cmake/Help/release/3.11.rst

CMake 3.11 Release Notes
************************

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Changes made since CMake 3.10 include the following.

New Features
============

Platforms
---------

* TI C/C++ compilers are now supported by the :generator:`Ninja` generator.

Generators
----------

* The :generator:`CodeBlocks` extra generator learned to check a
  :variable:`CMAKE_CODEBLOCKS_COMPILER_ID` variable for a custom
  compiler identification value to place in the project file.

* The :ref:`Makefile Generators` and the :generator:`Ninja` generator learned
  to add compiler launcher tools along with the compiler for the ``Fortran``
  language (``C``, ``CXX``, and ``CUDA`` were supported previously).
  See the :variable:`CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER` variable and
  :prop_tgt:`<LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER` target property for details.

* :ref:`Visual Studio Generators` learned to support the ``COMPILE_LANGUAGE``
  :manual:`generator expression <cmake-generator-expressions(7)>` in
  target-wide :prop_tgt:`COMPILE_DEFINITIONS`,
  :prop_tgt:`INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES`, :prop_tgt:`COMPILE_OPTIONS`, and
  :command:`file(GENERATE)`.  See generator expression documentation
  for caveats.

* The :generator:`Xcode` generator learned to support the ``COMPILE_LANGUAGE``
  :manual:`generator expression <cmake-generator-expressions(7)>` in
  target-wide :prop_tgt:`COMPILE_DEFINITIONS` and
  :prop_tgt:`INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES`.  It previously supported only
  :prop_tgt:`COMPILE_OPTIONS` and :command:`file(GENERATE)`.
  See generator expression documentation for caveats.

Commands
--------

* :command:`add_library` and :command:`add_executable` commands can now be
  called without any sources and will not complain as long as sources are
  added later via the :command:`target_sources` command.

* The :command:`file(DOWNLOAD)` and :command:`file(UPLOAD)` commands
  gained ``NETRC`` and ``NETRC_FILE`` options to specify use of a
  ``.netrc`` file.

* The :command:`target_compile_definitions` command learned to set the
  :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS` property on
  :ref:`Imported Targets`.

* The :command:`target_compile_features` command learned to set the
  :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_COMPILE_FEATURES` property on :ref:`Imported Targets`.

* The :command:`target_compile_options` command learned to set the
  :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_COMPILE_OPTIONS` property on :ref:`Imported Targets`.

* The :command:`target_include_directories` command learned to set the
  :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES` property on
  :ref:`Imported Targets`.

* The :command:`target_sources` command learned to set the
  :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_SOURCES` property on :ref:`Imported Targets`.

* The :command:`target_link_libraries` command learned to set the
  :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES` property on :ref:`Imported Targets`.

Variables
---------

* A :variable:`CMAKE_GENERATOR_INSTANCE` variable was introduced
  to hold the selected instance of the generator's corresponding
  native tools if multiple are available.  This is used by the
  :generator:`Visual Studio 15 2017` generator to hold the
  selected instance of Visual Studio persistently.

* A :variable:`CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS` variable was added
  to enable setting of default permissions for directories created implicitly
  during installation of files by :command:`install` and
  :command:`file(INSTALL)`, e.g. during ``make install``.

* A :variable:`CMAKE_JOB_POOLS` variable was added specify a value to use for
  the :prop_gbl:`JOB_POOLS` property. This enables control over build
  parallelism with command line configuration parameters when using the Ninja
  generator.

* The :variable:`CMAKE_NETRC` and :variable:`CMAKE_NETRC_FILE` variables
  were added to specify use of a ``.netrc`` file by the
  :command:`file(DOWNLOAD)` and :command:`file(UPLOAD)` commands and
  the :module:`ExternalProject` module.

* A :variable:`CMAKE_CUDA_SEPARABLE_COMPILATION` variable was added to
  initialize the :prop_tgt:`CUDA_SEPARABLE_COMPILATION` target property
  on targets when they are created.

Properties
----------

* The :prop_sf:`COMPILE_DEFINITIONS` source file property learned to support
  :manual:`generator expressions <cmake-generator-expressions(7)>`.

* A :prop_sf:`COMPILE_OPTIONS` source file property was added to manage list
  of options to pass to the compiler.

