add_custom_target — CMake 4.0.1 Documentation (original) (raw)

Add a target with no output so it will always be built.

add_custom_target(Name [ALL] [command1 [args1...]] [COMMAND command2 [args2...] ...] [DEPENDS depend depend depend ...] [BYPRODUCTS [files...]] [WORKING_DIRECTORY dir] [COMMENT comment] [JOB_POOL job_pool] [JOB_SERVER_AWARE ] [VERBATIM] [USES_TERMINAL] [COMMAND_EXPAND_LISTS] [SOURCES src1 [src2...]])

Adds a target with the given name that executes the given commands. The target has no output file and is _always considered out of date_even if the commands try to create a file with the name of the target. Use the add_custom_command() command to generate a file with dependencies. By default nothing depends on the custom target. Use the add_dependencies() command to add dependencies to or from other targets.

The options are:

ALL

Indicate that this target should be added to the default build target so that it will be run every time (the command cannot be called ALL).

BYPRODUCTS

Added in version 3.2.

Specify the files the command is expected to produce but whose modification time may or may not be updated on subsequent builds. If a byproduct name is a relative path it will be interpreted relative to the build tree directory corresponding to the current source directory. Each byproduct file will be marked with the GENERATEDsource file property automatically.

See policy CMP0058 for the motivation behind this feature.

Explicit specification of byproducts is supported by theNinja generator to tell the ninja build tool how to regenerate byproducts when they are missing. It is also useful when other build rules (e.g. custom commands) depend on the byproducts. Ninja requires a build rule for any generated file on which another rule depends even if there are order-only dependencies to ensure the byproducts will be available before their dependents build.

The Makefile Generators will remove BYPRODUCTS and otherGENERATED files during make clean.

Changed in version 3.28: In custom targets using File Sets, byproducts are now considered private unless they are listed in a non-private file set. See policy CMP0154.

COMMAND

Specify the command-line(s) to execute at build time. If more than one COMMAND is specified they will be executed in order, but not necessarily composed into a stateful shell or batch script. (To run a full script, use the configure_file() command or thefile(GENERATE) command to create it, and then specify a COMMAND to launch it.)

If COMMAND specifies an executable target name (created by theadd_executable() command), it will automatically be replaced by the location of the executable created at build time if either of the following is true:

If neither of the above conditions are met, it is assumed that the command name is a program to be found on the PATH at build time.

Arguments to COMMAND may usegenerator expressions. Use the TARGET_FILE generator expression to refer to the location of a target later in the command line (i.e. as a command argument rather than as the command to execute).

Whenever one of the following target based generator expressions are used as a command to execute or is mentioned in a command argument, a target-level dependency will be added automatically so that the mentioned target will be built before this custom target (see policy CMP0112).

The command and arguments are optional and if not specified an empty target will be created.

COMMENT

Display the given message before the commands are executed at build time.

DEPENDS

Reference files and outputs of custom commands created withadd_custom_command() command calls in the same directory (CMakeLists.txt file). They will be brought up to date when the target is built.

Changed in version 3.16: A target-level dependency is added if any dependency is a byproduct of a target or any of its build events in the same directory to ensure the byproducts will be available before this target is built.

Use the add_dependencies() command to add dependencies on other targets.

COMMAND_EXPAND_LISTS

Added in version 3.8.

Lists in COMMAND arguments will be expanded, including those created withgenerator expressions, allowing COMMAND arguments such as${CC} "-I$<JOIN:$<TARGET_PROPERTY:foo,INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>,;-I>" foo.ccto be properly expanded.

JOB_POOL

Added in version 3.15.

Specify a pool for the Ninjagenerator. Incompatible with USES_TERMINAL, which implies the console pool. Using a pool that is not defined by JOB_POOLS causes an error by ninja at build time.

JOB_SERVER_AWARE

Added in version 3.28.

Specify that the command is GNU Make job server aware.

For the [Unix Makefiles](../generator/Unix%20Makefiles.html#generator:Unix Makefiles "Unix Makefiles"), [MSYS Makefiles](../generator/MSYS%20Makefiles.html#generator:MSYS Makefiles "MSYS Makefiles"), and[MinGW Makefiles](../generator/MinGW%20Makefiles.html#generator:MinGW Makefiles "MinGW Makefiles") generators this will add the + prefix to the recipe line. See the GNU Make Documentation for more information.

This option is silently ignored by other generators.

SOURCES

Specify additional source files to be included in the custom target. Specified source files will be added to IDE project files for convenience in editing even if they have no build rules.

VERBATIM

All arguments to the commands will be escaped properly for the build tool so that the invoked command receives each argument unchanged. Note that one level of escapes is still used by the CMake language processor before add_custom_target even sees the arguments. Use of VERBATIM is recommended as it enables correct behavior. When VERBATIM is not given the behavior is platform specific because there is no protection of tool-specific special characters.

USES_TERMINAL

Added in version 3.2.

The command will be given direct access to the terminal if possible. With the Ninja generator, this places the command in the console pool.

WORKING_DIRECTORY

Execute the command with the given current working directory. If it is a relative path it will be interpreted relative to the build tree directory corresponding to the current source directory.

Ninja Multi-Config

Added in version 3.20: add_custom_target supports the [Ninja Multi-Config](../generator/Ninja%20Multi-Config.html#generator:Ninja Multi-Config "Ninja Multi-Config")generator's cross-config capabilities. See the generator documentation for more information.

See Also