CMake : parent directory?

Question

How to find the parent directory in CMake ?

Assume that ${MYPROJECT_DIR}=/dir1/dir2/dir3/myproject/ and I want ${PARENT_DIR}=/dir1/dir2/dir3/.

How to do that ? SET(PARENT_DIR ${MYPROJECT_DIR}/../) doesn't seem to be the right syntax.

Answer 1

As of CMake 2.8.12, the recommended way is to use the get_filename_component command with the DIRECTORY option:

get_filename_component(PARENT_DIR ${MYPROJECT_DIR} DIRECTORY) 

For older versions of CMake, use the PATH option:

set (MYPROJECT_DIR /dir1/dir2/dir3/myproject/) get_filename_component(PARENT_DIR ${MYPROJECT_DIR} PATH)