Calling cmake with bash variable argument

Question

I am struggling into an odd issue. I am trying to run cmake command line with a shell variable as an argument but it fails. This is what I've done:

#1. Basic. works fine cmake -G 'Sublime Text 2 - Ninja' #2. Argument into variable. error CMAKE_CONFIG="-G 'Sublime Text 2 - Ninja'" cmake $CMAKE_CONFIG ../.. > CMake Error: Could not create named generator 'Sublime Text 2 - Ninja' #3. Adding -v before variable. 'compile' but ignore the argument (generate a Makefile). Hacky and senseless? CMAKE_CONFIG="-G 'Sublime Text 2 - Ninja'" cmake -v$CMAKE_CONFIG ../.. #4. Quoting argument. error (same as #2) CMAKE_CONFIG="-G 'Sublime Text 2 - Ninja'" cmake "$CMAKE_CONFIG" ../..

Playing with --trace and --debug-output variables gives the following:

#5. Working command cmake ../.. --trace --debug-output -G "Sublime Text 2 - Ninja" #6. Non existing generator. #Expected result (witness purpose only) cmake ../.. --trace --debug-output -G 'random test' [...] CMake Error: Could not create named generator random test #7. Testing with variable. #Output error quotes the generator's name and there is an extra space before it cmake ../.. --trace --debug-output $CMAKE_CONFIG [...] CMake Error: Could not create named generator 'Sublime Text 2 - Ninja' #8. Removing the quote within the variable. #Still error, but the only difference with #6 is the extra space after 'generator' CMAKE_CONFIG="-G Sublime Text 2 - Ninja" cmake ../.. --trace --debug-output $CMAKE_CONFIG [...] CMake Error: Could not create named generator Sublime Text 2 - Ninja

I tried to change the IFS variable too but didn't succeed to achieve my goal.

Any hints?

Martin Vidner · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-13 15:41:55Z

5

In this case, you need to debug the shell, not cmake. The trick is to replace "cmake" by printf '%q\n' in your commands, to let bash show you how it interprets your arguments.

I think using arrays like this will work:

CMAKE_CONFIG=(-G 'Sublime Text 2 - Ninja') cmake "${CMAKE_CONFIG[@]}" ../..

answered Dec 13, 2013 at 15:41

Martin Vidner

2,34717 silver badges32 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

Gordon Davisson Over a year ago

Correct. See BashFAQ #50: I'm trying to put a command in a variable, but the complex cases always fail! for more details.

Jordi Espada Over a year ago

@Martin Vidner you saved my day! Thanks a lot! I didn't know trivial things can be complex some times

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Calling cmake with bash variable argument

1 Answer 1

2 Comments

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

2 Comments

Related