Conan + cmake + boost python

Question

I have just started using conan from my cmake files to download and build dependencies - very convenient. I have tried using it also for Boost, but the default conanfile for boost does not seem to build boost python which I need. My current setup looks like:

conan_cmake_configure(REQUIRES
  fmt/8.0.1
  boost/1.75.0
  eigen/3.4.0
  GENERATORS cmake_find_package)

conan_cmake_autodetect(settings)

conan_cmake_install(PATH_OR_REFERENCE .
  BUILD missing
  REMOTE conancenter
  SETTINGS ${settings})

find_package(Eigen3 REQUIRED)
find_package(Boost COMPONENTS Python) // Approx syntax
...

and this fails because the Boost python package is not available. I guess I can edit the conan_make_configures() command to make sure boost Python is built?

Answer 1

you can use the OPTIONS variable of conan_cmake_configure:

conan_cmake_configure(REQUIRES
  fmt/8.0.1
  boost/1.75.0
  eigen/3.4.0
  GENERATORS cmake_find_package
  OPTIONS boost:without_python=False
)

See: https://github.com/conan-io/conan_cmake_configure

You can find all available options for boost package at: boost C/C++ Package - JFrog ConanCenter

[Edit 1]: Use of a conanfile with cmake-conan

You can also create a conanfile.txt to manage your dependencies:

[requires]
fmt/8.0.1
boost/1.75.0
eigen/3.4.0

[options]
boost:without_python=False

[generators]
cmake_find_package
cmake_paths

And call conan_cmake_run as follows:

conan_cmake_autodetect(settings)

conan_cmake_run(
        CONANFILE conanfile.txt
        BASIC_SETUP CMAKE_TARGETS
        BUILD missing
        SETTINGS ${settings}
)