Debug/Release-only configuration in qmake

[Phrogz]

I need to copy some shared libraries to my output. I want debug versions of these libraries to be copied when building debug, release versions to be copied when building release. Here's part of my QML file:

# Build Artifacts 
DESTDIR=$$TOP_BUILDDIR/$$MODULE
cpqmldir.files = qmldir
CONFIG(debug) {
  cpqmldir.files += \
    $${3RDPARTY_PATH}/foo/lib/bard.so \
    $${3RDPARTY_PATH}/foo/lib/jamd.so
  message("OMG DEBUG")
}
CONFIG(release) {
  cpqmldir.files += \
    $${3RDPARTY_PATH}/foo/lib/bar.so \
    $${3RDPARTY_PATH}/foo/lib/jam.so
  message("OMG RELEASE")
}
cpqmldir.path = $$TOP_BUILDDIR/$$MODULE
COPIES += cpqmldir

However, whether I build in debug or release, I always see both "OMG DEBUG" and "OMG RELEASE", and both sets of libraries get copied.

Why are both blocks being run? I must be confused by how CONFIG() is intended to be used.

How do I prevent debug libraries from being copied in a release build?

Linux 14.04x64, QMake v3.1 using Qt v5.9.3

[aha_1980]

Hi @Phrogz,

The correct way to use the config scopes is like following:

CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
   # do debug things here
}
CONFIG(release, debug|release) {
   # do release things here
}

For more info see http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qmake-variable-reference.html

[Phrogz]

@aha_1980 Thanks! I thought that debug|release was a bitwise or, saying "do this in debug or release modes". I don't understand the syntax at all, but blindly copying the syntax as you wrote works.

More information on the syntax can be found here:
What does the syntax CONFIG(debug,debug|release) mean? What does the 1st argument specify and similarly what is the 2nd?