How to Build .SLN Files on Windows Using CMake without Visual Studio

Описание: A step-by-step guide to building `.sln` files on Windows using CMake from the command line, without the need for Visual Studio.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/67423725/ asked by the user 'JakubGamer' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/15347233/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/67423794/ provided by the user 'Alex Reinking' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/2137996/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Building .SLN Files on Windows Using CMake without Visual Studio

If you're diving into C+ + development and trying to set up your environment using CMake on Windows, you may encounter some differences compared to Unix-based systems. One common challenge is building your project files, especially when using Visual Studio (.sln files) without actually having to work within the Visual Studio IDE. This post will guide you through the process of building .sln files from the command line, step by step.

Understanding the Problem

When you run the command cmake . in your terminal, the expected result can vary based on your operating system and the type of build configuration you're working with. On Unix systems, you'll likely create and build a Makefile; however, on Windows, you might end up generating a .sln file that is associated with Visual Studio. This can feel overwhelming, especially if you're trying to do it through the command prompt instead of the Visual Studio IDE.

To better understand how you can proceed, let’s break down the solution into manageable parts.

The Solution

Avoiding In-Tree Builds

First and foremost, it’s important to avoid doing an in-tree build using cmake .. This method can lead to name clashes and other issues that make subsequent builds more complex and messy. Instead, it's better to employ a separate build directory.

Setting Up Your Environment

Open Command Prompt: Start by opening your command prompt on Windows.

Navigate to Your Project Directory: Use the cd command to go to your project's source directory where your CMakeLists.txt file is located.

Generating the Build Files

Depending on your project configuration, you would use different commands to set up the build files. Here’s how to do it:

Single-Config Generators (e.g., Make, Ninja)

If you're using a single-config generator like Make or Ninja, follow these commands:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

/path/to/sources: Replace this with your actual source path.

/path/to/build: This is the directory where the build files will be generated and can be created automatically by CMake.

CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE: If you need a Debug build instead of a Release, simply change that parameter.

Multi-Config Generators (e.g., Visual Studio)

For a multi-config generator like Visual Studio (which is what you'll be using for .sln files), the commands are slightly different:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Here, -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" specifies the version of Visual Studio you are targeting.

The configuration (--config Release) is specified in the second command, which allows you some flexibility in building various configurations post-build setup.

Building Your Project

Once you have run the proper CMake configurations for your project, the second command will compile your project, similar to how it’s done on Linux. It will generate binaries along with your .sln file, ready for use.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to build your .sln files on Windows without directly using Visual Studio IDE, leveraging CMake instead. This approach keeps your project clean and maintainable while allowing you to take advantage of the power of CMake.

If you run into any issues during this process, don't hesitate to do a little more research or reach out to the community for support. Happy coding!