CMake 3.23 Release Notes — CMake 4.0.1-dirty Documentation

# CMake 3.23 Release Notes

Changes made since CMake 3.22 include the following.

## New Features

### Presets

- `cmake-presets(7)` files now support schema version `4`.

- `cmake-presets(7)` files now have an optional `include` field, which allows the files to include other files.

- `cmake-presets(7)` files now support a `${fileDir}` macro, which contains the directory containing the preset file.

- `cmake-presets(7)` gained support for specifying the `resolvePackageReferences` command line option in a build preset to control restoration behavior of package references from external package managers. Currently this is only supported by the Visual Studio generator to support restoring packages from NuGet. Other generators ignore this option.

### Generators

- The Visual Studio Generators for VS 2019 and above learned to support .NET SDK-style project files (`.csproj`) for C# projects. See the `DOTNET_SDK` target property and corresponding `CMAKE_DOTNET_SDK` variable. `add_custom_command()` is not yet supported in .NET SDK-style projects.

- The Visual Studio Generators for VS 2017 and above learned to use portable instances of Visual Studio not known to the VS installer. See the `CMAKE_GENERATOR_INSTANCE` variable.

### Command-Line

- The `cmake(1)` `--build` command, when used with Visual Studio Generators on projects that set the `VS_PACKAGE_REFERENCES` target property, now automatically restores package references from NuGet. The cache variable `CMAKE_VS_NUGET_PACKAGE_RESTORE` may be set to toggle this behavior in a build tree. Use the `--resolve-package-references` command-line option to control the behavior on one invocation.

- The `cmake(1)` command line tool gained a `--debug-find-pkg` option to enable debug messages under specific `find_package()` calls.

- The `cmake(1)` command line tool gained a `--debug-find-var` option to enable debug messages for `find_*` calls that use specific result variables.

### Compilers

- The IBM Open XL C/C++ compiler, based on LLVM, is now supported with compiler id `IBMClang`.

- The MCST LCC compiler is now supported with compiler id `LCC`. See policy `CMP0129`.

### File-Based API

- The `cmake-file-api(7)` "codemodel" version 2 `version` field has been updated to `2.4`.

- The `cmake-file-api(7)` "codemodel" version 2 `directory` object `installers` field gained a new `fileSet` installer type.

### Commands

- The `define_property()` command gained a new `INITIALIZE_FROM_VARIABLE` option to cause a target property to be initialized from a variable when a target is created.

- The `install(TARGETS)` command gained a new `FILE_SET` argument, which can be used to install header file sets associated with a target.

- The `string(TIMESTAMP)` and `file(TIMESTAMP)` commands now support the `%f` specifier for microseconds.

- The `target_sources()` command gained a new `FILE_SET` mode, which can be used to add headers as header-only source files of a target.

### Variables

- The `CMAKE_CUDA_ARCHITECTURES` variable and associated `CUDA_ARCHITECTURES` target property now support the `all`, and `all-major` values for CUDA toolkit 7.0+.

- The `CMAKE_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH` and `CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH` variables were added to tell the `find_package()`, `find_program()`, `find_library()`, `find_path()`, and `find_file()` commands to ignore specified prefixes.

- The `CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARIES_ONLY_TARGETS` variable and corresponding `LINK_LIBRARIES_ONLY_TARGETS` target property were added to optionally require that all link items that can be target names are actually names of existing targets.

### Properties

- The `HEADER_SETS` and `INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS` read-only target properties were added to list header sets associated with a target.

- The `HEADER_SET` and `HEADER_SET_<NAME>` target properties were added to list files in the default header set and named header sets, respectively.

- The `HEADER_DIRS` and `HEADER_DIRS_<NAME>` target properties were added to specify the base directories of the default header set and named header sets, respectively.

- The `IMPORTED_NO_SYSTEM` target property was added to specify that an Imported Target should not be treated as a system library (i.e. its include directories are not automatically `SYSTEM`).

- The `XCODE_EMBED_PLUGINS` target property was added to tell the `Xcode` generator what targets to put in the `Embed PlugIns` build phase.

- The `XCODE_SCHEME_ENABLE_GPU_FRAME_CAPTURE_MODE` target property and supporting `CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_ENABLE_GPU_FRAME_CAPTURE_MODE` variable were added to tell the `Xcode` generator to enable specifying the Xcode scheme option property `GPU Frame Capture`.

### Modules

- The `CheckPIESupported` module now supports the `OBJC`, `OBJCXX`, `CUDA`, and `HIP` languages. It also now honors `CMAKE_SYSROOT` and `CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT`.

- The `ExternalProject` module's `ExternalProject_Add()` command gained support for a `USES_TERMINAL_PATCH` option to give the patch step exclusive terminal access.

- The `FindCUDAToolkit` module now provides a target for `libcufft_static_nocallback`, if found.

- The `FindGLUT` module now provides the `GLUT_INCLUDE_DIRS` result variable to conform with naming conventions documented in the `cmake-developer(7)` manual. This supersedes the legacy `GLUT_INCLUDE_DIR` variable.

- The `FindGTest` module now provides a target for GMock, if found.

- The `FindVulkan` module now provides a `Vulkan_VERSION` result variable reporting the version number.

### CTest

- `ctest(1)` gained a new `CTEST_SUBMIT_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT` variable, which can be used to specify a timeout for submission inactivity.

