CMake 3.30.0-rc1 is ready for testing

June 7, 2024

John Parent

I am proud to announce the first CMake 3.30 release candidate.
https://cmake.org/download/

Documentation is available at:
https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.30

Release notes appear below and are also published at
https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.30/release/3.30.html

Release milestone is available at:
release milestone

Some of the most significant changes in CMake 3.30 are:

“cmake-presets(7)” files now support schema version “9”. “include”
fields now expand all macros except “$env{}” and preset-specific
macros, i.e., those derived from the fields inside a preset’s
definition.
The “Compile Features” functionality now implements support for the
“cxx_std_26” and “cuda_std_26” meta-features to indicate that the
compiler mode must be at least C++26. These meta-features were first
documented by CMake 3.25, but were not fully implemented.
The “CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_LATEST” variable was added to describe
the latest “<LANG>” language standard CMake supports for the
selected compiler.
The “CMAKE_TLS_VERSION” variable and “CMAKE_TLS_VERSION” environment
variable were added to specify a default minimum TLS version for
connections to “https://” URLs by the “file(DOWNLOAD)” and
“file(UPLOAD)” commands.
The “GENERATED” source file property is now visible in all
directories. See policy “CMP0163”. Policy “CMP0118″‘s
documentation has been revised to describe its actual effects.
The “FindPython”, “FindPython2”, and “FindPython3” modules, on
Windows, now offer better support for the Python debug variant.
The “TARGET_PROPERTY” generator expression learned to evaluate
custom transitive properties defined by new
“TRANSITIVE_COMPILE_PROPERTIES” and “TRANSITIVE_LINK_PROPERTIES”
target properties.
The “CPack WIX Generator” gained support for WiX Toolset v4. See the
“CPACK_WIX_VERSION” variable.
The “FindBoost” module has been removed by policy “CMP0167”. Port
projects to upstream Boost’s “BoostConfig.cmake” package
configuration file, for which “find_package(Boost)” now searches.
The precompiled Windows “.msi” installers provided on cmake.org,
when performing a fresh installation, now modify the system-wide
“PATH” by default.

CMake 3.30 Release Notes
************************

Changes made since CMake 3.29 include the following.


New Features
============


Presets
-------

* "cmake-presets(7)" files now support schema version "9". "include"
  fields now expand all macros except "$env{}" and preset-specific
  macros, i.e., those derived from the fields inside a preset's
  definition.


File-Based API
--------------

* The "cmake-file-api(7)" "cmakeFiles" version 1 object's "version"
  field has been updated to 1.1.  It gained a "globsDependent" field
  to report "file(GLOB)" calls using "CONFIGURE_DEPENDS".


Generators
----------

* Visual Studio Generators now add "UseDebugLibraries" indicators to
  ".vcxproj" files to denote which configurations are debug
  configurations. See policy "CMP0162".


Languages
---------

* The "Compile Features" functionality now implements support for the
  "cxx_std_26" and "cuda_std_26" meta-features to indicate that the
  compiler mode must be at least C++26. These meta-features were first
  documented by CMake 3.25, but were not fully implemented.


Commands
--------

* The "add_library()" command, on platforms that do not support shared
  libraries, now rejects creation of shared libraries instead of
  automatically converting them to static libraries.  See policy
  "CMP0164".

* The "enable_language()" command now fails with an error if it is
  called before the first "project()" call. See policy "CMP0165".

* The "file(DOWNLOAD)" and "file(UPLOAD)" commands gained a
  "TLS_VERSION <min>" option to specify the minimum TLS version for
  connections to "https://" URLs.


Variables
---------

* The "CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_LATEST" variable was added to describe
  the latest "<LANG>" language standard CMake supports for the
  selected compiler.

* The "CMAKE_TLS_VERIFY" environment variable was added as a fallback
  to the existing "CMAKE_TLS_VERIFY" variable.  It specifies whether
  to verify the server certificate for "https://" URLs by default.

* The "CMAKE_TLS_VERSION" variable and "CMAKE_TLS_VERSION" environment
  variable were added to specify a default minimum TLS version for
  connections to "https://" URLs by the "file(DOWNLOAD)" and
  "file(UPLOAD)" commands.

* The "CMAKE_VS_USE_DEBUG_LIBRARIES" variable and corresponding
  "VS_USE_DEBUG_LIBRARIES" target property were added to explicitly
  control "UseDebugLibraries" indicators in ".vcxproj" files.


Properties
----------

* The "GENERATED" source file property is now visible in all
  directories.  See policy "CMP0163".  Policy "CMP0118"'s
  documentation has been revised to describe its actual effects.

* The "PROPAGATE_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES_TO_TRY_COMPILE" global property
  can be used to propagate "CMAKE_PROJECT_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES" into
  "try_compile()" calls that use the whole-project signature. This is
  primarily intended as a way for dependency providers to be enabled
  in such "try_compile()" calls.

* A "VS_FILTER_PROPS" target property was added to tell Visual Studio
  Generators to use a custom MSBuild filter ".props" file.


