VSCode with CMake-Tools run multiple targets - c++

Question

I have a rather complex CMake project-structure with must be executed in very specific way and I don't find any references on how to achieve this. First of all I am using the CMake-Tools extension which works fine for the build process for all my targets.
Although it is a little bit more complicated the problem is basically the following: I have a main target which is a virtual prototype (VP) of a u-controller and an external target which is an application the VP loads with an ELF-Loader and executes. The VP contains an implementation of GDBServer which works fine and allows me to attach gdb with the remote target option. The VP is build as an executable which takes the path of the application as an argument. The application self is build with a cross-compiler toolchain.
At the moment I have created a launch.json for the VP target which looks like follows:
{
"name": "vp my_app",
"type": "cppdbg",
"request": "launch",
// Resolved by CMake Tools:
"program": "${command:cmake.launchTargetPath}",
"args": [
"--input-file", "${workspaceFolder}/src/apps/my_app/build/src/my_app.elf",
"--intercept", //intercepts syscall in application
"--debug-mode" //starts gdbserver
],
"stopAtEntry": false,
"cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
"environment": [
{
"name": "PATH",
"value": "$PATH:${command:cmake.launchTargetDirectory}"
},
],
"externalConsole": false,
},
There are multiple issues with this config:
It starts a gdb session for the VP which is not necessary. I am considering to create a task.json for this but I am not sure if this is the best way.
The argument --input-file points to a file which is build by another CMake project and as far as I know its path can't be describes by using vscode variables of CMake-tools because it is in a different target. One way could be to install the application outside the cmake-build but this is also not an optimal solutions.
For the target my_app i have also a launch.json :
{
"name": "(gdb) attach vp",
"type": "cppdbg",
"request": "attach",
// Resolved by CMake Tools:
"program": "${command:cmake.launchTargetPath}",
"miDebuggerServerAddress": "localhost:5005",
"MIMode": "gdb",
"miDebuggerPath": "/usr/local/bin/riscv-unknown-elf-gdb",
"setupCommands": [
{
"description": "Enable pretty-printing for gdb",
"text": "-enable-pretty-printing",
"ignoreFailures": true
}
]
Currently, I first execute the launch of the vp target and then the launch of the application target. CMake-Tools ensures that both targets are build properly before executing them. This is fine and I can work with it but I am interesting in merging both launches and I can't figure out how to handle the build-path of both cmake-targets without switching and how to ensure their build. Maybe a workspace-task or the command extensions with specific defined inputs can be used but I am open to any suggestions. In a perfect world I would like to have a single launch.json which ensures the build of both applications then starts the vp with the elf.file of the application as an argument and attaches a gdb-session without switching cmake-targets all the time.
Thx