[solved] Git describe in project file / Makefile

[julietbravo]

I'm trying to add git-tags to our program, using something like:

@DEFINES += GITHASH=$(shell git describe)@

in the project file. This method was suggested elsewhere (http://qt-project.org/forums/viewthread/34635), because it adds the command to the Makefile, therefore not requiring a re-run of qmake every time. However, its not working for us. The statement ends up in the Makefile as:

@-DGITHASH=$(shell git describe)@

but seems to be missing some quotation marks / slashes which (with my limited experience with Qt) I can't seem to add. Can anyone point me in the right direction of the correct syntax for such a statement in a Qt project file?

[SGaist]

Hi and welcome to devnet,

Do you mean something like:

@DEFINES += GITHASH="$(shell git describe)"@

?

If not, what is the exact output that you would like to see in the Makefile ?

[julietbravo]

If I try that, it returns in the Makefile as:

@DEFINES = -DGITHASH="$(shell -Dgit -Ddescribe)"@

[SGaist]

Ok, but then what would you expect to have in your Makefile ? Furthermore, what OS/Qt version are you using ?

[julietbravo]

Both OS X (10.9) and Arch linux with Qt5.1.1

To be honest, I have no idea what should be in there. I guess that the general question should be: how can I get the command line output from 'git describe' into Qt/C++. Most other options that I've seen require some pre-processing step, building a header file from/with a separate script, but to me it seems that there should be easier ways?

[SGaist]

For 10.9 I would recommend upgrading to 5.2

Try this

@
REVISION = $$system(git --git-dir $$PWD/.git --work-tree $$PWD describe)
DEFINES += GITHASH=\\"\"$$REVISION\\"\"
@

Git must be in your path

[julietbravo]

Thanks for helping! It's a bit awkward with all these escape characters, but with:

@DEFINES += GITHASH=\"$$REVISION\"@

it works. So combined:

@REVISION = $$system(git --git-dir $$PWD/.git --work-tree $$PWD describe)
DEFINES += GITHASH=\"$$REVISION\"@

does the trick.

[SGaist]

Welcome to the wonderful world of console + pro file char escaping. With the "awkward" version you should be safe for all OSs