CMake add_custom_target(): Run custom command using 'Debug->Start Debugging'

Question

add_custom_target(NSISTest_Preprocess SOURCES precompress.nsi)
add_custom_command(TARGET NSISTest_Preprocess POST_BUILD
  COMMAND \"${NSIS_PATH}\" \"...\\\\precompress.n         


        

Answer 1

The .user settings approach also works for custom targets. You could just add - if the path is known - the installer's .exe as a command the debugger should call with 'Debug->Start Debugging'.

VS2010Test-Debug.vcxproj.user.in

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">
    <LocalDebuggerCommand>${_my_installer_path}</LocalDebuggerCommand>
    <DebuggerFlavor>WindowsLocalDebugger</DebuggerFlavor>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

CMakeLists.txt

...
if (MSVC_VERSION GREATER 1599 AND
    NOT EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/NSISTest_Preprocess.vcxproj.user")
    file(TO_NATIVE_PATH "[your installer's path goes here]" _my_installer_path)
    configure_file(
        "VS2010Test-Debug.vcxproj.user.in"
        "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/NSISTest_Preprocess.vcxproj.user"
    )
    file(
        COPY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/NSISTest_Preprocess.vcxproj.user"
        DESTINATION "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}"
        FILE_PERMISSIONS OWNER_READ OWNER_WRITE OWNER_EXECUTE GROUP_READ GROUP_EXECUTE WORLD_READ WORLD_EXECUTE
    )
endif()

Background

• I only copy/configure the file when it's not present, because VS does not handle outside changes to .user files very well
• I have to make sure all file access rights are set properly, because your SCM may set a read-only flag (which is maintained by configure_file())

References

• Setting the Visual Studio Debugger path using CMake