qt_add_qml_module with absolute QML file paths causes qmlcachegen error

lkimuka

Correct situation (works fine):

Project structure (irrelevant files omitted):

D:/libraries/WrapUp/
 └─ src/
     ├─ CMakeLists.txt
     └─ qml/
         └─ WrapUpAbout.qml

With the following CMake code everything works as expected:

qt_add_executable(WrapUp ${SOURCE_FILES})

qt_add_qml_module(WrapUp
    URI "com.cppmore.wrapup"
    VERSION 1.0
    QML_FILES
        “qml/WrapUpAbout.qml”
)
qt_add_translations(WrapUp TS_FILES ${TS_FILES} LUPDATE_OPTIONS -no-obsolete)

Problematic situation:

My actual project looks like this:

D:/libraries/WrapUp/
 ├─ resources/
 │   └─ qml/
 │       └─ WrapUpAbout.qml
 └─ src/
     └─ CMakeLists.txt

Since qml/ and CMakeLists.txt are not in the same directory, I cannot directly specify a relative path for qt_add_qml_module. I tried the following:

set_source_files_properties(
    "D:/libraries/WrapUp/resources/qml/WrapUpAbout.qml" 
    PROPERTIES 
    QT_RESOURCE_ALIAS "WrapUpAbout.qml"
)

qt_add_qml_module(WrapUp
    URI "com.cppmore.wrapup"
    VERSION 1.0
    QML_FILES
        "D:/libraries/WrapUp/resources/qml/WrapUpAbout.qml"
)

But I get this error:

> cmake --build ./build
CMake is re-running because D:/libraries/WrapUp/build/src/CMakeFiles/generate.stamp is out-of-date.
  the file 'D:/libraries/WrapUp/src/CMakeLists.txt'
  is newer than 'D:/libraries/WrapUp/build/src/CMakeFiles/generate.stamp.depend'
  result='-1'
-- Selecting Windows SDK version 10.0.26100.0 to target Windows 10.0.19045.
-- Could NOT find WrapVulkanHeaders (missing: Vulkan_INCLUDE_DIR) 
-- Could NOT find WrapVulkanHeaders (missing: Vulkan_INCLUDE_DIR) 
-- QML_FILES: D:/libraries/WrapUp/resources/qml/WrapUpAbout.qml;D:/libraries/WrapUp/resources/qml/WrapUpMenuBar.qml;D:/libraries/WrapUp/resources/qml/main.qml
-- QML_FILE_NAMES: WrapUpAbout.qml;WrapUpMenuBar.qml;main.qml
-- Configuring done (0.8s)
-- Generating done (0.3s)
-- Build files have been written to: D:/libraries/WrapUp/build

  1>Checking Build System
  Building Custom Rule D:/libraries/WrapUp/CMakeLists.txt
  Building Custom Rule D:/libraries/WrapUp/CMakeLists.txt
  1>Automatic MOC for target WrapUp
  Running AUTOMOC file extraction for target WrapUp
  Running moc --collect-json for target WrapUp
  Automatic QML type registration for target WrapUp
  Running rcc for resource qmake_com_cppmore_wrapup
  Generating .rcc/qmlcache/WrapUp_qmlcache_loader.cpp
  Running rcc for resource WrapUp_raw_qml_0
  Building Custom Rule D:/libraries/WrapUp/src/CMakeLists.txt
  Generating .rcc/qmlcache/WrapUp_/resources/qml/WrapUpAbout_qml.cpp, .rcc/qmlcache/WrapUp_/resources/qml/WrapUpAbout_qml.cpp.aotstats
  Error creating directory "D:/libraries/WrapUp/build/src/.rcc/qmlcache/WrapUp_../resources/qml".
D:\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(254,5): error MSB8066: “D:\libraries\WrapUp\build\CMakeFiles\9e5228bf0ebbc21310f7a5dbc5cf0aea\qt6wrapup_metatypes.json.gen.rule 
;D:\libraries\WrapUp\build\CMakeFiles\39b2acbd3902d61e86576894dd8662e6\wrapup_qmltyperegistrations.cpp.rule;D:\libraries\WrapUp\build\CMakeFiles\c3590fc0bbf25252fc327eba035db7b1\qrc_qmake_com_cppmore_wrapup.cpp.rule;D:\libra 
ries\WrapUp\build\CMakeFiles\9b2df191bdcd22186ae42596e6c41ac2\WrapUp_qmlcache_loader.cpp.rule;D:\libraries\WrapUp\build\CMakeFiles\be821e174df26c8b141b726b6bc6d578\WrapUpAbout_qml.cpp.rule;D:\libraries\WrapUp\build\CMakeFile 
s\c3590fc0bbf25252fc327eba035db7b1\qrc_WrapUp_raw_qml_0.cpp.rule;D:\libraries\WrapUp\src\CMakeLists.txt”

Question:
I know the issue is related to the path, but how should I fix it? (I don't want to change the project structure)

JKSH

@lkimuka said in qt_add_qml_module with absolute QML file paths causes qmlcachegen error:

how should I fix it?

The expectation is to have a CMakeLists.txt file in the same folder as your *.qml files. You can then link that folder to the rest of your project using add_subdirectory().

Note: *.qml files are considered source code, not resources.

lkimuka

@JKSH said in qt_add_qml_module with absolute QML file paths causes qmlcachegen error:

The expectation is to have a CMakeLists.txt file in the same folder as your *.qml files. You can then link that folder to the rest of your project using add_subdirectory().

Thank you. This approach is correct. Placing the *.qml files in the src directory is indeed more appropriate. I just wanted to see how to write the CMake configuration when separating QML and C++ code.