cmake -H to generate build files?

[wermos]

Brief Issue Summary

The extension uses cmake -H/path/to/source to generate the build files. However, this flag is not documented in the CMake Docs as far as I know.

Expected:

The extension should use cmake -S/path/to/source/ to generate the build files. The -H flag is documented here and is only for printing the help text. See here for the question I asked about it on Stack Overflow.

CMake Tools Log

With Clang 10.0.0 x86_64-pc-linux-gnu kit:

[main] Building folder: Light 
[main] Configuring folder: Light 
[proc] Executing command: /usr/bin/cmake --no-warn-unused-cli -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS:BOOL=TRUE -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING=Debug -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER:FILEPATH=/bin/clang-10 -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER:FILEPATH=/bin/clang++-10 -H/home/tirthankar/projects/physicc/Light -B/home/tirthankar/projects/physicc/Light/build -G Ninja
[cmake] Not searching for unused variables given on the command line.
[cmake] -- The C compiler identification is Clang 10.0.0
[cmake] -- The CXX compiler identification is Clang 10.0.0
[cmake] -- Check for working C compiler: /bin/clang-10
[cmake] -- Check for working C compiler: /bin/clang-10 -- works
[cmake] -- Detecting C compiler ABI info
[cmake] -- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
[cmake] -- Detecting C compile features
[cmake] -- Detecting C compile features - done
[cmake] -- Check for working CXX compiler: /bin/clang++-10
[cmake] -- Check for working CXX compiler: /bin/clang++-10 -- works
[cmake] -- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
[cmake] -- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
[cmake] -- Detecting CXX compile features
[cmake] -- Detecting CXX compile features - done
[cmake] -- Found OpenGL: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libOpenGL.so   
[cmake] -- Looking for pthread.h
[cmake] -- Looking for pthread.h - found
[cmake] -- Performing Test CMAKE_HAVE_LIBC_PTHREAD
[cmake] -- Performing Test CMAKE_HAVE_LIBC_PTHREAD - Failed
[cmake] -- Looking for pthread_create in pthreads
[cmake] -- Looking for pthread_create in pthreads - not found
[cmake] -- Looking for pthread_create in pthread
[cmake] -- Looking for pthread_create in pthread - found
[cmake] -- Found Threads: TRUE  
[cmake] -- Using X11 for window creation
[cmake] -- Found X11: /usr/include   
[cmake] -- Looking for XOpenDisplay in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so;/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libXext.so
[cmake] -- Looking for XOpenDisplay in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so;/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libXext.so - found
[cmake] -- Looking for gethostbyname
[cmake] -- Looking for gethostbyname - found
[cmake] -- Looking for connect
[cmake] -- Looking for connect - found
[cmake] -- Looking for remove
[cmake] -- Looking for remove - found
[cmake] -- Looking for shmat
[cmake] -- Looking for shmat - found
[cmake] -- Looking for IceConnectionNumber in ICE
[cmake] -- Looking for IceConnectionNumber in ICE - found
[cmake] -- Build spdlog: 1.8.5
[cmake] -- Build type: Debug
[cmake] -- Found Python: /usr/bin/python3.8 (found version "3.8.10") found components: Interpreter 
[cmake] -- Configuring done
[cmake] -- Generating done
[cmake] -- Build files have been written to: /home/tirthankar/projects/physicc/Light/build

With GCC 10.2.0 x86_64-pc-linux-gnu kit:

[variant] Loaded new set of variants
[kit] Successfully loaded 3 kits from /home/tirthankar/.local/share/CMakeTools/cmake-tools-kits.json
[main] Configuring folder: Light 
[proc] Executing command: /bin/x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc-10 -v
[cmakefileapi-driver] This version of CMake does not support the "toolchains" object kind. Compiler paths will be determined by reading CMakeCache.txt.
[proc] Executing command: /usr/bin/cmake --no-warn-unused-cli -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS:BOOL=TRUE -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING=Debug -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER:FILEPATH=/bin/x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc-10 -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER:FILEPATH=/bin/x86_64-linux-gnu-g++-10 -H/home/tirthankar/projects/physicc/Light -B/home/tirthankar/projects/physicc/Light/build -G Ninja
[cmake] Not searching for unused variables given on the command line.
[cmake] -- Using X11 for window creation
[cmake] -- Build spdlog: 1.8.5
[cmake] -- Build type: Debug
[cmake] -- Configuring done
[cmake] -- Generating done
[cmake] -- Build files have been written to: /home/tirthankar/projects/physicc/Light/build

Platform and Versions

• Operating System: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19043 (Copied from the output of "About" from the "Help" drop down) with WSL2 (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS)
• CMake Version: 3.16.3
• VSCode Version: Version: 1.59.0 (user setup) (Copied from the output of "About" from the "Help" drop down)
• CMake Tools Extension Version: 1.7.3
• Compiler/Toolchain: Clang and GCC

[elahehrashedi]

it looks like it should have been replaced by -S. For some reason using -H was not creating any bug so far.

Options
  -S <path-to-source>          = Explicitly specify a source directory.   
  -B <path-to-build>           = Explicitly specify a build directory.  

[elahehrashedi]

Actually, -S was added to CMake later. We need to revert the PR.
it doesn't exist in 3.10 which is still in use by lots of people.
We can come up with a different fix later.

[alexreinking]

it doesn't exist in 3.10 which is still in use by lots of people.

First of all, those people should upgrade. Second of all, you shouldn't penalize responsible users who keep their tools up to date (reverting that patch broke 3.21).

We can come up with a different fix later.

Finally, if you want something documented that will work on every version, use this command:

(mkdir -p /path/to/build && cd /path/to/build && cmake [...] /path/to/source)

[bobbrow]

First of all, those people should upgrade

I agree, but it doesn't change the fact that tons of people use the default Ubuntu packages.

you shouldn't penalize responsible users who keep their tools up to date

This didn't seem to be broken in our testing even with the newer CMake version. Are you experiencing a problem with it?

It shouldn't be too hard to check the version of CMake before choosing which switch to use. We'd accept a PR if someone wants to do it now. But because we didn't see it broken in our testing, we didn't do it immediately.

[alexreinking]

I agree, but it doesn't change the fact that tons of people use the default Ubuntu packages.

On Ubuntu apt remove cmake && snap install cmake is enough to fix the issue.

It shouldn't be too hard to check the version of CMake before choosing which switch to use. We'd accept a PR if someone wants to do it now. But because we didn't see it broken in our testing, we didn't do it immediately.

I have some bandwidth to fix this... -H is liable to break at any time without warning.