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cmake variable scope, add_subdirectory

I have a CMakeLists.txt in my project root and one in my /src folder. The one in the /src folder only contains a variable with the .cpp files (set (SOURCEFILES main.cpp foo.cpp)) and in the root CMakeLists.txt I do add_subdirectory(src) and later I do add_executable(MyApp ${SOURCEFILES}).

But cmake gives me the error

add_executable called with incorrect number of arguments, no sources provided

How do I get cmake to see the variable? I read that cmake only knows global variables, but that's obviously not the case...


R
Razakhel

As mentioned in the documentation of the set command, each directory added with add_subdirectory or each function declared with function creates a new scope.

The new child scope inherits all variable definitions from its parent scope. Variable assignments in the new child scope with the set command will only be visible in the child scope unless the PARENT_SCOPE option is used.

To make the SOURCEFILES assignment visible in the root folder of your project, try:

set (SOURCEFILES main.cpp foo.cpp PARENT_SCOPE) 

Thanks, this solved it. But another note: in the sub directory you have now to use ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/foo.cpp instead of only foo.cpp because cmake is now in the parent scope.
Alternatively, you could set the variable in the parent CMakeLists.txt file before the add_subdirectory call, and have its definition inherit down to the child CMakeLists file. Again, you'll need to qualify the names of the files if you need to refer to them from multiple CMakeLists files.
You'll need to create the variable also in the current-scope to use its values in the sub-dir/function: set(VAR value PARENT_SCOPE); set(VAR ${VAR});
@PatrickB. in my case set(VAR value PARENT_SCOPE); set(VAR ${VAR}); is not working, however, set(VAR value); set(VAR ${VAR} PARENT_SCOPE); works.
Additonaly you can access from parent dir to specific variable in suddir like this get_directory_property(VAR1 DIRECTORY subdir1 DEFINITION VAR1)