* An :prop_tgt:`IMPORTED_GLOBAL` target property was added to indicate
  whether an :ref:`IMPORTED target <Imported Targets>` is globally visible.
  It is automatically set to a true value for targets created with the
  ``GLOBAL`` option to :command:`add_library` or :command:`add_executable`.
  Additionally, project code may now *promote* a local imported target
  to be globally visible by setting this property to ``TRUE``.

* An :prop_sf:`INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES` source file property was added to specify
  list of preprocessor include file search directories.

* Source file properties :prop_sf:`VS_SHADER_DISABLE_OPTIMIZATIONS` and
  :prop_sf:`VS_SHADER_ENABLE_DEBUG` have been added to specify more
  details of ``.hlsl`` sources with :ref:`Visual Studio Generators`.

Modules
-------

* The :module:`CheckIncludeFiles` module :command:`CHECK_INCLUDE_FILES`
  command gained a ``LANGUAGE`` option to specify whether to check using the
  ``C`` or ``CXX`` compiler.

* The :module:`CMakePackageConfigHelpers` module
  :command:`write_basic_package_version_file` command learned a new
  ``SameMinorVersion`` mode for the ``COMPATIBILITY`` argument.

* The :module:`ExternalProject` module learned to substitute ``<DOWNLOAD_DIR>``
  in comments, commands, working directory and byproducts.

* The :module:`ExternalProject` module gained ``NETRC`` and ``NETRC_FILE``
  options to specify use of a ``.netrc`` file.

* A new :module:`FetchContent` module was added which supports populating
  content at configure time using any of the download/update methods
  supported by :command:`ExternalProject_Add`.  This allows the content
  to be used immediately during the configure stage, such as with
  :command:`add_subdirectory`, etc.  Hierarchical project structures are
  well supported, allowing parent projects to override the content details
  of child projects and ensuring content is not populated multiple times
  throughout the whole project tree.

* The :module:`FindBLAS` and :module:`FindLAPACK` modules learned to support
  `FLAME`_ ``blis`` and ``libflame``.

* The :module:`FindDoxygen` module :command:`doxygen_add_docs` function
  now supports a new ``DOXYGEN_VERBATIM_VARS`` list variable.  Any
  ``DOXYGEN_...`` variable contained in that list will bypass the automatic
  quoting logic, leaving its contents untouched when transferring them to the
  output ``Doxyfile``.

* A :module:`FindIconv` module was added to locate iconv support.

* The :module:`GenerateExportHeader` module ``GENERATE_EXPORT_HEADER`` command
  gained an ``INCLUDE_GUARD_NAME`` option to change the name of the include
  guard symbol written to the generated export header.
  Additionally, it now adds a comment after the closing ``#endif`` on the
  generated export header's include guard.

* The :module:`UseJava` module ``add_jar`` command gained a
  ``GENERATE_NATIVE_HEADERS`` option to generate native header files
  using ``javac -h`` for ``javac`` 1.8 or above.  This supersedes
  ``create_javah``, which no longer works with JDK 1.10 and above due
  to removal of the ``javah`` tool by `JEP 313`_.

.. _`FLAME`: https://github.com/flame
.. _`JEP 313`: https://openjdk.java.net/jeps/313

Autogen
-------

* When using :prop_tgt:`AUTOMOC` or :prop_tgt:`AUTOUIC`, CMake now starts
  multiple parallel ``moc`` or ``uic`` processes to reduce the build time.
  A new :variable:`CMAKE_AUTOGEN_PARALLEL` variable and
  :prop_tgt:`AUTOGEN_PARALLEL` target property may be set to specify the
  number of parallel ``moc`` or ``uic`` processes to start.  The default
  is derived from the number of CPUs on the host.

CTest
-----

* The :command:`ctest_start` command no longer sets
  :variable:`CTEST_RUN_CURRENT_SCRIPT` due to issues with scoping if it is
  called from inside a function. Instead, it sets an internal variable in
  CTest. However, setting :variable:`CTEST_RUN_CURRENT_SCRIPT` to 0 at the
  global scope still prevents the script from being re-run at the end.

CPack
-----

* :manual:`cpack(1)` gained ``--trace`` and ``--trace-expand`` options.

