Copying OTHER_FILES into build directory

[droneone]

Hello all,

I'm trying to get qmake to run qhelpgenerator and qcollectiongenerator for me at build time, and that part works - however, the problem I'm having is that I can't seem to get the contents of OTHER_FILES to be copied into the build directory during build. I tried adding a manual copy command, but the PWD variable always includes the build directory (not where the project file is located, as per the docs), and OUT_PWD is always blank. Take the following example (which is a .pri file, included from a subdirectory):

# load correct help libraries for specific OSes
# and copy correct files to correct locations during build
 
help_copy.target = dox
help_copy.commands = @echo "Building Help Collections";
 
 
win32 {
   CONFIG += help
}
 
macx {
    LIBS += -framework QtHelp
    help_copy.commands += echo "cp $$(PWD)/docs/* $$(OUT_PWD)/";
    help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/qhelpgenerator docs.qhp -o docs.qch;
    help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/qcollectiongenerator docs.qhcp -o docs.qhc;
}
 
QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += help_copy
POST_TARGETDEPS += dox
 
OTHER_FILES += \
    docs/foodoc.html \
    docs/foo-ovr.png \
    docs/docs.qhp \
    docs/docs.qhcp \
    docs/docs.qhc \
    docs/docs.qch
 
HEADERS += \
    docs/helpwindow.h \
    docs/helpbrowser.h
 
SOURCES += \
    docs/helpwindow.cpp \
    docs/helpbrowser.cpp
 
FORMS += \
    docs/helpwindow.ui

# load correct help libraries for specific OSes
# and copy correct files to correct locations during build

help_copy.target = dox
help_copy.commands = @echo "Building Help Collections";


win32 {
   CONFIG += help
}

macx {
    LIBS += -framework QtHelp
    help_copy.commands += echo "cp $$(PWD)/docs/* $$(OUT_PWD)/";
    help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/qhelpgenerator docs.qhp -o docs.qch;
    help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/qcollectiongenerator docs.qhcp -o docs.qhc;
}

QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += help_copy
POST_TARGETDEPS += dox

OTHER_FILES += \
    docs/foodoc.html \
    docs/foo-ovr.png \
    docs/docs.qhp \
    docs/docs.qhcp \
    docs/docs.qhc \
    docs/docs.qch

HEADERS += \
    docs/helpwindow.h \
    docs/helpbrowser.h

SOURCES += \
    docs/helpwindow.cpp \
    docs/helpbrowser.cpp

FORMS += \
    docs/helpwindow.ui

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The build output produces the following:

Building Help Collections
cp /Users/user/Source/Software/Foo/trunk/Foo-build-desktop-Desktop_Qt_4_8_0_RC_for_GCC__Qt_SDK__Debug/gui/docs/* /
Could not open /Users/user/Source/Software/Foo/trunk/Foo-build-desktop-Desktop_Qt_4_8_0_RC_for_GCC__Qt_SDK__Debug/gui/docs.qhp.
Could not open /Users/user/Source/Software/Foo/trunk/Foo-build-desktop-Desktop_Qt_4_8_0_RC_for_GCC__Qt_SDK__Debug/gui/docs.qhcp.
make[1]: *** [dox] Error 255

Building Help Collections
cp /Users/user/Source/Software/Foo/trunk/Foo-build-desktop-Desktop_Qt_4_8_0_RC_for_GCC__Qt_SDK__Debug/gui/docs/* /
Could not open /Users/user/Source/Software/Foo/trunk/Foo-build-desktop-Desktop_Qt_4_8_0_RC_for_GCC__Qt_SDK__Debug/gui/docs.qhp.
Could not open /Users/user/Source/Software/Foo/trunk/Foo-build-desktop-Desktop_Qt_4_8_0_RC_for_GCC__Qt_SDK__Debug/gui/docs.qhcp.
make[1]: *** [dox] Error 255

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Where the .pro file is located in /Users/user/Source/Software/Foo/trunk/Foo/, the .pri file is located in /Users/user/Source/Software/Foo/trunk/Foo/docs/, and the build directory is /Users/user/Source/Software/Foo/trunk/Foo-build-desktop-Desktop_Qt_4_8_0_RC_for_GCC__Qt_SDK__Debug/

Any advice on what I've done wrong here? Is there a an easier way than a manual copy command to get OTHER_FILES into the build directory?

Thanks!

[droneone]

Following-up, I found the problem:

$$(PWD)

$$(PWD)

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is incorrect - that looks for an environment variable. The correct usage was:

$$PWD

$$PWD

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Of course, much more than that was required. Here's, ultimately, how I built my help automatically, and placed it in the right locations:

docs.pri:

# load correct help libraries for specific OSes
# and copy correct files to correct locations during build
 
 
win32 {
 
    CONFIG += help
 
    CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
        DDIR = $$OUT_PWD/debug/docs
    }
    CONFIG(release, debug|release) {
        DDIR = $$OUT_PWD/release/docs
    }
    DDIR ~= s,/,\\,g
}
 
macx {
    LIBS += -framework QtHelp
 
    DDIR = $$OUT_PWD/Graffik.app/Contents/MacOS/docs
}
 
defineTest(copyHelpFiles) {
    files = $$1
 
 
    for(FILE, files) {
        FILE ~= s,docs/,,
        FILE = $$PWD/$$FILE
        MYFILECOPY += @echo "Copying $$FILE" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
        # Replace slashes in paths with backslashes for Windows
        win32:FILE ~= s,/,\\,g
 
