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How to Have Multiple Binary Directories With Cmake?

2 minutes read

You can have multiple binary directories with CMake by using the CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY and CMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY variables. These variables allow you to specify separate output directories for executables and libraries, respectively. In your CMakeLists.txt file, you can set these variables to the desired paths for each binary directory. This way, CMake will generate executables and libraries in the specified directories instead of the default build directory. This can be useful if you want to organize your build artifacts in different directories based on their type or purpose. Additionally, you can also use the set(CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ...) variable to specify a separate output directory for static libraries. Overall, using these variables can help you manage multiple binary directories more effectively in your CMake projects.


What is the role of the CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY variable in CMake?

The CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY variable in CMake allows the user to set a specific directory where CMake will place the executable files (such as binaries) generated by the build process. By setting this variable, you can ensure that all the generated executables are placed in a specific location, making it easier to organize and manage the output of the build process. This can be especially useful when working with complex projects or when you want to separate the generated files from the source code.


How to configure CMake to generate debug and release binary directories separately?

To configure CMake to generate debug and release binary directories separately, you can use the following steps:

  1. Create two separate build directories for debug and release builds. For example, create a "build-debug" directory and a "build-release" directory in the root directory of your project.
  2. Inside each build directory, run CMake with the appropriate build configuration flags. For debug builds, use the following command: 
1

cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug ..


For release builds, use the following command:

1

cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..


  1. This will generate the necessary build files in the respective build directories with separate debug and release configurations.
  2. Run the build process using your preferred build tool (e.g. make, Visual Studio) in each build directory to generate the debug and release binaries.


By following these steps, you can configure CMake to generate debug and release binaries in separate directories for your project.


What is the role of the CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY variable in CMake?

The CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY variable in CMake allows you to specify the directory where static libraries (archives) generated by the build system will be placed. By setting this variable, you can control where the compiled archive files will be stored in your project directory structure. This can help organize the build artifacts and make it easier to manage the output of the build process.

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