How to make multiple properties valid to one file by set_source_files_properties in cmake?

Question

I am writing a CMakeLists.txt for a project, and encounter a problem with set_source_files_properties.

The original working expression is:

set_source_files_properties (a.cpp PROPERTIES COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
    DIR1="/home/xxx/b.i")

Then I try to add more COMPILE_DEFINITIONSs, but get failure.

try 1:

set_source_files_properties (a.cpp PROPERTIES COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
    DIR1="/home/xxx/b.i" DIR2="/home/xxx/c.i" DIR3="/home/xxx/d.i")

try 2:

set_source_files_properties (a.cpp PROPERTIES COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
    DIR1="/home/xxx/b.i")
set_source_files_properties (a.cpp PROPERTIES COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
    DIR2="/home/xxx/c.i")
set_source_files_properties (a.cpp PROPERTIES COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
    DIR3="/home/xxx/d.i")

result: only last define DIR3 can be recognized in a.cpp when compiling by make, first two are reported undefined in make phase.

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

Answer 1

The set_*_properties() functions are shorthands for basic usage. For "advanced" cases, it's better to use the full power of set_property():

set_property(
  SOURCE a.cpp
  APPEND
  PROPERTY COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
  DIR1="/home/xxx/b.i" DIR2="/home/xxx/c.i" DIR3="/home/xxx/d.i"
)

Answer 2

I manage to provide several COMPILE_DEFINITIONS using set_source_files_properties with the following command:

set_source_files_properties (a.cpp PROPERTIES COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
    "DIR1=\"/home/xxx/b.i\";DIR2=\"/home/xxx/c.i\";DIR3=\"/home/xxx/d.i\")"

source: https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.5/prop_sf/COMPILE_DEFINITIONS.html