project_options

project_options

A general-purpose CMake library that provides functions that improve the CMake experience following the best practices.

Features

• project_options:
  • compiler warnings,
  • compiler optimizations (intraprocedural, native),
  • caching (ccache, sccache),
  • sanitizers,
  • static code analyzers (clang-tidy, cppcheck, visual studio, include-what-you-use),
  • document generation (doxygen),
  • test coverage analysis,
  • precompiled headers,
  • build time measurement,
  • unity builds
  • using custom linkers (e.g. lld)
• package_project: automatic packaging/installation of the project for seamless usage via find_package/target_link through CMake’s FetchContent, vcpkg, etc.
• run_vcpkg: automatic installation of vcpkg and the project dependencies
• run_conan: automatic installation of conan and the project dependencies
• dynamic_project_options: a wrapper around project_options to change the options on the fly dynamically
• target_link_system_libraries and target_include_system_directories: linking/including external dependencies/headers without warnings
• target_link_cuda: linking Cuda to a target

Documentation

The full documentation is available here:

https://aminya.github.io/project_options/

Sanitizers on Windows

ENABLE_SANITIZER_ADDRESS and ENABLE_SANITIZER_UNDEFINED work on Windows both with MSVC/clang-cl and with clang++ driving its GNU command line. Four things to know for the clang case:

• C++ exceptions crash under ASan. Entering a catch handler faults while reading the exception object, so any throw — even one caught in the same function — takes the process down. Reproduced with clang 20.1.8 on both drivers, both linkers, and every optimization level. Code paths that throw cannot be checked with clang’s ASan on Windows; MSVC’s /fsanitize=address handles them.
• Use a non-debug configuration. clang’s ASan cannot be used with the debug CRT — msvcp140d.dll frees through the debug heap at teardown, so every process aborts with attempting free on address which was not malloc()-ed. Build RelWithDebInfo, or set CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY to a non-debug runtime. project_options leaves both sanitizers off when the debug CRT is in play, rather than handing back binaries that cannot run — including for multi-config generators, which only pick their runtime at build time, unless CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY pins a non-debug one.
• UBSan needs ASan alongside it, or a static CRT. The standalone UBSan runtime is only shipped for /MT, so on its own it fails to link into a /MD build with a RuntimeLibrary /failifmismatch error. Enabling both sanitizers takes the checks from the ASan runtime instead.
• Ship the runtime next to your binaries. ASan is a DLL on Windows. When AddressSanitizer is enabled through project_options, the runtime is copied automatically into the output directory of executable, shared-library, and module targets that link the options target. For a custom test host or plugin loader outside that target graph, call install_sanitizer_runtime() explicitly.

project_options(ENABLE_SANITIZER_ADDRESS)

add_executable(my_tests tests.cpp)
target_link_libraries(my_tests PRIVATE project_options project_warnings)
# On Windows, the ASan runtime is staged automatically for my_tests.

# Custom hosts that load instrumented plugins can opt in explicitly:
# install_sanitizer_runtime(plugin_host)

project_options function

See the project_options() in action in this template repository. cpp_vcpkg_project has prepared all the best practices for a production-ready C++ project.

project and project_options

Here is an example of the usage:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.20)

# set a default CXX standard for the tools and targets that do not specify them.
# If commented, the latest supported standard for your compiler is automatically set.
# set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)

include(FetchContent)
if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL "3.24.0")
  cmake_policy(SET CMP0135 NEW)
endif()

# Add project_options from https://github.com/aminya/project_options
# Change the version in the following URL to update the package (watch the releases of the repository for future updates)
set(PROJECT_OPTIONS_VERSION "v0.44.0")
FetchContent_Declare(
  _project_options
  URL https://github.com/aminya/project_options/archive/refs/tags/${PROJECT_OPTIONS_VERSION}.zip)
FetchContent_MakeAvailable(_project_options)
include(${_project_options_SOURCE_DIR}/Index.cmake)

# install vcpkg dependencies: - should be called before defining project()
run_vcpkg(
    VCPKG_URL "https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git"
    VCPKG_REV "0cb95c860ea83aafc1b24350510b30dec535989a"
)
# Install conan dependencies: - should be called before defining project()
run_conan()

