CTest: build dependency as test fixture

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1

The following code defines a test executable and two tests:

add_executable(foo_test ...)
add_test(NAME foo.test.1 COMMAND foo_test -1)
add_test(NAME foo.test.2 COMMAND foo_test -2)

With CMAKE_SKIP_TEST_ALL_DEPENDENCY set to OFF, running make test will build the test executable before running the tests, unless EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL is set as a target or directory property. Running ctest directly will not build the test executable at all.

I’d like to discuss an alternative approach that would build the test executable before running the tests that rely on it, whether the tests are launched through ctest or make test and whether EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL is set or not:

If the test command is an executable target, then (based on some variable or property that is yet to be determined) a test fixture is implicitly defined and added as a requirement of the test.
That means, the code

set(CMAKE_COME_UP_WITH_REASONABLE_NAME ON)

add_executable(foo_test ...)
add_test(NAME foo.test.1 COMMAND foo_test -1)
add_test(NAME foo.test.2 COMMAND foo_test -2)

would behave like

add_executable(foo_test ...)
add_test(NAME foo.test.1 COMMAND foo_test -1)
add_test(NAME foo.test.2 COMMAND foo_test -2)

add_test(NAME cmake_build.foo_test
  COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}"
    --build "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
    --config $<CONFIGURATION>
    --target foo_test
)

set_tests_properties(cmake_build.foo_test PROPERTIES
  FIXTURES_SETUP cmake_build.foo_test
)
set_tests_properties(foo.test.1 PROPERTIES
  FIXTURES_REQUIRED cmake_build.foo_test
)
set_tests_properties(foo.test.2 PROPERTIES
  FIXTURES_REQUIRED cmake_build.foo_test
)