Running command when building app and using output in a DEFINE

fcarney

I am trying to run a git command to get our build information. I would like to use this in a DEFINE.

This is what I tried:

GITVERSIONCOM = $$system("git describe --abbrev=5 --dirty=-t")
DEFINES += GITVERSION = $${GITVERSIONCOM}

This seems property create the GITVERSION define somewhere as the IDE seems to see it. However, it gives a strange errors:
"no macro names in #define directive" file not found <command-line>
"macro names must be identifiers"

My guess is I am doing this completely wrong from the getgo.

sierdzio

Here is a working example of exactly what you need :-) https://github.com/milosolutions/mwizardtemplate/blob/master/version.pri

MIT-licensed so you are free to use / adapt / expand it. Works on all platforms.

Your approach is good, you just need to add this insane amount of escape sequences (and remove the spaces around = sign.

GITVERSIONCOM = $$system("git describe --abbrev=5 --dirty=-t")
DEFINES += GITVERSION=\\\\\\"$$GITVERSIONCOM\\\\\\"

fcarney

@fcarney said in Running command when building app and using output in a DEFINE:

DEFINES += GITVERSION = $${GITVERSIONCOM}

Part way there:

DEFINES += GITVERSION=$${GITVERSIONCOM}

The spacing around the equals was causing issues.

sierdzio

Here is a working example of exactly what you need :-) https://github.com/milosolutions/mwizardtemplate/blob/master/version.pri

MIT-licensed so you are free to use / adapt / expand it. Works on all platforms.

Your approach is good, you just need to add this insane amount of escape sequences (and remove the spaces around = sign.

GITVERSIONCOM = $$system("git describe --abbrev=5 --dirty=-t")
DEFINES += GITVERSION=\\\\\\"$$GITVERSIONCOM\\\\\\"

fcarney

@sierdzio I got it working. Interestingly enough, if I used the 6 slashes on each side it would eat the "s out of the Makefile. I ended up doing this:

GITVERSIONCOM = $$system(git describe --abbrev=5 --dirty=-t)
COMPILETIMECOM = $$system(date +%s%3N)
DEFINES += GITVERSION=\\\"$$GITVERSIONCOM\\\"
DEFINES += COMPILETIME=$$COMPILETIMECOM

SGaist

Hi,

You might want to consider an alternative, you could generate a header based on a template that you fill with the variables you want. That would avoid these escaping that can change for different platform.

fcarney

@SGaist
I decided to go that route and have it build based upon platform:

versiondata.target = buildinfo.h
unix:versiondata.commands = $$PWD/create_buildinfo
versiondata.depends = FORCE
QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += versiondata
PRE_TARGETDEPS += buildinfo.h

I have a command called create_buildinfo that makes buildinfo.h.
To add platforms I just add win32: or whatever and create different commands.