CMake Presets Generator

Utility to create CMake presets based on available system compilers such or by running environment setup scripts.

This project is created to overcome a limitation in the CMakePresets.json definition (as of 2023-11-26) where a configurePreset cannot source an environment from a script. This is especially a problem with Ninja generator, which can be hinted to find for instance Visual Studio or a standard installation of GCC but trouble arise when trying to combine it to use more tools like Intel oneAPI.

A possible solution is to setup the environment before running CMake. This is probably okay when building from command-line but not from an IDE. Typically an IDE (or glorified editor like vscode) would help setup the environment.

To overcome this limitation one can use this utility to create a cmake_presets.cmake include file. This file will contain one or several presets corresponding to the development environment for a specific user/machine. The main CMakePresets.json can include this file and presets can refer the other presets by using inheritence.

Information

• Current state: Pre-alpha - Pushing for first release
• Free software: MIT license

Requirements

• Python 3.6 (tested up to 3.12)
• Windows or GNU/Linux
• CMake 3.27 (for running the presets)

Features

• Can be run via CLI or imported in python script
• Scan the local machine for installed build tools
  • Show, filter and select from this list according to required specifications
• Generate CMake presets
  • Containing environment and/or cacheVariables
  • Depending on build tool, environment is created:
    • Directly (GCC)
    • From running setup scripts (MSVC, oneAPI, custom script)
    • Merge environment from a chain of tools
      • For example: MSVC + Intel oneAPI or MSVC + custom script
• Generated presets:
  • Possible to IGNORE in version control.
    • Only the main CMakePresets.json (containing no user/machine environment) should be version controlled.
  • Usable directly from command line without environment setup
  • Usable from Visual Studio Code (with CMake Presets, obviously)

Supported compilers and tools

Disclaimer: It works on what I have, and able to, test it on.

• Target programming languages are: C/C++/Fortran
  • No cross platform toolkits are supported
  • Only x64 -> x64 tested
• MS Visual Studio or Build Tools for Visual Studio 2017 or higher
  • Scans using vswhere
  • Filtering of VS Version, Toolkit and Windows SDK
• GNU Compiler Collection (gcc, g++ and gfortran)
  • Scans standard GNU paths, /opt and $HOME
    • Groups tools by path, version and -dumpmachine string
  • Filtering of version and/or gfortran
  • NOTE, only tested on:
    • CentOS 7 (default 4.8.5 and SCL 8.3.1)
    • Ubuntu 22.04 (default 11)
    • openSUSE 15 (default 7)
    • Built from source: 8.2.0
    • NOT tested mingw or cygwin.
• Intel oneAPI (Intel Fortran Compiler) 2021.1.1 or higher
  • Supported components:
    • Intel Fortran Compiler (+ Classic)
    • Intel MKL
  • Scans standard install paths in /opt and $HOME
  • Filtering of version, optional compiler and components
  • NOTE, only tested: 2021.3 and 2024.0
• Custom script:
  • Linux shell script
  • Windows batch file

Ideas for future

• Refactor and rename everything
  • Decide on TOOLKIT/TOOLSET/DEVKIT/BUILD TOOLS :')
  • Split up Toolkit into ToolkitSpec and Toolkit?
• Cross platform compiler detection and support?
  • Easy with MSVC, seems not so easy with GCC unless only focused support.
• VS Code extension (I need to learn TypeScript urgh)
• Mac.. I don't have a Mac.. osxcross support?
• Automatic coffee brewer

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING (stub!)

Possible ways to help

• Testing
• Add support for more tools
• Extension for vscode
• Mac support
• General improvements