godot-docs/tutorials/scripting/cpp/build_system/cmake.rst

.. _doc_godot_cpp_build_system_cmake:

Secondary build system: Working with CMake
==========================================

.. seealso::

    This page documents how to compile godot-cpp. If you're looking to compile
    Godot instead, see :ref:`doc_introduction_to_the_buildsystem`.

Beside the SCons_ based build system, godot-cpp also provides a CMakeLists.txt_
file to support users that prefer using CMake_ over SCons for their build
system.

While actively supported, the CMake system is considered secondary to the
SCons build system. This means it may lack some features that are available to
projects using SCons.

.. _CMakeLists.txt: https://github.com/godotengine/godot-cpp/blob/master/CMakeLists.txt
.. _CMake: http://scons.org
.. _Scons: http://cmake.org

Introduction
------------

Compiling godot-cpp independently of an extension project is mainly for
godot-cpp developers, package maintainers, and CI/CD.

Examples of how to use CMake to consume the godot-cpp library as part of an
extension project:

* `godot-cpp-template <https://github.com/godotengine/godot-cpp-template/>`__
* `godot_roguelite <https://github.com/vorlac/godot-roguelite/>`__
* `godot-orchestrator <https://github.com/CraterCrash/godot-orchestrator/>`__

Examples for configuring godot-cpp are listed at the bottom of the page, many
of which may help with configuring your project.

CMake's ``Debug`` vs Godot's ``template_debug``
-----------------------------------------------

Something that has come up during many discussions is the conflation of a
compilation of C++ source code with debug symbols enabled, and compiling a
Godot extension with debug features enabled. The two concepts are not mutually
exclusive.

Debug Features
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enables a pre-processor definition to selectively compile code to help users of
a Godot extension with their own project.

Debug features are enabled in ``editor`` and ``template_debug`` builds, which
can be specified during the configure phase like so:

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build -DGODOTCPP_TARGET=<target choice>

Debug
~~~~~

Sets compiler flags so that debug symbols are generated to help godot extension
developers debug their extension.

``Debug`` is the default build type for CMake projects, the way to select another
depends on the generator used:

* For single configuration generators, add ``-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=<type>`` to the
  configure command.
* For multi-config generators, add ``--config <type>`` to the build command.

Where ``<type>`` is one of ``Debug``, ``Release``, ``RelWithDebInfo``, and
``MinSizeRel``.

SCons Deviations
----------------

Not all code from the SCons system can be perfectly represented in CMake, here
are the notable differences:

- ``debug_symbols``

    Is no longer an explicit option, and is enabled when using CMake build
    configurations; ``Debug``, ``RelWithDebInfo``.

- ``dev_build``

    Does not define ``NDEBUG`` when disabled, ``NDEBUG`` is set when using
    CMake build configurations; ``Release``, ``MinSizeRel``.

- ``arch``

    CMake sets the architecture via the toolchain files, macOS universal is
    controlled via the ``CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES`` property which is copied to
    targets when they are defined.

- ``debug_crt``

    CMake controls linking to Windows runtime libraries by copying the value of
    ``CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARIES`` to targets as they are defined. godot-cpp
    will set this variable if it isn't already set. So, include it before other
    dependencies to have the value propagate across the projects.

Basic Walk-Through
------------------

Clone the git repository
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.. code-block:: shell

    git clone https://github.com/godotengine/godot-cpp.git
    Cloning into 'godot-cpp'...
    ...

Configure the build
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build -G Ninja

- ``-S`` Specifies the source directory as ``godot-cpp``
- ``-B`` Specifies the build directory as ``cmake-build``
- ``-G`` Specifies the Generator as ``Ninja``

The source directory in this example is the source root for the freshly cloned
godot-cpp. CMake will also interpret the first path in the command as the
source path, or if an existing build path is specified it will deduce the
source path from the build cache.

The following three commands are equivalent:

.. code-block:: shell

    # Current working directory is the godot-cpp source root.
    cmake . -B build-dir

    # Current working directory is an empty godot-cpp/build-dir.
    cmake ../

    # Current working directory is an existing build path.
    cmake .

The build directory is specified so that generated files do not clutter the
source tree with build artifacts.

CMake doesn't build the code, it generates the files that a build tool uses, in
this case the ``Ninja`` generator creates Ninja_ build files.

To see the list of generators run ``cmake --help``.

.. _Ninja: https://ninja-build.org/

Build Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To list the available options use the ``-L[AH]`` command flags. ``A`` is for
advanced, and ``H`` is for help strings:

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -LH

Options are specified on the command line when configuring, for example:

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -DGODOTCPP_USE_HOT_RELOAD:BOOL=ON \
        -DGODOTCPP_PRECISION:STRING=double \
        -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING=Debug

See setting-build-variables_ and build-configurations_ for more information.

.. _setting-build-variables: https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/guide/user-interaction/index.html#setting-build-variables
.. _build-configurations: https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/manual/cmake-buildsystem.7.html#build-configurations

A non-exhaustive list of options:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.. code-block:: text

    // Path to a custom GDExtension API JSON file.
    // (takes precedence over GODOTCPP_GDEXTENSION_DIR)
    // ( /path/to/custom_api_file )
    GODOTCPP_CUSTOM_API_FILE:FILEPATH=

    // Force disabling exception handling code. (ON|OFF)
    GODOTCPP_DISABLE_EXCEPTIONS:BOOL=ON

    // Path to a custom directory containing the GDExtension interface
    // header and API JSON file. ( /path/to/gdextension_dir )
    GODOTCPP_GDEXTENSION_DIR:PATH=gdextension

    // Set the floating-point precision level. (single|double)
    GODOTCPP_PRECISION:STRING=single

    // Enable the extra accounting required to support hot reload. (ON|OFF)
    GODOTCPP_USE_HOT_RELOAD:BOOL=

Compiling
~~~~~~~~~

Tell CMake to invoke the build system it generated in the specified directory.
The default target is ``template_debug`` and the default build configuration is
Debug.