# Set the project name and language
project(myproject LANGUAGES CXX C)

# Build Features
option(FEATURE_TESTS "Enable the tests" OFF)
option(FEATURE_DOCS "Enable the docs" OFF)

# vcpkg test feature
if(FEATURE_TESTS)
  list(APPEND VCPKG_MANIFEST_FEATURES "tests")
endif()

# Enable sanitizers and static analyzers when running the tests
if(FEATURE_TESTS)
  set(ENABLE_CLANG_TIDY "ENABLE_CLANG_TIDY")
  set(ENABLE_CPPCHECK "ENABLE_CPPCHECK")
  set(ENABLE_COVERAGE "ENABLE_COVERAGE")

  set(ENABLE_SANITIZER_ADDRESS "ENABLE_SANITIZER_ADDRESS")
  set(ENABLE_SANITIZER_UNDEFINED "ENABLE_SANITIZER_UNDEFINED")
endif()

# Enable doxgen for the docs
if(FEATURE_DOCS)
  set(ENABLE_DOXYGEN "ENABLE_DOXYGEN")
endif()

# Initialize project_options variable related to this project
# This overwrites `project_options` and sets `project_warnings`
# uncomment to enable the options. Some of them accept one or more inputs:
project_options(
      PREFIX "myproject"
      ENABLE_CACHE
      ${ENABLE_CPPCHECK}
      ${ENABLE_CLANG_TIDY}
      ENABLE_VS_ANALYSIS
      # ENABLE_INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION
      # ENABLE_NATIVE_OPTIMIZATION
      ${ENABLE_DOXYGEN}
      ${ENABLE_COVERAGE}
      ${ENABLE_SANITIZER_ADDRESS}
      ${ENABLE_SANITIZER_UNDEFINED}
      # ${ENABLE_SANITIZER_THREAD}
      # ${ENABLE_SANITIZER_MEMORY}
      # ENABLE_SANITIZER_POINTER_COMPARE
      # ENABLE_SANITIZER_POINTER_SUBTRACT
      # ENABLE_CONTROL_FLOW_PROTECTION
      # ENABLE_STACK_PROTECTION
      # ENABLE_OVERFLOW_PROTECTION
      # ENABLE_ELF_PROTECTION
      # ENABLE_RUNTIME_SYMBOLS_RESOLUTION
      # ENABLE_COMPILE_COMMANDS_SYMLINK
      # ENABLE_PCH
      # PCH_HEADERS
      # WARNINGS_AS_ERRORS
      # ENABLE_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE
      # ENABLE_GCC_ANALYZER
      # ENABLE_BUILD_WITH_TIME_TRACE
      # ENABLE_UNITY
      # LINKER "lld"
)

Then add the executables or libraries to the project:

executable usage

add_executable(main main.cpp)

# link project_options/warnings
target_link_libraries(main
  PRIVATE myproject_project_options myproject_project_warnings
)

# Find dependencies:
target_find_dependencies(main
  PRIVATE_CONFIG
  fmt
  Eigen3
)

# Link dependencies
target_link_system_libraries(main
  PRIVATE
  fmt::fmt
  Eigen3::Eigen
)

install_sanitizer_runtime(main)

# Package the project
package_project(TARGETS main)

library usage

add_library(my_lib "./src/my_lib/lib.cpp")

# link project_options/warnings
target_link_libraries(my_lib
  PRIVATE myproject_project_options myproject_project_warnings
)

# Includes:
target_include_interface_directories(my_lib "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include")

# Find dependencies:
target_find_dependencies(my_lib
  PRIVATE_CONFIG
  fmt
  Eigen3
)

# Link dependencies:
target_link_system_libraries(my_lib
  PRIVATE
  fmt::fmt
  Eigen3::Eigen
)

install_sanitizer_runtime(my_lib)

# Package the project
package_project(
  # Note that you must export `myproject_project_options` and `myproject_project_warnings` for `my_lib`
  TARGETS my_lib myproject_project_options myproject_project_warnings
)

header-only library usage

add_library(my_header_lib INTERFACE)

# link project_options/warnings
target_link_libraries(my_header_lib
  INTERFACE myproject_project_options myproject_project_warnings
)

# Includes:
target_include_interface_directories(my_header_lib "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include")

# Find dependencies:
target_find_dependencies(my_header_lib
  INTERFACE_CONFIG
  fmt
  Eigen3
)

# Link dependencies:
target_link_system_libraries(my_header_lib
  INTERFACE
  fmt::fmt
  Eigen3::Eigen
)

# Package the project
package_project(
  TARGETS my_header_lib myproject_project_options myproject_project_warnings
)

License

This project can be used under the terms of either the MIT license or the Unlicense depending on your choice.