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The Ecl CMake Library

Description: Lists ecl's cmake library api and demos its usage.

Keywords: ecl cmake

Tutorial Level: INTERMEDIATE

Next Tutorial: Link as Needed

Overview

These are modules which can be included by cmake in the regular way with a macro/function api to call upon (think regular c-style library).

One nice feature of this is that you don't waste time processing macros you don't use (unlike a usual cmake module).

Usage

• Ensure ecl_build is listed as a dependency in your manifest.xml
• Simply rosbuild_include any of the macro libraries you wish to use:

# Include the macro libraries you wish to use...e.g.
rosbuild_include(ecl_build ecl_build_utilities)
rosbuild_include(ecl_build ecl_platform_detection)
rosbuild_include(ecl_build ecl_ros_utilities)

# Call the macros
ecl_detect_platform() # a general purpose platform sniffer
ecl_ros_get_dependency_list() # get the dependency list for this project

# Finally use some of the variables it sets (this one the dependency 
message(STATUS "Dependencies: ${${PROJECT_NAME}_DEPENDENCIES}") 

The Library

See the code api in ecl_build (i.e. the .cmake files) for more detailed usage notes and examples.

Platform Detection

• File: ecl_platform_detection.cmake

ecl_detect_distro() - returns distro version details )currently ubuntu only).
ecl_detect_posix() - returns variables confirming the level of posix available.
ecl_detect_threads() - detects the thread model.
ecl_detect_timers() - detects the timers model.
ecl_detect_sizes() - determines the size of the fundamental types.
ecl_detect_char_type() - detects the typedef of char.
ecl_detect_endianness() - detects endianness of the platform.
ecl_set_platform_cflags() - sets platform flags based on various input variables.
ecl_detect_compiler_version() - returns the version of the compiler (msvc and gnu).
ecl_check_cxx_flags() - general version of CheckCXXCompilerFlags can be used for linker flags.
ecl_link_as_needed() - cross platform application of --link-as-needed.
ecl_link_no_as_needed() - cross platform application of the opposite.
ecl_detect_platform() - brings most of the above scripts together.
ecl_summary_platform() - prints results of the platform detection script.

Build Utilities

• File: ecl_build_utilities.cmake

ecl_download_url()
ecl_extract_tarball()
ecl_extract_bzip2()
ecl_autotools_compile()
ecl_add_uninstall()

Ros Utilities

• File: ecl_ros_utilities.cmake

ecl_ros_manifest_brief() - parses the package's manifest for the short description.
ecl_ros_get_dependency_list() - returns the list of all dependencies for a package.
ecl_ros_output_paths() - sets standard output paths for ros builds.