/8558) adds it.
> [@neundorf](#):
>
> Maybe also that the Visual Studio generators now list the cmake files under the ZERO\_CHECK target.
That was added by [CMake MR 8260](https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/merge_requests/8260). I consider `ZERO_CHECK` to be an implementation detail. It is not mentioned in the VS generator documentation at all, so there is no place for a release note to point. [CMake Issue 22264](https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/issues/22264) requests more documentation of the builtin targets.