[Solved] QtCreator compile-install order for subdir projects

kortus

Hi,

I have a simple subdirs projects like:

@TEMPLATE = subdirs
CONFIG = ordered

SUBDIRS = base
SUBDIRS += depend@

Every project has a install path and I have added the make install command under the Projects tab.
When I start a build from QtCreator for this project the following order appears:

make base

make depend

make install base

make install depend

As result step 2 (make depend) end with a link error because base.lib is not installed. I have to build base manually and than it is installed and all works. The problem is:

manually work

first time depend is linked against the last (not actually) base lib

Can I change the make order to?

make base

make base install

make depend

make depend install

Thanks for every hint solving this problem. I use QtCreator 3.0.0.

Steffen

SGaist

Hi,

Rather than installing your libs every time you build them (and since they are static), you should rather determine a common folder in the build tree where they will be put and use that folder to retrieve them as needed

kortus

Hi,

that is exactly what the install does. It installs the libraries in a common folder. And from there are the libs used. The problem is the generated build-install order from QtCreator. I can click ervery project to build in the right order and everything works fine. But to minimize this clicks I use subdir-projects.

Another idea?

SGaist

And its a step you don't need, just use something like

@DESTDIR = ../lib@

in your libraries projects so all the resulting lib will go there

kortus

Yeah, thats clear, I use this. But I'm not sure what the right method is to start this installation step.

At the moment I add a new "make install" step in the Build Steps in the Project configuration. And this results in the make call order from my first message.

I set also the the following variables
@DEPENDENPATH
INCLUDEPATH
LIBS
DESTDIR@

SGaist

What I am trying to make you understand is that you don't need that install step if you configure correctly your projects.

kortus

Hi, I need this install directory, because in a distributed development environment or when I use the results from a build server. I don't compile all libraries at my computer. From this reason I think it is a good idea to have all used libraries at the same place.

Solution: The only thing that solves the problem for the moment is to define, that depending libraries are not placed in the same subproject.

Another question handling subprojects. I can compile one project alone, but when I run the project the make of all other projects in the directory is started, that takes time. How can I stop this?

Attila1983

I have the same problem. The structure of my subprojects is the following:

lib1
lib2
lib3
dependentapp
public (headers, libs)

After compiling lib1, lib2, lib3 their public headers and libs should be copied into the public directory. Subsequently the depentdentapp could refer only to the public directory.

Is this a standard solution? Do you have any better idea? Thanks!

kortus

Stupid automatism:-) The solution is so easy. I had in mind the sequence

make
make install

Based on that I have created a second make step under Projects::Build Steps. But every Makefile has the dependency to compile first changed files before install.

Right Solution: type into the Make arguments of the first Make step the install command, everything is fine. You need one make call only (make install <params>)

Attila1983: Do you use the position of the copied header as INCLUDEPATH? That is not a good idea. The reason is that is something wrong you edit the wrong file, because QtCreator point to the copied file.

Attila1983

You were right Kortus with Qt Creator and INCLUDEPATH. Thanks!

I have just realized, that its possible to write own INSTALLS commands:

public_headers.path = $${PUBLIC_INC_PATH}
public_headers.files = $${PUBLIC_HEADERS}
INSTALLS += public_headers

This can be called with make install_public_headers, weil the generated makefile contains the following line:
install_public_headers: first FORCE

Would it be possible to remove the dependency to first? I would not like to compile my source files, just to copy them.

I tried to override the field public_headers.depends, but it did not work.

kortus

I think you can't remove the dependency in one project. To copy include headers for deployment I would create a own project (CopyIncludes) with the INSTALL commands in it.

For all other projects I use the include files directly from the source directory. Here my code snippet to do this:

@
#global used pri file (global.pri)

$$PWD return the position of the global.pri file

MY_ROOT_PATH = $$PWD/..

the used include paths depends at the used libraries

in MY_LIBS, with this we offer the needed header paths

only and not all existing

MY_BASE_INC = lib1
lib2
lib3

for(inc,MY_LIBS) {
MY_LOCAL_SUCCESS = 0
contains(MY_BASE_INC, $$inc) {
INCLUDEPATH += $${MY_ROOT_PATH}/src/base/$$inc
MY_LOCAL_SUCCESS = 1
}

isEqual(MY_LOCAL_SUCCESS, 0) {
error("'"$$inc"' :this library is unknown at the build environment")
}
}@

Thats the part for all libraries located in src/base and the project pro file has the variable MY_LIBS to set. This information is also used to add the library paths.

@
MY_LIBS = lib1 lib2
@

Hope that helps, I have spent a long time to create a build environment with minimal effort for new projects.