### CPack

- The `CPack productbuild Generator` gained the new `CPACK_PRODUCTBUILD_DOMAINS`, `CPACK_PRODUCTBUILD_DOMAINS_ANYWHERE`, `CPACK_PRODUCTBUILD_DOMAINS_USER`, and `CPACK_PRODUCTBUILD_DOMAINS_ROOT` variables for adding the domains element to the Distribution XML. With these variables, it is now possible to install products to the user's home directory without requiring administrative privileges.

- The `CPack productbuild Generator` gained a new variable, `CPACK_PRODUCTBUILD_IDENTIFIER`, used to customize the unique product identifier associated with the product.

- The `CPack.distribution.dist.in` template used by the `CPack productbuild Generator` and CPack `PackageMaker` generator was updated to use a new `CPACK_APPLE_PKG_INSTALLER_CONTENT` variable for its main content. This replaced the previously undocumented and now deprecated `CPACK_PACKAGEMAKER_CHOICES` variable.

- The `CPack IFW Generator` gained the new `CPACK_IFW_ARCHIVE_FORMAT` and `CPACK_IFW_ARCHIVE_COMPRESSION` variables for setting the format used when packaging new component data archives, and choosing the compression level used. These features are available for QtIFW 4.2 and newer.

- The `CPack IFW Generator` gained new `CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_DISABLE_COMMAND_LINE_INTERFACE` variable to prevent the user from passing any consumer command to the installer, like `install`, `update`, and `remove`. This feature is available for QtIFW 4.0 and newer.

- The `CPack IFW Generator` gained the new `CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_PRODUCT_IMAGES` variable for adding a list of images to be shown on the `PerformInstallationPage`. This feature is available for QtIFW 4.0 and newer.

- The `CPack IFW Generator` gained the new `CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_RUN_PROGRAM`, `CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_RUN_PROGRAM_ARGUMENTS`, and `CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_RUN_PROGRAM_DESCRIPTION` variables for executing a command after the installer is done if the user accepts the action. This feature is available for QtIFW 4.0 and newer.

- The `CPack IFW Generator` gained the new `CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_SIGNING_IDENTITY` variable for specifying a code signing identity to be used for signing the generated app bundle. This feature is available on macOS only, and for QtIFW 3.0 and newer.

- The `CPack WIX Generator` gained a new variable, `CPACK_WIX_SKIP_WIX_UI_EXTENSION`, to skip the inclusion of WixUIExtensions.

## Deprecated and Removed Features

- `cmake(1)` now warns when multiple source paths are specified, as in `cmake -S src1 src2`. This has never been officially documented or supported, but older versions accidentally accepted multiple source paths and used the last path specified. Update scripts to avoid passing multiple source path arguments.

- The `cpack(1)` undocumented `OSXX11` generator has been removed.

- The previously undocumented `CPACK_PACKAGEMAKER_CHOICES` variable used in the `CPack.distribution.dist.in` template has been replaced by a new `CPACK_APPLE_PKG_INSTALLER_CONTENT` variable. This only affects projects that were providing their own custom `CPack.distribution.dist.in` template file, but still relied on `CPACK_PACKAGEMAKER_CHOICES` being set. Those custom template files should be updated to use `CPACK_APPLE_PKG_INSTALLER_CONTENT` instead, or to fully define all the template file's contents without relying on substitution of either variable.

## Other Changes

- The `CPack DragNDrop Generator` no longer attaches `CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_LICENSE` as the license agreement in the generated `.dmg` unless explicitly activated by a `CPACK_DMG_SLA_USE_RESOURCE_FILE_LICENSE` option. In CMake projects, the `CPack` module enables the option by default for compatibility.

- `CUDA` targets may now enable both `CUDA_SEPARABLE_COMPILATION` and `CUDA_PTX_COMPILATION`.

- `CUDA` compiler detection now:

  - issues an error in all cases when it's unable to compute the default architecture(s) if required (see `CMP0104`),

  - handles `OFF` for `CMAKE_CUDA_ARCHITECTURES` on Clang,

  - supports the theoretical case of multiple default architectures, and

  - tries to detect invalid architectures and issue an error.

- `CUDA` with Clang now implements policy `CMP0105` and the `$<DEVICE_LINK:...>` and `$<HOST_LINK:...>` generator expressions.

- The `define_property()` command's `BRIEF_DOCS` and `FULL_DOCS` arguments are now optional.

- `ccmake(1)` may now be enabled on Windows when building CMake from source. This is experimental, and so is not included in official distributions.

## Updates

Changes made since CMake 3.23.0 include the following.

### 3.23.1

- The `target_sources()` `FILE_SET` feature added in CMake 3.23.0 does not yet place header files properly in Apple `FRAMEWORK` targets. Pending further work in a future version of CMake, it is now an error to add a `FILE_SET` of type `HEADERS` to such targets on Apple platforms.

- The `HEADER_SETS` and `INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS` target properties added in CMake 3.23.0 are now read-only records of the header sets created by the `target_sources()` command.

### 3.23.2

- The `CPACK_PACKAGEMAKER_CHOICES` variable used in the `CPack.distribution.dist.in` template file was replaced by a new `CPACK_APPLE_PKG_INSTALLER_CONTENT` variable in CMake 3.23.0. This broke projects that provided their own template file but still expected the `CPACK_PACKAGEMAKER_CHOICES` variable to be defined. The old `CPACK_PACKAGEMAKER_CHOICES` variable is now also set to the same content as it was before, but it is formally deprecated.

### 3.23.3, 3.23.4, 3.23.5

- These versions made no changes to documented features or interfaces. Some implementation updates were made to support ecosystem changes and/or fix regressions.