Modules
-------

* The "ExternalProject" module's "ExternalProject_Add()" command
  gained a "TLS_VERSION <min>" option, and support for the
  "CMAKE_TLS_VERSION" variable and "CMAKE_TLS_VERSION" environment
  variable, to specify the minimum TLS version for connections to
  "https://" URLs.

* The "FindBacktrace" module now provides an imported target.

* The "FindBLAS" and "FindLAPACK" modules gained support for
  "libblastrampoline".

* The "FindCUDAToolkit" module now provides a target for "libnvfatbin"
  and "libnvfatbin_static", if found.

* The "FindCUDAToolkit" module now searches the "CMAKE_CUDA_COMPILER"
  variable and the "CUDACXX" environment variable even when the "CUDA"
  language isn't enabled.

* The "FindOpenMP" module gained an "OpenMP_RUNTIME_MSVC" option to
  control the OpenMP runtime used with MSVC.

* The "FindPython" and "FindPython3" modules gained support for the
  free threaded Python version.

* The "FindPython", "FindPython2", and "FindPython3" modules, on
  Windows, now offer better support for the Python debug variant:

  * new variables:

    * "Python_EXECUTABLE_DEBUG"

    * "Python_INTERPRETER"

    * "Python_DEBUG_POSTFIX"

  * new targets:

    * "Python::InterpreterDebug"

    * "Python::InterpreterMultiConfig"

  The "python_add_library()" command now manages the "DEBUG_POSTFIX"
  target property based on the value of the "Python_DEBUG_POSTFIX"
  variable.


Generator Expressions
---------------------

* The "<LANG>_COMPILER_FRONTEND_VARIANT" family of generator
  expressions were added to access the value of the associated
  "CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_FRONTEND_VARIANT" variables.

* Link features, as used with the "LINK_LIBRARY" generator expression,
  gained the ability to have properties that describe their behavior
  by specifying the "CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_PROPERTIES" or
  "CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_PROPERTIES" variables.

* The "QUOTE" generator expression was added to evaluate to """.

* The "TARGET_PROPERTY" generator expression learned to evaluate
  custom transitive properties defined by new
  "TRANSITIVE_COMPILE_PROPERTIES" and "TRANSITIVE_LINK_PROPERTIES"
  target properties.

* The "TARGET_PROPERTY" generator expression now evaluates target
  properties "INTERFACE_LINK_OPTIONS", "INTERFACE_LINK_DIRECTORIES",
  and "INTERFACE_LINK_DEPENDS" correctly by following private
  dependencies of static libraries.  See policy "CMP0166".


CTest
-----

* The "ctest_submit()" command and "ctest -T Submit" step gained
  "TLSVersion" and "TLSVerify" options to control negotiation with
  "https://" URLs.  See the "CTEST_TLS_VERSION" and "CTEST_TLS_VERIFY"
  variables.


CPack
-----

* The "CPack Inno Setup Generator" is now available on non-Windows
  hosts.

* The "CPack NuGet Generator" can now generate dependency groups for
  framework-specific dependencies. The "CPACK_NUGET_PACKAGE_TFMS"
  variable was added to specify a list of target framework monikers
  (TFMs) for which groups should be generated.

* The "CPack WIX Generator" gained support for WiX Toolset v4. See the
  "CPACK_WIX_VERSION" variable.


Deprecated and Removed Features
===============================

* The "FindBoost" module has been removed by policy "CMP0167". Port
  projects to upstream Boost's "BoostConfig.cmake" package
  configuration file, for which "find_package(Boost)" now searches.

* Calling "FetchContent_Populate()" with just the name of a dependency
  is now deprecated. Projects should call
  "FetchContent_MakeAvailable()" instead. See policy "CMP0169".
  Calling "FetchContent_Populate()" with full population details
  rather than just a dependency name remains fully supported.

* The "Visual Studio 9 2008" generator has been removed.


Other Changes
=============

* The precompiled Windows ".msi" installers provided on cmake.org,
  when performing a fresh installation, now modify the system-wide
  "PATH" by default. When replacing an existing installation of 3.30
  or later, the "PATH" modification preference is preserved by
  default.

* The official ".zip" source archive provided on cmake.org now uses LF
  newlines, instead of CRLF newlines, for consistency with modern
  conventions.

* The durations printed after "Configuring done" and "Generating done"
  messages now reflect time spent in generator-specific steps, and in
  a code model evaluation step at the beginning of generation that was
  not previously captured.  Printed durations may appear longer than
  in previous versions of CMake, but are more accurate.

* "FetchContent" now prefers to populate content directly rather than
  using a separate sub-build. This may significantly improve configure
  times on some systems (Windows especially, but also on macOS when
  using the Xcode generator). Policy "CMP0168" provides backward
  compatibility for those projects that still rely on using a sub-
  build for content population.

* When "FETCHCONTENT_FULLY_DISCONNECTED" is set to true,
  "FetchContent_MakeAvailable()" and the single-argument form of
  "FetchContent_Populate()" require that the dependency's source
  directory has already been populated. CMake 3.29 and earlier did not
  check this requirement, but it is now enforced, subject to policy
  "CMP0170".

Tags:

CMake Release Notes Software Process

CMake 3.30.0-rc1 is ready for testing

Leave a ReplyCancel reply