Using a compiler cache on Windows with MSVC?

Usage
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1

Hi,

the documentation of <LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER suggests — although not in very explicit terms — that only Unix Makefiles and Ninja are supported for this property:

Specify a semicolon-separated list containing a command line for a compiler launching tool. The Makefile Generators and the Ninja generator will run this tool and pass the compiler and its arguments to the tool. Some example tools are distcc and ccache.

Neither CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER (env. var.) nor CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER hint at any limitations as of the current documentation version (4.0.0-rc3).

So could someone please clarify, is this a supported scenario or not? In case it matters: this is C and C++.

Thank you.

2

It’s very indirect indeed, but it boils down to this chain:

  1. Environment variable CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER pre-populates CMake cache variable CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER if no other value is specified for the latter.
  2. The value of CMake cache variable CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER when a target is created is used as the initial value of the target’s property <LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER
  3. The docs of <LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER suggest that it only applies with Makefile and Ninja generators.

So while there is no explicit limitation to Make/Ninja mentioned in the variables’ documentation, it follows from the way they work. They only affect the property, and the property only applies to Make/Ninja.

3

Fair enough, thanks! So it’s not supported. Just wondering: when someone wants to affect the property they’ll be told to use the environment variable or CMake variable. Does it make sense to raise this as a ticket on the project?