* The :cpack_gen:`CPack IFW Generator` gained new
  :variable:`CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_REMOVE_TARGET_DIR` variable to control
  if the target directory should not be deleted when uninstalling.

* The :cpack_gen:`CPack RPM Generator` learned to enable enforcing of execute
  privileges on programs and shared libraries.
  See :variable:`CPACK_RPM_INSTALL_WITH_EXEC` variable.

* A :variable:`CPACK_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS` variable was added
  which serves the same purpose during packaging (e.g. ``make package``) as the
  :variable:`CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS` variable serves during
  installation (e.g. ``make install``).

Other
-----

* :ref:`Alias Targets` may now alias :ref:`Imported Targets` that are
  created with the ``GLOBAL`` option to :command:`add_library`.

* :ref:`Interface Libraries` may now have custom properties set on them if
  they start with either an underscore (``_``) or a lowercase ASCII character.
  The original intention was to only allow properties which made sense for
  ``INTERFACE`` libraries, but it also blocked usage of custom properties.

* The :manual:`cmake(1)` ``--open <dir>`` command-line option was added
  to open generated IDE projects like Visual Studio solutions or Xcode
  projects.

Deprecated and Removed Features
===============================

* An explicit deprecation diagnostic was added for policies ``CMP0037``
  through ``CMP0054`` (``CMP0036`` and below were already deprecated).
  The :manual:`cmake-policies(7)` manual explains that the OLD behaviors
  of all policies are deprecated and that projects should port to the
  NEW behaviors.

* The ``KDevelop3`` generator has been removed.

Other Changes
=============

* Policy :policy:`CMP0037` no longer reserves target names associated
  with optional features, such as ``test`` and ``package``, unless
  the corresponding feature is enabled.

* The :module:`FindOpenGL` module now prefers GLVND libraries if available.
  See policy :policy:`CMP0072`.

* The minimum deployment target set in the
  :variable:`CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET` variable used to be only
  applied for macOS regardless of the selected SDK.  It is now properly
  set for the target platform selected by :variable:`CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT`.
  For example, if the sysroot variable specifies an iOS SDK then the
  value in ``CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET`` is interpreted as minimum
  iOS version.

* The :generator:`Xcode` generator behavior of generating one project
  file per :command:`project()` command may now be controlled with the
  :variable:`CMAKE_XCODE_GENERATE_TOP_LEVEL_PROJECT_ONLY` variable.
  This could be useful to speed up the CMake generation step for
  large projects and to work-around a bug in the ``ZERO_CHECK`` logic.

* Since the ``CMakeCache.txt`` format does not support newlines in values,
  values containing newlines are now truncated before writing to the file.
  In addition, a warning comment is written to the cache file, and a warning
  message is displayed to the user on the console.

Updates
=======

Changes made since CMake 3.11.0 include the following.

3.11.1
------

* The :module:`CheckIncludeFile` module ``check_include_file`` macro,
  :module:`CheckIncludeFileCXX` module ``check_include_file_cxx`` macro,
  and :module:`CheckIncludeFiles` module ``check_include_files`` macro
  were taught to honor the ``CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES`` variable in
  CMake 3.11.0.  This has been reverted due to changing behavior of
  checks for existing projects.  It may be restored in the future
  with a policy for compatibility.

3.11.2
------

* Calling :command:`add_library` to create an alias of an imported
  target that is not globally visible now causes an error again as
  it did prior to 3.11.0.  This diagnostic was accidentally dropped
  from CMake 3.11.0 and 3.11.1 by the change to allow globally visible
  imported targets to be aliased.

* The :module:`FindQt4` module ``qt4_wrap_cpp``, ``qt4_wrap_ui`` and
  ``qt4_add_resources`` macros now set :prop_sf:`SKIP_AUTOMOC` and
  :prop_sf:`SKIP_AUTOUIC` on their generated files.  These files never
  need to be processed by moc or uic, and we must say so explicitly to
  account for policy :policy:`CMP0071`.

3.11.3
------

* CMake 3.11.0 introduced support for resolving symbolic links on
  Windows in code paths that typically do so on UNIX.  This has been
  reverted due to breakage on ``subst`` drives.