4 Add a target with no output so it will always be built.
8 add_custom_target(Name [ALL] [command1 [args1...]]
9 [COMMAND command2 [args2...] ...]
10 [DEPENDS depend depend depend ... ]
11 [BYPRODUCTS [files...]]
12 [WORKING_DIRECTORY dir]
15 [VERBATIM] [USES_TERMINAL]
16 [COMMAND_EXPAND_LISTS]
17 [SOURCES src1 [src2...]])
19 Adds a target with the given name that executes the given commands.
20 The target has no output file and is *always considered out of date*
21 even if the commands try to create a file with the name of the target.
22 Use the :command:`add_custom_command` command to generate a file with
23 dependencies. By default nothing depends on the custom target. Use
24 the :command:`add_dependencies` command to add dependencies to or
30 Indicate that this target should be added to the default build
31 target so that it will be run every time (the command cannot be
37 Specify the files the command is expected to produce but whose
38 modification time may or may not be updated on subsequent builds.
39 If a byproduct name is a relative path it will be interpreted
40 relative to the build tree directory corresponding to the
41 current source directory.
42 Each byproduct file will be marked with the :prop_sf:`GENERATED`
43 source file property automatically.
45 Explicit specification of byproducts is supported by the
46 :generator:`Ninja` generator to tell the ``ninja`` build tool
47 how to regenerate byproducts when they are missing. It is
48 also useful when other build rules (e.g. custom commands)
49 depend on the byproducts. Ninja requires a build rule for any
50 generated file on which another rule depends even if there are
51 order-only dependencies to ensure the byproducts will be
52 available before their dependents build.
54 The :ref:`Makefile Generators` will remove ``BYPRODUCTS`` and other
55 :prop_sf:`GENERATED` files during ``make clean``.
57 .. versionadded:: 3.20
58 Arguments to ``BYPRODUCTS`` may use a restricted set of
59 :manual:`generator expressions <cmake-generator-expressions(7)>`.
60 :ref:`Target-dependent expressions <Target-Dependent Queries>` are not
64 Specify the command-line(s) to execute at build time.
65 If more than one ``COMMAND`` is specified they will be executed in order,
66 but *not* necessarily composed into a stateful shell or batch script.
67 (To run a full script, use the :command:`configure_file` command or the
68 :command:`file(GENERATE)` command to create it, and then specify
69 a ``COMMAND`` to launch it.)
71 If ``COMMAND`` specifies an executable target name (created by the
72 :command:`add_executable` command), it will automatically be replaced
73 by the location of the executable created at build time if either of
74 the following is true:
76 * The target is not being cross-compiled (i.e. the
77 :variable:`CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING` variable is not set to true).
78 * .. versionadded:: 3.6
79 The target is being cross-compiled and an emulator is provided (i.e.
80 its :prop_tgt:`CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR` target property is set).
81 In this case, the contents of :prop_tgt:`CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR` will be
82 prepended to the command before the location of the target executable.
84 If neither of the above conditions are met, it is assumed that the
85 command name is a program to be found on the ``PATH`` at build time.
87 Arguments to ``COMMAND`` may use
88 :manual:`generator expressions <cmake-generator-expressions(7)>`.
89 Use the :genex:`TARGET_FILE` generator expression to refer to the location
90 of a target later in the command line (i.e. as a command argument rather
91 than as the command to execute).
93 Whenever one of the following target based generator expressions are used as
94 a command to execute or is mentioned in a command argument, a target-level
95 dependency will be added automatically so that the mentioned target will be
96 built before this custom target (see policy :policy:`CMP0112`).
99 * ``TARGET_LINKER_FILE``
100 * ``TARGET_SONAME_FILE``
101 * ``TARGET_PDB_FILE``
103 The command and arguments are optional and if not specified an empty
104 target will be created.
107 Display the given message before the commands are executed at
111 Reference files and outputs of custom commands created with
112 :command:`add_custom_command` command calls in the same directory
113 (``CMakeLists.txt`` file). They will be brought up to date when
116 .. versionchanged:: 3.16
117 A target-level dependency is added if any dependency is a byproduct
118 of a target or any of its build events in the same directory to ensure
119 the byproducts will be available before this target is built.
121 Use the :command:`add_dependencies` command to add dependencies
124 ``COMMAND_EXPAND_LISTS``
125 .. versionadded:: 3.8
127 Lists in ``COMMAND`` arguments will be expanded, including those
129 :manual:`generator expressions <cmake-generator-expressions(7)>`,
130 allowing ``COMMAND`` arguments such as
131 ``${CC} "-I$<JOIN:$<TARGET_PROPERTY:foo,INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>,;-I>" foo.cc``
132 to be properly expanded.
135 .. versionadded:: 3.15
137 Specify a :prop_gbl:`pool <JOB_POOLS>` for the :generator:`Ninja`
138 generator. Incompatible with ``USES_TERMINAL``, which implies
139 the ``console`` pool.
140 Using a pool that is not defined by :prop_gbl:`JOB_POOLS` causes
141 an error by ninja at build time.
144 Specify additional source files to be included in the custom target.
145 Specified source files will be added to IDE project files for
146 convenience in editing even if they have no build rules.
149 All arguments to the commands will be escaped properly for the
150 build tool so that the invoked command receives each argument
151 unchanged. Note that one level of escapes is still used by the
152 CMake language processor before ``add_custom_target`` even sees
153 the arguments. Use of ``VERBATIM`` is recommended as it enables
154 correct behavior. When ``VERBATIM`` is not given the behavior
155 is platform specific because there is no protection of
156 tool-specific special characters.
159 .. versionadded:: 3.2
161 The command will be given direct access to the terminal if possible.
162 With the :generator:`Ninja` generator, this places the command in
163 the ``console`` :prop_gbl:`pool <JOB_POOLS>`.
165 ``WORKING_DIRECTORY``
166 Execute the command with the given current working directory.
167 If it is a relative path it will be interpreted relative to the
168 build tree directory corresponding to the current source directory.
170 .. versionadded:: 3.13
171 Arguments to ``WORKING_DIRECTORY`` may use
172 :manual:`generator expressions <cmake-generator-expressions(7)>`.
177 .. versionadded:: 3.20
179 ``add_custom_target`` supports the :generator:`Ninja Multi-Config`
180 generator's cross-config capabilities. See the generator documentation
181 for more information.