# CMakeWorkflowPresets: How to keep it as simple as possible?
**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmakeworkflowpresets-how-to-keep-it-as-simple-as-possible/8735
**Category:** Usage
**Created:** [August 15, 2023, 8:56am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmakeworkflowpresets-how-to-keep-it-as-simple-as-possible/8735 "2023-08-15T08:56:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2023, 8:56am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmakeworkflowpresets-how-to-keep-it-as-simple-as-possible/8735/1 "2023-08-15T08:56:20Z")
### I try to use CMake Presets with workflows, but without too many permutations.
So I decided to have only a `debug` and a `release` workflow.
The user should be able to control the Compiler or Toolchain used.
```bash
bash-3.2$ cmake --list-presets
CMake Error: Could not read presets from /Users/clausklein/Workspace/cpp/cpp_vcpkg_project:
Inherited preset "ninja-multi-vcpkg" is unreachable from preset's file
bash-3.2$ mv CMakeUserPresets.json .CMakeUserPresets.json
bash-3.2$ cmake --list-presets
CMake Error: Could not read presets from /Users/clausklein/Workspace/cpp/cpp_vcpkg_project:
Invalid preset: "ninja-multi-vcpkg"
bash-3.2$ cmake --list-presets
Available configure presets:
"gcc-debug" - gcc Debug
"gcc-release" - gcc Release
"clang-debug" - clang Debug
"clang-release" - clang Release
"debug" - Debug
"release" - Release
bash-3.2$
```
#### How may I inherit from a user defined `configurePreset` as long the `CMakeUserPresets.json` does not exits?
```json
{
"version": 6,
"cmakeMinimumRequired": {
"major": 3,
"minor": 25,
"patch": 0
},
"configurePresets": [
{
"name": "user-config",
"description": "Example for user default settings that apply to all configurations",
"generator": "Ninja",
"cacheVariables": {
"CMAKE_C_COMPILER": "clang",
"CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER": "clang++"
}
}
]
}
```
CMakePresets.json
```json
{
"version": 6,
"cmakeMinimumRequired": {
"major": 3,
"minor": 25,
"patch": 0
},
"configurePresets": [
{
"name": "CMakeUserPresets-config",
"description": "Example for user default settings that apply to all configurations",
"hidden": true,
"generator": "Ninja",
"cacheVariables": {
"CMAKE_C_COMPILER": "clang",
"CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER": "clang++"
}
},
{
"name": "ninja-multi-vcpkg",
"displayName": "Ninja Multi-Config",
"description": "Configure with vcpkg toolchain and generate Ninja project files for all configurations",
"inherits": "CMakeUserPresets-config",
"generator": "Ninja Multi-Config",
"hidden": true,
"cacheVariables": {
"CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE": {
"type": "FILEPATH",
"value": "${sourceDir}/vcpkg/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake"
},
"VCPKG_CHAINLOAD_TOOLCHAIN_FILE": {
"type": "FILEPATH",
"value": "${sourceDir}/toolchain/WindowsToolchain/Windows.MSVC.toolchain.cmake"
}
}
},
{
"name": "common",
"description": "Settings for all toolchains",
"hidden": true,
"inherits": "ninja-multi-vcpkg",
"binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/build/${presetName}",
"installDir": "${sourceDir}/install/${presetName}",
"cacheVariables": {
"ENABLE_CPPCHECK": false,
"ENABLE_CLANG_TIDY": false
},
"vendor": {
"microsoft.com/VisualStudioRemoteSettings/CMake/1.0": {
"sourceDir": "$env{HOME}/.vs/$ms{projectDirName}"
}
}
},
{
"name": "debug",
"displayName": "Debug",
"description": "Debug build type",
"inherits": "common",
"cacheVariables": {
"CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Debug",
"FEATURE_TESTS": true
}
},
{
"name": "release",
"displayName": "Release",
"description": "Release build type",
"inherits": "common",
"cacheVariables": {
"CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "RelWithDebInfo",
"FEATURE_DOCS": true
}
}
],
"testPresets": [
{
"name": "common",
"description": "Test CMake settings that apply to all configurations",
"hidden": true,
"output": {
"outputOnFailure": true
},
"execution": {
"noTestsAction": "error",
"stopOnFailure": true
}
},
{
"name": "debug",
"displayName": "Strict",
"description": "Enable output and stop on failure",
"inherits": "common",
"configuration": "Debug",
"configurePreset": "debug"
},
{
"name": "release",
"displayName": "Strict",
"description": "Enable output and stop on failure",
"inherits": "common",
"configuration": "RelWithDebInfo",
"configurePreset": "release"
}
],
"buildPresets": [
{
"name": "release",
"configurePreset": "release"
},
{
"name": "install",
"configurePreset": "release",
"targets": ["install"]
},
{
"name": "gen-docs",
"configurePreset": "release",
"targets": ["doxygen-docs"]
},
{
"name": "debug",