 
        MYFILECOPY += $$QMAKE_COPY $$quote($$FILE) $$quote($$DDIR) $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
    }
    export(MYFILECOPY)
}
 
 
OTHER_FILES += \
    docs/docs.html \
    docs/file1.png \
    docs/file2.png \
    docs/docs.qhp \
    docs/docs.qhcp
 
HEADERS += \
    docs/helpwindow.h \
    docs/helpbrowser.h
 
SOURCES += \
    docs/helpwindow.cpp \
    docs/helpbrowser.cpp
 
FORMS += \
    docs/helpwindow.ui
 
 
copyHelpFiles($$OTHER_FILES)
 
help_copy.target = dox
help_copy.commands = @echo "Building Help Files in $$DDIR"  $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
 
win32 {
 
    # exists does not like backslashes
  EDIR = $$DDIR
  EDIR ~= s,\\,/,g
 
  !exists($$EDIR) {
    help_copy.commands += @echo "Creating Docs Directory: $$DDIR" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
    help_copy.commands += md $$DDIR $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  }
 
  help_copy.commands += $$MYFILECOPY
  help_copy.commands += @echo "Running qhelpgenerator" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]\\qhelpgenerator $$DDIR\\docs.qhp -o $$DDIR\\docs.qch $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += @echo "Running qcollectiongenerator" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]\\qcollectiongenerator $$DDIR\\docs.qhcp -o $$DDIR\\docs.qhc $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
}
 
macx {
 
 !exists($$DDIR) {
    help_copy.commands += @echo "Creating Docs Directory: $$DDIR" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
    help_copy.commands += mkdir -p $$DDIR $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  }
 
  help_copy.commands += $$MYFILECOPY
  help_copy.commands += @echo "Running qhelpgenerator" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/qhelpgenerator $$DDIR/docs.qhp -o $$DDIR/docs.qch $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += @echo "Running qcollectiongenerator" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/qcollectiongenerator $$DDIR/docs.qhcp -o $$DDIR/docs.qhc $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
}
 
QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += help_copy
POST_TARGETDEPS += dox

# load correct help libraries for specific OSes
# and copy correct files to correct locations during build


win32 {

    CONFIG += help

    CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
        DDIR = $$OUT_PWD/debug/docs
    }
    CONFIG(release, debug|release) {
        DDIR = $$OUT_PWD/release/docs
    }
    DDIR ~= s,/,\\,g
}

macx {
    LIBS += -framework QtHelp

    DDIR = $$OUT_PWD/Graffik.app/Contents/MacOS/docs
}

defineTest(copyHelpFiles) {
    files = $$1


    for(FILE, files) {
        FILE ~= s,docs/,,
        FILE = $$PWD/$$FILE
        MYFILECOPY += @echo "Copying $$FILE" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
        # Replace slashes in paths with backslashes for Windows
        win32:FILE ~= s,/,\\,g


        MYFILECOPY += $$QMAKE_COPY $$quote($$FILE) $$quote($$DDIR) $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
    }
    export(MYFILECOPY)
}


OTHER_FILES += \
    docs/docs.html \
    docs/file1.png \
    docs/file2.png \
    docs/docs.qhp \
    docs/docs.qhcp

HEADERS += \
    docs/helpwindow.h \
    docs/helpbrowser.h

SOURCES += \
    docs/helpwindow.cpp \
    docs/helpbrowser.cpp

FORMS += \
    docs/helpwindow.ui


copyHelpFiles($$OTHER_FILES)

help_copy.target = dox
help_copy.commands = @echo "Building Help Files in $$DDIR"  $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)

win32 {
   
    # exists does not like backslashes
  EDIR = $$DDIR
  EDIR ~= s,\\,/,g

  !exists($$EDIR) {
    help_copy.commands += @echo "Creating Docs Directory: $$DDIR" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
    help_copy.commands += md $$DDIR $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  }

  help_copy.commands += $$MYFILECOPY
  help_copy.commands += @echo "Running qhelpgenerator" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]\\qhelpgenerator $$DDIR\\docs.qhp -o $$DDIR\\docs.qch $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += @echo "Running qcollectiongenerator" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]\\qcollectiongenerator $$DDIR\\docs.qhcp -o $$DDIR\\docs.qhc $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
}

macx {

 !exists($$DDIR) {
    help_copy.commands += @echo "Creating Docs Directory: $$DDIR" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
    help_copy.commands += mkdir -p $$DDIR $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  }

  help_copy.commands += $$MYFILECOPY
  help_copy.commands += @echo "Running qhelpgenerator" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/qhelpgenerator $$DDIR/docs.qhp -o $$DDIR/docs.qch $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += @echo "Running qcollectiongenerator" $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
  help_copy.commands += $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/qcollectiongenerator $$DDIR/docs.qhcp -o $$DDIR/docs.qhc $$escape_expand(\\n\\t)
}

QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += help_copy
POST_TARGETDEPS += dox

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A little messy, but good enough for the task at-hand.