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake --build cmake-build

Examples
--------

These examples, while intended for godot-cpp developers, package maintainers,
and CI/CD may help you configure your own extension project.

Practical examples for how to consume the godot-cpp library as part of an
extension project are listed in the `Introduction`_.

Enabling Integration Testing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The testing target ``godot-cpp-test`` is guarded by ``GODOTCPP_ENABLE_TESTING``
which is off by default.

To configure and build the godot-cpp project to enable the integration
testing targets the command will look something like:

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build -DGODOTCPP_ENABLE_TESTING=YES
    cmake --build cmake-build --target godot-cpp-test

Windows and MSVC - Release
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So long as CMake is installed from the `CMake Downloads`_ page and in the PATH,
and Microsoft Visual Studio is installed with C++ support, CMake will detect
the MSVC compiler.

Note that Visual Studio is a Multi-Config Generator so the build configuration
needs to be specified at build time, for example, ``--config Release``.

.. _CMake downloads: https://cmake.org/download/

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build -DGODOTCPP_ENABLE_TESTING=YES
    cmake --build cmake-build -t godot-cpp-test --config Release

MSys2/clang64, "Ninja" - Debug
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Assumes the ``ming-w64-clang-x86_64``-toolchain is installed.

Note that Ninja is a Single-Config Generator so the build type needs to be
specified at configuration time.

Using the ``msys2/clang64`` shell:

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build -G"Ninja" \
        -DGODOTCPP_ENABLE_TESTING=YES -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
    cmake --build cmake-build -t godot-cpp-test

MSys2/clang64, "Ninja Multi-Config" - dev_build, Debug Symbols
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Assumes the ``ming-w64-clang-x86_64``-toolchain is installed.

This time we are choosing the 'Ninja Multi-Config' generator, so the build
type is specified at build time.

Using the ``msys2/clang64`` shell:

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build -G"Ninja Multi-Config" \
        -DGODOTCPP_ENABLE_TESTING=YES -DGODOTCPP_DEV_BUILD:BOOL=ON
    cmake --build cmake-build -t godot-cpp-test --config Debug

Emscripten for web platform
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This has only been tested on Windows so far. You can use this example workflow:

- Clone and install the latest Emscripten tools to ``c:\emsdk``.
- Use ``C:\emsdk\emsdk.ps1 activate latest`` to enable the environment from
  powershell in the current shell.
- The ``emcmake.bat`` utility adds the emscripten toolchain to the CMake
  command. It can also be added manually;
  the location is listed inside the ``emcmake.bat`` file

.. code-block:: powershell

    C:\emsdk\emsdk.ps1 activate latest
    emcmake.bat cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build-web -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
    cmake --build cmake-build-web

Android Cross Compile from Windows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are two separate paths you can choose when configuring for android.

Use the ``CMAKE_ANDROID_*`` variables specified on the command line or in your
own toolchain file as listed in the cmake-toolchains_ documentation.

.. _cmake-toolchains: https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/manual/cmake-toolchains.7.html#cross-compiling-for-android-with-the-ndk

Or use the toolchain and scripts provided by the Android SDK and make changes
using the ``ANDROID_*`` variables listed there. Where ``<version>`` is whatever
NDK version you have installed (tested with `28.1.13356709`) and ``<platform>``
is for the Android sdk platform, (tested with ``android-29``).

.. warning::

    The Android SDK website_ explicitly states that they do not support using
    the CMake built-in method, and recommends you stick with their toolchain
    files.

    .. _website: https://developer.android.com/ndk/guides/cmake

Using your own toolchain file
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

As described in the CMake documentation:

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build --toolchain my_toolchain.cmake
    cmake --build cmake-build -t template_release

Doing the equivalent just using the command line:

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build \
        -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=Android \
        -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION=<platform> \
        -DCMAKE_ANDROID_ARCH_ABI=<arch> \
        -DCMAKE_ANDROID_NDK=/path/to/android-ndk
    cmake --build cmake-build

Using the Android SDK toolchain file
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This defaults to the minimum supported version and armv7-a:

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build \
        --toolchain $ANDROID_HOME/ndk/<version>/build/cmake/android.toolchain.cmake
    cmake --build cmake-build

Specifying the Android platform and ABI:

.. code-block:: shell

    cmake -S godot-cpp -B cmake-build \
        --toolchain $ANDROID_HOME/ndk/<version>/build/cmake/android.toolchain.cmake \
        -DANDROID_PLATFORM:STRING=android-29 \
        -DANDROID_ABI:STRING=armeabi-v7a
    cmake --build cmake-build