In this section:

Introduction

If you have a custom build system (for example, Makefile-based), you can streamline the process of configuring build settings by using C++test’s cpptestscan utility, which collects information about your build process. You can then point C++test to the generated "build data file" to configure build settings, as described in Use options from a build data file.

Build Data File (.bdf)

Build information, such as the working directory, command line options for the compilation, and link processes of the original build, are stored in a file called the build data file. The following example is a fragment from a build data file:

------- cpptestscan v. 9.4.x.x -------
working_dir=/home/place/project/hypnos/pscom
project_name=pscom
arg=g++
arg=-c
arg=src/io/Path.cc
arg=-Iinclude
arg=-I.
arg=-o
arg=/home/place/project/hypnos/product/pscom/shared/io/Path.o

Using cpptestscan or cpptesttrace to Create a Build Data File

Anchor
using_cpp using_cpp

The cpptestscan and cpptesttrace executables are located in the C++test installation directory. They collect information from the build process of an existing code base, generate build data files with the information, and append information about each execution into a file.

The cpptestscan utility is used as a wrapper for the compiler and/or linker during the normal build. To use cpptestscan with an existing build, build the code base with cpptestscan as the prefix for the compiler / linker executable of an existing build to build the code base. This can be done in two ways:

• Modify the build command line to use cpptestscan as the wrapper for the compiler/linker executables
• If you don’t want to (or cannot) override the compiler variable on the command line, embed cpptestscan in the actual make file or build script.

To use cpptesttrace with an existing build, build the code base with cpptesttrace as the prefix for the entire build command. cpptesttrace will trace the compiler and linker processes executed during the build and store them in the build data file.

In both cases, you need to either add the C++test installation directory to your PATH environment variable, or specify the full path to either utility.

Additional options for cpptestscan and cpptesttrace are summarized in the following table. Options can be set directly for the cpptestscan command or via environment variables. Most options can be applied to cpptestscan or cpptesttrace by changing the prefix in command line.

Basic cpptestscan usage:

• Windows: cpptestscan.exe [options] [compile/link command]
• Linux: cpptestscan [options] [compile/link command]

Basic cpptesttrace usage:

• Windows: cpptesttrace.exe [options] [build command]
• Linux: cpptesttrace [options] [build command]

--
cpptestscanOutputFile= 
<OUTPUT_FILE>

--
cpptesttraceOutputFile=
<OUTPUT_FILE>

Example: Modifying GNU Make Build Command to Using cpptestscan

Assuming that a make-based build in which the compiler variable is CXX and the original compiler is g++:

      make -f </path/to/makefile> <make target> [user-specific options] CXX="cpptestscan --cpptestscanOutputFile=/path/to/name.bdf --cpptestscanProjectName=<projectname> g++"

This will build the code as usual, as well as generate a build data file (name.bdf) in the specified directory.

Example: Modifying GNU Make Build Command Using cpptesttrace

Assume that a regular make-based build is executed with:

     make clean all

you could use the following command line:

     cpptesttrace --cpptesttraceOutputFile=/path/to/name.bdf --cpptesttraceProjectName=<projectname> make clean all

This will build the code as usual and generate a build data file (name.bdf) in the specified directory.

Example: Modifying GNU Makefile to use cpptestscan

If your Makefile uses CXX as a variable for the compiler executable and is normally defined as CXX=g++, you can redefine the variable:

     ifeq ($(BUILD_MODE), PARASOFT_CPPTEST)
     CXX="/usr/local/parasoft/cpptestscan --cpptestscanOutputFile=<selected_location>/MyProject.bdf --cpptestscanProjectName=MyProject g++"
     else
     CXX=g++
     endif

Next, run the build as usual and specify an additional BUILD_MODE variable for make:

     make BUILD_MODE=PARASOFT_CPPTEST

The code will be built and a build data file (MyProject.bdf) will be created. The generated build data file can then be used to create a project from the GUI or from the command line.