Makefile Generator indepent definition of compiler / linker options containing shell meta characters

Code
1

Hello, we are facing problems to define compiler or linker options inside cmake files that contain characters having some special meaning for make target commands interpreter in a CMakeGenerator independent way. Eg. When using the binutils ld option ‘-( archive_list -)’ we have to define it dependent on the selected CMakeGenerator:
if("${CMAKE_GENERATOR}" STREQUAL “Unix Makefiles”)
target_link_libraries(pt “-Wl,-\\(” b a “-Wl,-\\)”)
else()
target_link_libraries(pt “-Wl,-(” b a “-Wl,-)”)
endif()

For ‘Unix Makefiles’ generator the brackets have to be masked because of their special meaning for sh command lines.

For ‘MinGW Makefiles’ generator brackets must not be masked else ‘-\(‘ and ‘-\)’ would be passed as invalid arguments to the linker.

Is there any way to define these kind of options in a CMakeGenerator independent way, i.e. without querying it.

2

That’s probably the reason why almost everyone uses the long form of those options…

3

For reference, CMake Issue 20078 has discussion of grouping link libraries. That’s orthogonal to escaping ( characters though.