Hello,
According to official Visual Studio docs (see here), they recommend not using CMakeSettings.json but use CMakePresets.json.going forward. Visual Studio IDE (VSIDE) continues to support CMakeSettings.json as of now.
My CMakeSettings.json currently is:
{
"configurations": [
{
"name": "x64-Debug",
"generator": "Ninja",
"configurationType": "Debug",
"inheritEnvironments": [ "msvc_x64_x64" ],
"buildRoot": "${projectDir}\\cmake\\windows\\build\\${name}",
"installRoot": "${projectDir}\\cmake\\windows\\install\\${name}",
"cmakeCommandArgs": "",
"buildCommandArgs": "",
"ctestCommandArgs": ""
},
{
"name": "x64-Release",
"generator": "Ninja",
"configurationType": "Release",
"inheritEnvironments": [ "msvc_x64_x64" ],
"buildRoot": "${projectDir}\\cmake\\windows\\build\\${name}",
"installRoot": "${projectDir}\\cmake\\windows\\install\\${name}",
"cmakeCommandArgs": "",
"buildCommandArgs": "",
"ctestCommandArgs": ""
}
]
}
So, automatically, on Windows, VSIDE reads this file and uses the information to build the artefacts and the executables to:
${projectDir}\cmake\windows\build\x64-Debug" and ${projectDir}\cmake\windows\build\x64-Release" depending on whether the Debug or the Release configuration is chosen.
On Linux, for the same project, I use VSCode and within that I do not make use of any extensions nor do I use CMakePresets.json. Natively, I have a tasks.json file which builds CMake projects like so:
"tasks": [
{
"label": "cmakelindbgbuild",
"type": "shell",
"command": "cmake -S . -B ./cmake/linux/dbg -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug; cmake --build ./cmake/linux/dbg",
"group": "build",
...
},
{
"label": "cmakelinrelbuild",
"type": "shell",
"command": "cmake -S . -B ./cmake/linux/rel -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release; cmake --build ./cmake/linux/rel",
"group": "build",
...
}
]
That is, I essentially use CMake command line arguments (via a command in tasks.json) to build on Linux. So, from within VSCode on Linux, when this task command is run – either cmakelindbgbuild or cmakelinrelbuild – the artefacts and the executables go into:
${projectDir}\cmake\linux\dbg" and ${projectDir}\cmake\linux\rel" respectively. So, I have clear separation of the builds and executable residing in separate folders under ${projectDir}\cmake\ and the Linux builds do not overwrite/interfere with the Windows builds nor vice versa.
I would like to continue using the current Linux workflow (where there is no dependence of my build on CMakePresets.json) but would like my Windows VSIDE to use CMakePresets.json instead of CMakeSettings.json. My specific questions are:
(1) How can I specify in the new CMakePresets.json that the configurations stored in that file should only apply to Windows? I notice that there is no if(WIN32) or if(UNIX) in the example provided in official CMake documentation here So, how will VSIDE know which configurations are relevant to the Windows build?
(2) Would the following CMakePresets.json work in Windows? I notice that the format of CMakePresets.json is different from the format of CMakeSettings.json – so I have tried to come up with the closest equivalent I could gather from online searches.
{
"configurePresets": [
{
"name": "x64-Debug",
"generator": "Ninja",
"configurationType": "Debug",//Is this valid? If not, how can I convey equivalent information to VSIDE?
"inheritEnvironments": [ "msvc_x64_x64" ],//Is this valid? If not, how can I convey equivalent information to VSIDE?
"binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/cmake/windows/build/${name}",
"installDir": "${sourceDir}/cmake/windows/install${name}",
"cmakeCommandArgs": "",//is this valid? If not, how can I convey equivalent information to VSIDE?
"buildCommandArgs": "",//is this valid? If not, how can I convey equivalent information to VSIDE?
"ctestCommandArgs": ""//is this valid? If not, how can I convey equivalent information to VSIDE?
}
]
}
Is this a valid CMakePresets.json file that would work on Windows VSIDE?
(3) Given that I am not using CMakePresets.json to build on Linux (as specified before, I directly run an appropriate command in tasks.json), would the presence of the above CMakePresets.json in the root folder cause any trouble/undefined behavior with executing the command in tasks.json?
Thank you for your support.