Setting up Eclipse for C++

Linux + CMake (“Unix Makefiles” generator) + Qt (optional)

You should have a plain CMake project myproject, and we are going to make an Eclipse workspace outside of it:

    myproject/
      .git/
      CMakeLists.txt
      src/
        main.cpp
    workspace/
      myproject/
        Release/
        Debug/

Qt (optional)

• Get latest Eclipse CDT and then install the Qt package in it through “Help -> Install New Software”.

Workspace

• Create an empty “workspace” directory alongside your CMake project source directory.
• Launch Eclipse and switch to that “workspace” directory.
• Create a C++ project (for Qt with Eclipse older than Neon: create “Qt Makefile Project” and then delete *.pro file, makefile and main.cpp from it)

Attaching Sources to the Project

• Go to Project Properties -> Paths and Symbols -> Source Location -> Link Folder.
• Check “Advanced” and link the source folder of CMake project like that: ../../myproject/src/. It works because the workspace is just outside the CMake project directory.

CMake generator

• Create Release folder in the project.
• Go to “Make Target” view (Ctrl+3 and then type “Make Target” if it’s hard to find). “Make Target” view looks similarly to project view.
• Right click on the “Release” folder and then click “New…“.
  • Uncheck “Same as target name”.
  • Uncheck “Use builder settings”.
  • Type in “Release” into “Target name” field.
  • Leave “Make target” empty.
  • Set “Build command” to something like cmake ../../../myproject/.
  • Click ok.
• Double click on this “Release” make target that was just created in the Release folder. That will run cmake generation.

Build

• Go to Project Properties and create a “Release” configuration.
• Make “Release” configuration active.
• For “Release” configuration uncheck “Generate Makefiles automatically”.
• Set Build directory to “Release”.
• Enable parallel build.

Now, you can build the project from Eclipse with a usual Ctrl+b “Build”.

Re-running CMake (to re-generate the makefiles)

• Remove everything from the “Release” directory.
• Go to “Make Target” view.
• Double-click on the “Release” target.