CMakeForceCompiler

The macros provided by this module were once intended for use by cross-compiling toolchain files when CMake was not able to automatically detect the compiler identification. Since the introduction of this module, CMake’s compiler identification capabilities have improved and can now be taught to recognize any compiler. Furthermore, the suite of information CMake detects from a compiler is now too extensive to be provided by toolchain files using these macros.

One common use case for this module was to skip CMake’s checks for a working compiler when using a cross-compiler that cannot link binaries without special flags or custom linker scripts. This case is now supported by setting the CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_TARGET_TYPE variable in the toolchain file instead.

Macro CMAKE_FORCE_C_COMPILER has the following signature:

CMAKE_FORCE_C_COMPILER(<compiler> <compiler-id>)

It sets CMAKE_C_COMPILER to the given compiler and the cmake internal variable CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID to the given compiler-id. It also bypasses the check for working compiler and basic compiler information tests.

Macro CMAKE_FORCE_CXX_COMPILER has the following signature:

CMAKE_FORCE_CXX_COMPILER(<compiler> <compiler-id>)

It sets CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER to the given compiler and the cmake internal variable CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID to the given compiler-id. It also bypasses the check for working compiler and basic compiler information tests.

Macro CMAKE_FORCE_Fortran_COMPILER has the following signature:

CMAKE_FORCE_Fortran_COMPILER(<compiler> <compiler-id>)

It sets CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER to the given compiler and the cmake internal variable CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID to the given compiler-id. It also bypasses the check for working compiler and basic compiler information tests.

So a simple toolchain file could look like this:

include (CMakeForceCompiler)
set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Generic)
CMAKE_FORCE_C_COMPILER   (chc12 MetrowerksHicross)
CMAKE_FORCE_CXX_COMPILER (chc12 MetrowerksHicross)