Debugging CMake Scripts: Tips and Techniques for Resolving Issues

CMake is a powerful and flexible tool for building and managing software projects. However, like any build system, it is not immune to issues. Debugging CMake scripts can be challenging, especially when dealing with complex dependencies. In this article, we will discuss some tips and techniques for debugging CMake scripts to help you resolve issues more quickly.

The first step in debugging CMake scripts is to understand the error messages. CMake provides detailed error messages, including the line number and source file of the error. Understanding the error message is crucial for resolving the issue. In some cases, the error message may be difficult to understand, but with a little research and practice, it becomes easier to interpret the message.

The second step is to use the verbose output mode. CMake has a verbose output mode that provides detailed information about the build process, including the commands being executed, the libraries being linked, and the build environment. The verbose output mode can be enabled using the "-V" option when running the cmake command.

Another useful tool for debugging CMake scripts is the CMake debugger. The CMake debugger allows you to step through the CMake script line by line and examine the values of variables. This is especially useful when dealing with complex dependencies.

Finally, it is helpful to understand the order in which CMake scripts are processed. CMake scripts are processed in the order in which they are defined. Understanding this order can help you to resolve issues related to the order of commands and dependencies.


Here is an example code snippet demonstrating the use of the message command to debug CMake scripts:

# Debugging with message command
if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
    message("Build type not set, defaulting to Debug")
    set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Debug" CACHE STRING "Choose the type of build, options are: None Debug Release RelWithDebInfo MinSizeRel." FORCE)
endif()

message("Build type is: ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}")

# Example of using the message command to debug a variable
set(MY_VAR "Hello World")
message("The value of MY_VAR is: ${MY_VAR}")

When running the script, the output will show the build type as well as the value of MY_VAR, which can help you diagnose any issues with your CMake scripts.

You can also use the cmake_minimum_required command to enforce a minimum version of CMake, which can help prevent issues with older versions of CMake:

# Enforcing a minimum version of CMake
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)

Another technique for debugging CMake scripts is to use the --debug-output option when running cmake on the command line. This will display verbose output, providing more information about the internal workings of CMake and allowing you to see what CMake is doing at each step of the process.

# Debug output with --debug-output option
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug --debug-output ..

Finally, you can use the try_compile command to test individual pieces of code and see if they are working correctly:

# Debugging with try_compile command
try_compile(RESULT_VAR
    ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/try_compile
    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/try_compile.c
)

message("The value of RESULT_VAR is: ${RESULT_VAR}")

By using these debugging techniques, you can quickly diagnose and resolve issues with your CMake scripts.


In conclusion, debugging CMake scripts can be challenging, but with a little understanding of the error messages, verbose output mode, CMake debugger, and the order of processing, it is possible to resolve issues more quickly. CMake provides a powerful and flexible tool for building and managing software projects, and understanding how to debug CMake scripts is an essential skill for anyone using CMake.