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qtqt-creatorqmake

Adding building steps in Qt .pro file

From QtCreator "projects - Add Building Step", one can specify added building steps. For example, the following setting will echo out a message when the project is built. Custom process step

The added building step actually appears in the corresponding .pro.user file:

<value type="QString" key="ProjectExplorer.ProcessStep.Arguments">hello. This is my custom process step.</value>
<value type="QString" key="ProjectExplorer.ProcessStep.Command">/usr/bin/echo</value>

My question is: is there a way adding the building step in the .pro file instead of using the GUI ("projects - Add Building Step") and actually adding settings to .pro.user file? (To me, the advantage is that .pro files can be easily batch-processed with shell scripts.)

I tried to put the step in the .pro file with QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS as

mystep.commands = echo 'hello. This is my custom process step'
QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += mystep

However, with qmake; make from command line, only the original building happens. Only after a further make mystep, the echo happens. In another words, mystep step does not happen with a normal make - maybe I am misunderstanding QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS?

Solution

  • I'm glad you found an answer that works for you. I want to clarify the comment I made above, since I tried it and it worked fine for me. (And was much simpler looking than your solution.) I think the reason it didn't work for you was because I intended you to combine PRE_TARGETDEPS with the QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS you already had. This should be all you need.

    mystep.commands = echo 'hello. This is my custom process step'
QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += mystep
PRE_TARGETDEPS += mystep