How to debug C++ project configuration using CMake?

You can view detailed debug messages while the CMake is running by enabling debug output and setting the CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE environment variable in CMakeLists.txt. View CMake logs, such as Visual Studio's output window, Xcode's build log, or text output in a Unix/Linux terminal. Please make sure that your CMake version supports debug output and that CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE is set correctly.

How to use CMake to debug C++ project configuration

Introduction

CMake is a cross-platform build system used to generate platform-specific Project files, such as Visual Studio, Xcode, or Makefiles. When developing a C++ project, it is crucial to debug the CMake configuration to ensure that the project builds and executes correctly.

Practical case

Suppose you have a C++ project named my_cpp_project with the following directory structure:

├── CMakeLists.txt
├── src
│   ├── main.cpp

1. Enable CMake Debug Output

To see detailed debug messages while CMake is running, you can add the following lines to the CMakeLists.txt file:

message(STATUS "Hello from CMake!")

2 . SETTINGCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE

This environment variable controls the verbosity of CMake-generated build systems (such as Makefiles or Visual Studio projects). Set this to 1 to enable verbose logging:

set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE 1)

View CMake log

• Visual Studio: CMake output is at Output window.
• Xcode: CMake output is in the Build Log.
• Unix/Linux: CMake output is printed as text to the terminal.

Practical Example

Let’s use our sample project for debugging:

1. Add debug messages in CMakeLists.txt and CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE settings.
2. Run the CMake configuration command (such as cmake .).
3. View the CMake logs for debug messages.

Troubleshooting Tips

• If you don't see CMake messages in the logs, check if your version of CMake supports debug output (minimum CMake 3.15 required).
• Make sure the CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE environment variable is set correctly.
• Review the CMake documentation for more troubleshooting tips and options.

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