lbuild module: modm:build:compilation_db

This module generates a Python script that generates a CompilationDB file, which allows you to import your project into a code editor like CLion or Qt Creator with working code completion and enhanced refactoring.

Note: CompilationDB is not a build system replacement CompilationDB support is currently only implemented as an import mechanism in all IDEs, it cannot be used to compile AND LINK your application correctly. Use a proper build system for that purpose.

Since the CompilationDB requires absolute paths making it difficult to share with other users, this module instead generates a script that you can call whenever you need to generate a new compile_commands.json file.

The script takes are argument the application folder or files that it should include. The search is recursive and looks only for source files while ignoring any generated files:

# When calling this from where project.xml is located
# adding all sources contained in the current folder
python3 modm/tools/builder_compilation_db.py .

To generate the CompilationDB for debug mode, use the --debug option:

# You can also add individual files

python3 modm/tools/builder_compilation_db.py --debug main.cpp

SCons integration

When including this module together with the modm:build:scons module, a new command is added to SCons, which wraps the above command line invocation.

# This command safely wraps the generation script
scons compilation_db profile=release
scons compilation_db profile=debug