Qt Project with multiple subdirs, apps, libs and tests, how to set-up?

[TOAOMatis]

Dear all,

Let me start by wishing you a healthy, prosperous and /ˈkjuːt/ 2015!

I'm not sure whether this topic is more "Tools" or "Installation and Deployment" related, please feel free to move it do the other (appropriate) folder if needed!

Currently I've started a new Qt Project within Qt Creator (3.3.0 opensource) which will contain several stand-alone apps and shared libs between those apps. All apps and libraries will have their own tests and there will be an overall test-suite.

Currently I've made the following project structure / setup:
@./myProject.pro [subdir]

./apps/myApp1/myApp1.pro [subdir]
./apps/myApp1/myApp1/myApp1.pro [app]
./apps/myApp1/myApp1Tests/myApp1Tests.pro [console]

./apps/myApp2/myApp2.pro [subdir]
./apps/myApp2/myApp2/myApp2.pro [app]
./apps/myApp2/myApp2Tests/myApp2Tests.pro [console]

./libs/myLib1/myLib1.pro [subdir]
./libs/myLib1/myLib1/myLib1.pro [lib]
./libs/myLib1/myLib1Tests/myLib1Tests.pro [console]

./libs/myLib2/myLib2.pro [subdir]
./libs/myLib2/myLib2/myLib2.pro [lib]
./libs/myLib2/myLib2Tests/myLib2Tests.pro [console]

./myProjectTests/myProjectTests.pro [console]@

This structure is heavily based on the following suggestion "Hello-QT":https://github.com/jtpedersen/Hello-QT following the blog from "Svenn-Arne Dragly":http://dragly.org/2014/03/13/new-project-structure-for-projects-in-qt-creator-with-unit-tests/

In my apps I would like to use the following include path:

@#include <myLib1/MyLib1.h>@

instead of

@#include <../../../libs/myLib1/myLib1/MyLib1.h>@

Without having to (re)add all the library include paths in every app when I add a new library or app.

The guidelines say that this can be achieved to add a defaults.pri file, which contains all the library include folders.

@INCLUDEPATH += $$PWD/libs/myLib1
INCLUDEPATH += $$PWD/libs/myLib2

SRC_DIR = $$PWD@

Now the linker tells me the following:

@/home/mathijs/git/qt/build-myProject-Desktop_Qt_5_4_0_GCC_64bit-Debug/apps/myApp1/myApp1/../../../../myProject/apps/myApp1/myApp1/main.cpp:11: undefined reference to MyLib1::MyLib1() /home/mathijs/git/qt/build-myProject-Desktop_Qt_5_4_0_GCC_64bit-Debug/apps/myApp1/myApp1/../../../../myProject/apps/myApp1/myApp1/main.cpp:12: undefined reference to MyLib2::MyLib2()@

So I've updated the defaults.pri file and added the LIBS:

@INCLUDEPATH += $$PWD/libs/myLib1
INCLUDEPATH += $$PWD/libs/myLib2

LIBS += -lmyLib1 -lmyLib2

SRC_DIR = $$PWD@

Still no succes

@/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lmyLib1
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lmyLib2@

So I explicitly set the dependencies in the myProject.pro file

@TEMPLATE = subdirs

SUBDIRS +=
myApp1
myApp2
myLib1
myLib2
myProjectTests

Apps

myApp1.subdir = apps/myApp1
myApp2.subdir = apps/myApp2

Libs

myLib1.subdir = libs/myLib1
myLib2.subdir = libs/myLib2

Dependancies

myApp1.depends = myLib1 myLib2

OTHER_FILES +=
defaults.pri@

Unfortunate, this doesn't do the trick, although the libmyLib1.so and libmyLib2.so files are created in the shadow build directory.

What did I do wrong?

Many thanks in advance!

TOAOMatis

[at1970]

have you looked in side of CMake tool?
set of CMakeLists.txt scripts can describe project with any hierarchy

[TOAOMatis]

I'm sorry. I'm using just Makefile (g++) under Ubuntu 12.04, so no CMake for me.

[at1970]

then maybe http://qt-project.org/forums/viewthread/13250 can help you

[SGaist]

Hi,

You need to build your libraries first so use an ordered subdir project with the projects set in the correct order

[TOAOMatis]

[quote author="SGaist" date="1420497065"]Hi,

You need to build your libraries first so use an ordered subdir project with the projects set in the correct order[/quote]

I thought I did so with the toplevel project file
@# Dependancies
myApp1.depends = myLib1 myLib2@

I didn't use CONFIG += ordered because of: http://blog.rburchell.com/2013/10/every-time-you-configordered-kitten-dies.html

I can see that the libraries are build first. But the linker can't find the output directories, when it tries to link the app against the two libraries.

As a matter of fact, I'm looking for a way to get the build directory for the libraries within my defaults.pri
$$OUT_PWD doesn't do the trick, while it points to the build directory of the app and not the toplevel build directory.

[at1970]

I use config.pri file with simple content
@# save root directory
APP_ROOT_DIR = $$PWD@

and include it in all sub-projects as
@# configuration
include(../config.pri)@

to have start point APP_ROOT_DIR for folders hierarchy.