"configurePreset": "debug"
}
],
"packagePresets": [
{
"name": "release",
"configurePreset": "release",
"generators": [
"TGZ"
]
}
],
"workflowPresets": [
{
"description": "Developer workflow without installation",
"name": "debug",
"steps": [
{
"type": "configure",
"name": "debug"
},
{
"type": "build",
"name": "debug"
},
{
"type": "test",
"name": "debug"
}
]
},
{
"description": "Release workflow without test",
"name" : "release",
"steps" : [
{
"name" : "release",
"type" : "configure"
},
{
"name" : "release",
"type" : "build"
},
{
"name" : "release",
"type" : "package"
}
]
}
]
}
```
---
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2023, 12:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmakeworkflowpresets-how-to-keep-it-as-simple-as-possible/8735/2 "2023-08-15T12:52:08Z")
### with macro expansion in `inherits` entries it would work:
```diff
diff --git a/CMakeWorkflowPresets.json b/CMakeWorkflowPresets.json
index 4383e0e..eab1d55 100644
--- a/CMakeWorkflowPresets.json
+++ b/CMakeWorkflowPresets.json
@@ -1,26 +1,52 @@
{
- "version": 6,
+ "version": 7,
"cmakeMinimumRequired": {
"major": 3,
- "minor": 25,
+ "minor": 27,
"patch": 0
},
"configurePresets": [
{
- "name": "CMakeUserPresets-config",
- "description": "Example for user default settings that apply to all configurations",
+ "name": "MSVC-config",
"hidden": true,
"generator": "Ninja",
+ "cacheVariables": {
+ "CMAKE_C_COMPILER": "cl",
+ "CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER": "cl",
+ "CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR": "AMD64"
+ },
+ "environment": { "VARIANT": "MSVC" }
+ },
+ {
+ "name": "gcc-config",
+ "hidden": true,
+ "inherits": "MSVC-config",
+ "cacheVariables": {
+ "CMAKE_C_COMPILER": "gcc",
+ "CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER": "g++"
+ }
+ },
+ {
+ "name": "clang-config",
+ "hidden": true,
+ "inherits": "MSVC-config",
"cacheVariables": {
"CMAKE_C_COMPILER": "clang",
"CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER": "clang++"
- }
+ },
+ "environment": { "VARIANT": "Clang" }
},
{
"name": "ninja-multi-vcpkg",
"displayName": "Ninja Multi-Config",
- "description": "Configure with vcpkg toolchain and generate Ninja project files for all configurations",
- "inherits": "CMakeUserPresets-config",
+ "description": "Configure with vcpkg toolchain and generate Ninja Multi-Config project files for all variants",
+ "vendor": {
+ "ClausKlein.de/CMake/1.0": {
+ "description": "FIXME: We need macro expansion here!",
+ "inherits": "$penv{CC}-config"
+ }
+ },
+ "inherits": "gcc-config",
"generator": "Ninja Multi-Config",
"hidden": true,
"cacheVariables": {
@@ -30,7 +56,7 @@
},
"VCPKG_CHAINLOAD_TOOLCHAIN_FILE": {
"type": "FILEPATH",
- "value": "${sourceDir}/toolchain/WindowsToolchain/Windows.MSVC.toolchain.cmake"
+ "value": "${sourceDir}/toolchain/WindowsToolchain/Windows.$env{VARIANT}.toolchain.cmake"
}
}
},
```
---
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2023, 2:32pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmakeworkflowpresets-how-to-keep-it-as-simple-as-possible/8735/3 "2023-08-15T14:32:58Z")
bash-3.2$ jsonschema -i CMakeWorkflowPresets.json -o pretty schema.json
===[SUCCESS]===(CMakeWorkflowPresets.json)===
bash-3.2$ CC=clang cmake --workflow --preset debug --fresh
### CMake Error: Could not read presets from /Users/clausklein/Workspace/cpp/cpp\_vcpkg\_project:
#### Invalid preset: “ninja-multi-vcpkg”
bash-3.2$ git diff
diff --git a/CMakeWorkflowPresets.json b/CMakeWorkflowPresets.json
```diff
index eab1d55..9baf648 100644
--- a/CMakeWorkflowPresets.json
+++ b/CMakeWorkflowPresets.json
@@ -43,10 +43,10 @@
"vendor": {
"ClausKlein.de/CMake/1.0": {
"description": "FIXME: We need macro expansion here!",
- "inherits": "$penv{CC}-config"
+ "inherits": "clang-config"
}
},
- "inherits": "gcc-config",
+ "inherits": "$penv{CC}-config",
"generator": "Ninja Multi-Config",
"hidden": true,
"cacheVariables": {
```
bash-3.2$
---
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmakeworkflowpresets-how-to-keep-it-as-simple-as-possible/8735/4 "2023-08-15T14:37:17Z")
@kyle.edwards
Would or should it be possible to apply macros to `inherits` entries?
see too [CMakePresets: why not expand macros in name or inherits fields?](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmakepresets-why-not-expand-macros-in-name-or-inherits-fields/8747/1)
---
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 12:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmakeworkflowpresets-how-to-keep-it-as-simple-as-possible/8735/5 "2023-08-18T12:23:47Z")
see too [Organizing CMake presets](https://dominikberner.ch/cmake-presets-best-practices/)