CMake/Help/command/build_command.rst

build_command
-------------

Get a command line to build the current project.
This is mainly intended for internal use by the :module:`CTest` module.

.. code-block:: cmake

  build_command(<variable>
                [CONFIGURATION <config>]
                [PARALLEL_LEVEL <parallel>]
                [TARGET <target>]
                [PROJECT_NAME <projname>] # legacy, causes warning
               )

Sets the given ``<variable>`` to a command-line string of the form::

 <cmake> --build . [--config <config>] [--parallel <parallel>] [--target <target>...] [-- -i]

where ``<cmake>`` is the location of the :manual:`cmake(1)` command-line
tool, and ``<config>``, ``<parallel>`` and ``<target>`` are the values
provided to the ``CONFIGURATION``, ``PARALLEL_LEVEL`` and ``TARGET``
options, if any.  The trailing ``-- -i`` option is added for
:ref:`Makefile Generators` if policy :policy:`CMP0061` is not set to
``NEW``.

When invoked, this ``cmake --build`` command line will launch the
underlying build system tool.

.. versionadded:: 3.21
  The ``PARALLEL_LEVEL`` argument can be used to set the ``--parallel``
  flag.

.. code-block:: cmake

  build_command(<cachevariable> <makecommand>)

This second signature is deprecated, but still available for backwards
compatibility.  Use the first signature instead.

It sets the given ``<cachevariable>`` to a command-line string as
above but without the ``--target`` option.
The ``<makecommand>`` is ignored but should be the full path to
devenv, nmake, make or one of the end user build tools
for legacy invocations.

.. note::
 In CMake versions prior to 3.0 this command returned a command
 line that directly invokes the native build tool for the current
 generator.  Their implementation of the ``PROJECT_NAME`` option
 had no useful effects, so CMake now warns on use of the option.