How to use qt5_add_binary_resources in CMake to generate rcc files

Question

I am trying to create rcc files using CMake using the qt5_add_binary_resources(target inputfile ... OPTIONS ... DESTINATION ...) macro qt5_add_binary_resources(target inputfile ... OPTIONS ... DESTINATION ...) :

 qt5_add_binary_resources(myApp "themes/redTheme.qrc" OPTIONS ARGS -binary) 

Since I use other macros such as add_executable in my CMakeLists file (which asks for target ), I get the following error:

 CMake Error at C:/Qt/5.5/msvc2013/lib/cmake/Qt5Core/Qt5CoreMacros.cmake:255 (add_custom_target): add_custom_target cannot create target "myApp" because another target with the same name already exists. The existing target is an executable created in source directory [..] 

Note that my CMakeLists file is nested in the CMakeLists root.

EDIT: I took a look at the definition (l.226) of the qt5_add_binary_resources macro. The last line is the command causing my error. He seems to be doing nothing:

add_custom_target(${target} ALL DEPENDS ${rcc_destination})

I don’t understand why the macro needs target ?

EDIT: here is the contents of my CMakeLists.txt , although simplified for clarity.

 CMAKE_MINIMUM_REQUIRED(VERSION 3.4) CMAKE_POLICY(SET CMP0002 NEW) PROJECT(myApp) SET(RCC_EXECUTABLE ${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH}/bin/rcc.exe) # Find includes in corresponding build directories SET(CMAKE_INCLUDE_CURRENT_DIR ON) # Instruct CMake to run moc automatically when needed SET(CMAKE_AUTOMOC ON) SET(CMAKE_AUTORCC ON) FIND_PACKAGE(Qt5Core 5.5.0 REQUIRED) FIND_PACKAGE(Qt5Widgets 5.5.0 REQUIRED) FIND_PACKAGE(Qt5Qml 5.5.0 REQUIRED) FIND_PACKAGE(Qt5Quick 5.5.0 REQUIRED) INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${BOOST_INCLUDE_DIRS}) # etc. SET(myApp_LIBRARIES ${BOOST_THREAD_LIBRARIES} ${BOOSTALL_LIBRARIES} Qt5::Core Qt5::Widgets Qt5::Qml Qt5::Quick ) SET(myApp_LIBRARIES ${myApp_LIBRARIES} ) SET(myApp_SOURCES source/main.cpp ) SET(myApp_RESOURCES resources/qml.qrc ) SET(myApp_EXTERNAL_BINARY_RESOURCES themes/redTheme.qrc themes/blueTheme.qrc ) ADD_EXECUTABLE(myApp WIN32 ${myApp_SOURCES} ${myApp_RESOURCES} ) FOREACH(_qrc_file ${myApp_EXTERNAL_BINARY_RESOURCES}) STRING(REPLACE "qrc" "rcc" _rcc_file ${_qrc_file}) # This is where I'd like to create my binary resources # QT5_ADD_BINARY_RESOURCES("test.rcc" ${_qrc_file}) # Current working process, but not clean EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RCC_EXECUTABLE} -binary ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${_qrc_file} -o ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${_rcc_file}) ENDFOREACH() 

According to this file, I am trying to create two rcc files: redTheme.rcc and blueTheme.rcc .

Answer 1

By the way ... you do not need to pass "OPTIONS ARGS-binary" since it is already defined as binary. You need to pass the target name because you can call "make targetname" to generate the rcc file manually. In addition, the rcc file will be generated by the target point "all" and if you add it as a dependency to another target with add_dependeny. The rcc file will not be generated during cmake setup, but at compile time. It will also be generated when the file is modified.

So, you need to pass the unused target name as reported to you about the error!