Nicer compile output

[Dtag]

Hi

I am often compiling programs on the console. Are there any suggestions for getting a nicer console output for the compilation process?

For example instead of:
'g++ blablaverylongline bla.cpp'
have it say something like:
'Compiling "bla.cpp"...'
or
'Linking...'

My search attempts on the web have been unsuccessful so far. I have seen something similar before though when I was compiling something from source. I believe it used cmake(?). I haven't tried the latter though because I want to stick to qmake.

I would also appreciate other suggestions to facilitate looking through compilation warnings/errors.

Thanks alot

[dwhitney67]

Hi

I am often compiling programs on the console. Are there any suggestions for getting a nicer console output for the compilation process?

For example instead of:
'g++ blablaverylongline bla.cpp'
have it say something like:
'Compiling "bla.cpp"...'
or
'Linking...'

...

Usually when I build a project, my output does look like the one you describe. I, however, am using a Makefile.

A very basic Makefile could look like:


APP = appfoo
SRCS = foo.cpp
OBJS = $(SRCS:.cpp=.o)
INCLUDES =
CXXFLAGS = -Wall -ansi -pedantic
LFLAGS =
LIBS =

all: $(APP)

$(APP): $(OBJS)
@echo "Linking $@..."
@$(CXX) $^ $(LFLAGS) $(LIBS) -o $@

.cpp.o:
@echo "Compiling $<..."
@$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) -c $<

[nvteighen]

You know: UNIX philosophy (though GNU's not Unix!)...



Rule of Silence: When a program has nothing surprising to say, it should say nothing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_philosophy)

[Dtag]

Hi,

thanks for your replies. I have tried your Makefile and indeed it's pretty much what I was looking for. Unfortunately I don't want to use raw Makefiles. Any idea how to make qmake generate something like this? Or how to filter Make's output to make it look like this?

Thanks

[Dtag]

Hi again

your Makefile inspired me to write a small script that postprocesses the qmake generated Makefiles:



#!/bin/sh

perl -pi -e 's/^(.*)\$\(CXX\)(.*)/$1\@echo "### Compiling \$\<..."\n$1\@\$\(CXX\)$2/g' $1
perl -pi -e 's/^(.*)\$\(LINK\)(.*)/$1\@echo "### Linking \$\@..."\n$1\@\$\(CXX\)$2/g' $1

perl -pi -e 's/^(.*)\/usr\/lib\/qt4\/bin\/moc(.*)/$1\@echo "### Qt-Moc \$\@..."\n$1\@\/usr\/lib\/qt4\/bin\/moc$2/g' $1
perl -pi -e 's/^(.*)\/usr\/lib\/qt4\/bin\/uic(.*)/$1\@echo "### Qt-Uic \$<..."\n$1\@\/usr\/lib\/qt4\/bin\/uic$2/g' $1


Its probably not particularily nice but it works - it will simply replace $(CXX) with @echo ...\n@$(CXX)...
(and analogously for $(LINK), ...). I am simply calling it after every qmake now.

Thanks again

[dwhitney67]

Oh, so you are doing Qt?

Did I not mention that I have an answer for every problem? :p

Just kidding, but I do have a copy of a solution for a Qt project I supported in the past. It involves writing a wrapper-Makefile that calls the Makefile generated by qmake.

Below is a summary; basically it overrides the definitions for CXX, UIC, and LINK (and the CXXFLAGS) that are used by the Makefile that is generate by qmake, so that the compilation/linking output is suppressed and replaced with the one I define.


APPNAME = my_ui_app

...

QTDIR := /usr/local/qt
QMAKESPEC := $(QTDIR)/mkspecs/linux-g++
QMAKE := $(QTDIR)/bin/qmake
QMAKE_DEBUG :=
QCXXFLAGS := -pipe -w -O2 -DQT_NO_DEBUG -DQT_SHARED

export QTDIR QMAKESPEC QMAKE QMAKE_DEBUG QCXXFLAGS

# Define compilation and link statements so that detailed output is suppressed.
#
QCXX = @echo $(APPNAME) ui Compiling: $$<;$(CXX)
QUIC = @echo $(APPNAME) ui UICing: $$^;$(QTDIR)/bin/uic
QLINK = @echo $(APPNAME) ui Linking: UI;$(CXX)

MY_QT_DIR = qt_ui

...

$(MY_QT_DIR):
$(QMAKE) -o $@/Makefile $@/*.pro
make -C $@ CXX="$(QCXX)" UIC="$(QUIC)" LINK="$(QLINK)" CXXFLAGS="$(QCXXFLAGS)"

...


The Makefile above is incomplete, but should provide an idea. I used such a Makefile with Qt 3.2.3 application, but using two distinct versions (one made under Linux 2.4.x, another for Linux 2.6.17). Depending on the version being made, I adjusted the QTDIR.

P.S. Your solution seems easier, but since I do not know Perl, I guess that was not an option for me. Also, if you employ my way, the Makefile cannot reside within the directory where qmake will generate a Makefile.

[Dtag]

Hey

ahh hehe that inspired me to create ANOTHER solution (I think this time its the ultimate solution):
You just add:



QMAKE_CC = @echo "\*\*\* Compiling $<..." && $$QMAKE_CC
QMAKE_CXX = @echo "\*\*\* Compiling $<..." && $$QMAKE_CXX
QMAKE_LINK = @echo "\*\*\* Linking $@..." && $$QMAKE_LINK
QMAKE_LINK_SHLIB = @echo "\*\*\* Linking $@..." && $$QMAKE_LINK_SHLIB


To the .pro file and the rest is done by QT :)

Thanks again