C++ CMake cannot find Boost 1.63 (using CLion IDE) - c++

Question

I literally spent a good 6 hours on it and looked everywhere on the internet.
Here is what I have done. I am on Windows 10 using JetBrain CLion IDE. Directly downloaded MinGW 5.3, not through CodeBlocks. Downloaded Boost 1.63 and unzipped it. Ran bootstrap.bat gcc and b2.exe toolset=gcc to build it. During installation, gcc-mingw-5.3.0 appeared tons of times so I suppose they are somehow linked now. Then a new folder C:/Boost appeared containing only two folders: include and lib.
Here is my CMakeList.txt:
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
project(BoostTest)
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)
set(Boost_INCLUDE_DIR C:/Boost/include)
set(BOOST_LIBRARY_DIR C:/Boost/lib)
find_package(Boost COMPONENTS system filesystem REQUIRED)
include_directories(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR})
link_directories(${Boost_LIBRARY_DIR})
set(SOURCE_FILES main.cpp)
add_executable(BoostTest ${SOURCE_FILES})
Since the original directory (which I unzipped from the download) does not have directories named include and lib, I figured I should go with the directory created by installation(or building). Then I get this error:
CMake Error at D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:1169 (file):
file STRINGS file "C:/Boost/include/boost/version.hpp" cannot be read.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
CMakeLists.txt:8 (find_package)
CMake Warning at D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:744 (message):
Imported targets not available for Boost version 0
Call Stack (most recent call first):
D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:848 (_Boost_COMPONENT_DEPENDENCIES)
D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:1435 (_Boost_MISSING_DEPENDENCIES)
CMakeLists.txt:8 (find_package)
CMake Warning at D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:744 (message):
Imported targets not available for Boost version 0
Call Stack (most recent call first):
D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:848 (_Boost_COMPONENT_DEPENDENCIES)
D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:1435 (_Boost_MISSING_DEPENDENCIES)
CMakeLists.txt:8 (find_package)
CMake Error at D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:1793 (message):
Unable to find the requested Boost libraries.
Boost version: 0.0.0
Boost include path: C:/Boost/include
Could not find the following Boost libraries:
boost_system
boost_filesystem
No Boost libraries were found. You may need to set BOOST_LIBRARYDIR to the directory containing Boost libraries or BOOST_ROOT to the location of Boost.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
CMakeLists.txt:8 (find_package)
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "C:/Workspace_cpp/BoostTest/cmake-build-debug/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".
You see, CMake is somehow able to reach this version.hpp file, but cannot read it. I have seen quite a few people posting the same question, but none of their solutions worked for me. I have tried to set INCLUDE_DIR and LIBRARY_DIR to the original directory, and not helping a bit. I am truly frustrated. I greatly appreciate any help. Thanks!
Update:
Thank you oLen for pointing it out! It was helpful. I have updated my CMakeList.txt to be:
set(BOOST_ROOT C:/Boost)
set(BOOST_INCLUDEDIR C:/Boost/include)
set(BOOST_LIBRARYDIR C:/Boost/lib)
find_package(Boost COMPONENTS system filesystem REQUIRED)
include_directories(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR})
link_directories(${Boost_LIBRARY_DIR})
However, I am receiving a new error message:
"D:\Program Files (x86)\JetBrains\CLion 2017.1\bin\cmake\bin\cmake.exe" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -G "CodeBlocks - MinGW Makefiles" C:\Workspace_cpp\BoostTest
CMake Warning at D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:744 (message):
Imported targets not available for Boost version
Call Stack (most recent call first):
D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:848 (_Boost_COMPONENT_DEPENDENCIES)
D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:1435 (_Boost_MISSING_DEPENDENCIES)
CMakeLists.txt:9 (find_package)
CMake Error at D:/Program Files (x86)/JetBrains/CLion 2017.1/bin/cmake/share/cmake-3.7/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:1793 (message):
Unable to find the requested Boost libraries.
Unable to find the Boost header files. Please set BOOST_ROOT to the root
directory containing Boost or BOOST_INCLUDEDIR to the directory containing
Boost's headers.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
CMakeLists.txt:9 (find_package)
CMake Error: The following variables are used in this project, but they are set to NOTFOUND.
Please set them or make sure they are set and tested correctly in the CMake files:
Boost_INCLUDE_DIR (ADVANCED)
I think it successfully located the directory but could not process it. I am sorry for keep asking, these errors make absolutely no sense to me. May I also know if I should build Boost before using it, since in the official Boost Get Started page, it does not say to build it. The error message also wants me to set BOOST_INCLUDE_DIR. Could you please shed some more light? Thank you so much.

Answer 1

You haven't set the variables to find Boost correctly.
If you take a look at FindBoost.cmake, you see the following:
# This module reads hints about search locations from variables::
#
# BOOST_ROOT - Preferred installation prefix
# (or BOOSTROOT)
# BOOST_INCLUDEDIR - Preferred include directory e.g. <prefix>/include
# BOOST_LIBRARYDIR - Preferred library directory e.g. <prefix>/lib
# Boost_NO_SYSTEM_PATHS - Set to ON to disable searching in locations not
# specified by these hint variables. Default is OFF.
# Boost_ADDITIONAL_VERSIONS
# - List of Boost versions not known to this module
# (Boost install locations may contain the version)
In your case, the easiest solution is to set BOOST_ROOT to the folder containing lib and include (i.e. C:/Boost), or to use the correct variable names BOOST_INCLUDEDIR and BOOST_LIBRARYDIR (without second underscore).
The variables with the second underscore also exist, but they are set when you search for Boost.

Answer 2

After researching for a few days, installing and uninstalling tons of times, it turns out that I was just mistaking one line:
set(BOOST_INCLUDEDIR C:/boost/include/boost-1_63)
That is it! Oh my GOD.