# ctest_build

Perform the CTest Build Step as a Dashboard Client.

    ctest_build([BUILD <build-dir>] [APPEND]
                [CONFIGURATION <config>]
                [FLAGS <flags>]
                [PROJECT_NAME <project-name>]
                [TARGET <target-name>]
                [NUMBER_ERRORS <num-err-var>]
                [NUMBER_WARNINGS <num-warn-var>]
                [RETURN_VALUE <result-var>]
                [CAPTURE_CMAKE_ERROR <result-var>]
                )

Build the project and store results in `Build.xml` for submission with the `ctest_submit()` command.

The `CTEST_BUILD_COMMAND` variable may be set to explicitly specify the build command line. Otherwise the build command line is computed automatically based on the options given.

The options are:

`BUILD <build-dir>`

  Specify the top-level build directory. If not given, the `CTEST_BINARY_DIRECTORY` variable is used.

`APPEND`

  Mark `Build.xml` for append to results previously submitted to a dashboard server since the last `ctest_start()` call. Append semantics are defined by the dashboard server in use. This does not cause results to be appended to a `.xml` file produced by a previous call to this command.

`CONFIGURATION <config>`

  Specify the build configuration (e.g. `Debug`). If not specified the `CTEST_BUILD_CONFIGURATION` variable will be checked. Otherwise the `-C <cfg>` option given to the `ctest(1)` command will be used, if any.

`FLAGS <flags>`

  Pass additional arguments to the underlying build command. If not specified the `CTEST_BUILD_FLAGS` variable will be checked. This can, e.g., be used to trigger a parallel build using the `-j` option of make. See the `ProcessorCount` module for an example.

`PROJECT_NAME <project-name>`

  Ignored. This was once used but is no longer needed.

`TARGET <target-name>`

  Specify the name of a target to build. If not specified the `CTEST_BUILD_TARGET` variable will be checked. Otherwise the default target will be built. This is the “all” target (called `ALL_BUILD` in Visual Studio Generators).

`NUMBER_ERRORS <num-err-var>`

  Store the number of build errors detected in the given variable.

`NUMBER_WARNINGS <num-warn-var>`

  Store the number of build warnings detected in the given variable.

`RETURN_VALUE <result-var>`

  Store the return value of the native build tool in the given variable.

`CAPTURE_CMAKE_ERROR <result-var>`

  Store in the `<result-var>` variable -1 if there are any errors running the command and prevent ctest from returning non-zero if an error occurs.

`QUIET`

  Suppress any CTest-specific non-error output that would have been printed to the console otherwise. The summary of warnings / errors, as well as the output from the native build tool is unaffected by this option.