How can I properly download Boost using (CMake SuperBuild Boost Windows)? - c++

Question

I am trying to install boost by ExternalProject_Add but I get error.
Question What does the error mean and how can I resolve it?
This is the error message I have:
Performing update step for 'boost-external'
No patch step for 'boost-external'
Performing configure step for 'boost-external'
'cp' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\Msbuild\Microsoft\VC\v160\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(241,5): e
rror MSB8066: Custom build for 'C:\IBOIS57\_Code\Software\CPP\CMAKE\super_build\Example_02_Boost\build\CMakeFiles\7a303cde471
9f69085ebded4413f3304\boost-external-mkdir.rule;C:\IBOIS57\_Code\Software\CPP\CMAKE\super_build\Example_02_Boost\build\CMakeF
iles\7a303cde4719f69085ebded4413f3304\boost-external-download.rule;C:\IBOIS57\_Code\Software\CPP\CMAKE\super_build\Example_02
_Boost\build\CMakeFiles\7a303cde4719f69085ebded4413f3304\boost-external-update.rule;C:\IBOIS57\_Code\Software\CPP\CMAKE\super
_build\Example_02_Boost\build\CMakeFiles\7a303cde4719f69085ebded4413f3304\boost-external-patch.rule;C:\IBOIS57\_Code\Software
\CPP\CMAKE\super_build\Example_02_Boost\build\CMakeFiles\7a303cde4719f69085ebded4413f3304\boost-external-configure.rule;C:\IB
OIS57\_Code\Software\CPP\CMAKE\super_build\Example_02_Boost\build\CMakeFiles\7a303cde4719f69085ebded4413f3304\boost-external-
build.rule;C:\IBOIS57\_Code\Software\CPP\CMAKE\super_build\Example_02_Boost\build\CMakeFiles\7a303cde4719f69085ebded4413f3304
\boost-external-install.rule;C:\IBOIS57\_Code\Software\CPP\CMAKE\super_build\Example_02_Boost\build\CMakeFiles\1a2a6d9ea64ba5
92f97cd191c1d5acb1\boost-external-complete.rule;C:\IBOIS57\_Code\Software\CPP\CMAKE\super_build\Example_02_Boost\build\CMakeF
iles\a70b522e33d20f4a0fb02fd1b3fdb173\boost-external.rule;C:\IBOIS57\_Code\Software\CPP\CMAKE\super_build\Example_02_Boost\CM
akeLists.txt' exited with code 9009. [C:\IBOIS57\_Code\Software\CPP\CMAKE\super_build\Example_02_Boost\build\boost-external.v
cxproj]
This is the screenshot:
[![enter image description here][1]][1]
[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/HyrKM.jpg
This is my full CMakeLists.txt
###############################################################################
#cmake + project name
###############################################################################
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
project(boostdemo)
###############################################################################
#create executable
###############################################################################
add_executable(boostdemo ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/main.cpp)
###############################################################################
#boost
###############################################################################
#https://github.com/BBO-repo/cpp-boost-cmake-superbuild
set( Boost_Bootstrap_Command ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/boost-download/src/boost-external/bootstrap.sh && cp ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/boost-download/src/boost-external-build/b2 ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/boost-download/src/boost-external/)
set( Boost_b2_Command cd ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/boost-download/src/boost-external && ./b2 )
include(ExternalProject)
ExternalProject_Add(
boost-external #library name that will be used for linking in the executable
GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/boostorg/boost.git
GIT_TAG boost-1.79.0
PREFIX boost-download
CONFIGURE_COMMAND ${Boost_Bootstrap_Command}
BUILD_COMMAND ${Boost_b2_Command} install
--without-python
--without-mpi
--disable-icu
--prefix=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/boost/
--threading=single,multi
--link=shared
--variant=release
-j12
INSTALL_COMMAND ""
)
set(Boost_LIBS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/boost/lib/${CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_PREFIX}boost_chrono${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX})
set(Boost_INCLUDE_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/boost/include/)
###############################################################################
#link boost
###############################################################################
add_dependencies(boostdemo boost-external)
include_directories(boostdemo ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR})
target_link_libraries(boostdemo ${Boost_LIBS})

Answer 1

In case it helps someone, below is the cmake fragment I used to have for obtaining boost with ExternalProject_Add. I was focussed at the time on the header only parts so it may not be complete.
I was never entirely happy with this and in the end switched to obtaining all of our third party dependencies with vcpkg. I have been much happier ever since, especially with regard to boost. In fact I just deleted this file from our repo. So I strongly recommend looking at vcpkg (or conan or ...) instead of ExternalProject_Add.
if(WIN32)
set( Boost_Bootstrap_Command bootstrap.bat )
set( Boost_b2_Command b2.exe )
set( Boost_version_dir /boost-1_77 )
else()
set( Boost_Bootstrap_Command ./bootstrap.sh )
set( Boost_b2_Command ./b2 )
set( Boost_version_dir "")
endif()
ExternalProject_Add(git_boost
URL https://boostorg.jfrog.io/artifactory/main/release/1.77.0/source/boost_1_77_0.tar.gz
BUILD_IN_SOURCE 1
CONFIGURE_COMMAND ${Boost_Bootstrap_Command}
BUILD_COMMAND ""
INSTALL_COMMAND ${Boost_b2_Command} --with-headers --with-math install --prefix=${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/boost
TEST_COMMAND ""
)
add_library(ours_boost INTERFACE)
add_library(ours::boost ALIAS ours_boost)
target_include_directories(ours_boost INTERFACE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/boost/include${Boost_version_dir})
message(${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/boost/include${Boost_version_dir})
add_dependencies(ours_boost git_boost)