The problem when I install HighFive by cmake

[dirichlet10]

I follow the steps of "Regular Installation of [HighFive]" on https://bluebrain.github.io/HighFive/ to install HighFive by cmake. I type in the following command:

cmake -DHIGHFIVE_EXAMPLES=Off -DHIGHFIVE_USE_BOOST=Off -DHIGHFIVE_UNIT_TESTS=Off -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="${HOME}/usr/" -B ./ ../

I am in the file "build" under the file "HighFive-src".
But the result shows that:

CMake Error at /cluster/home/gengl/usr/lib/cmake/HighFive/HighFiveConfig.cmake:18 (add_library):
  add_library cannot create ALIAS target "HighFive" because target
  "HighFive::HighFive" is itself an ALIAS.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  CMakeLists.txt:131 (find_package)

CMake Error at /cluster/home/gengl/usr/lib/cmake/HighFive/HighFiveConfig.cmake:19 (add_library):
  add_library cannot create ALIAS target "HighFiveInclude" because target
  "HighFive::Include" is itself an ALIAS.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  CMakeLists.txt:131 (find_package)

-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "/cluster/home/gengl/software/HighFive-src/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".

Could anyone can tell me the reason, please? Thank you in advance！

[1uc]

The commands doesn't look wrong; and fortunately, I can't reproduce the issue using the latest version of HighFive and some reasonably modern version of CMake.

CMake has a tendency to create certain files/directories that then prevent correct runs later on. Check git status if there's any new files/directories, outside of build, that look like CMake created them.

First we should make sure that it's a clean copy of HighFive. For example run the following in your home directory:

mkdir -p ${HOME}/sandbox/hi5-issue-1047
cd ${HOME}/sandbox/hi5-issue-1047
git clone https://github.com/BlueBrain/HighFive.git HighFive-src
cd HighFive-src

Now the exact command you posted, should work, i.e.

mkdir build && cd build
cmake -DHIGHFIVE_EXAMPLES=Off -DHIGHFIVE_UNIT_TESTS=Off -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="${HOME}/usr/" -B ./ ../

(I've remove the flag related to BOOST but it doesn't matter.)

Hopefully, using a clean directory fixes the issue, if not, we need to understand why the "installed" copy is involved during configure time:

CMake Error at /cluster/home/gengl/usr/lib/cmake/HighFive/HighFiveConfig.cmake:19 (add_library):

Note that the file it's complaining about is no located in your source or build directory. It's located in the install directory. You could start by checking:

which cmake
alias | grep cmake

[dirichlet10]

Thank you for your reply! And Sorry I forget to mention one thing, that is only when I add the following sentences in the CMakeLists.txt, the problem will occur:

# ...
add_executable(foo foo.cpp)
 
find_package(HighFive REQUIRED)
target_link_libraries(foo HighFive)

If I don't add them, there is no problem.

[1uc]

Are you editing HighFives CMakeLists.txt? If no, ignore everything that follows.

If yes, I could see how that would result in the error you're describing. The problem is that inside HighFive/CMakeLists.txt we create the targets HighFive::HighFive and HighFive::Include. The find_package(HighFive REQUIRED) instructs CMake to go look for HighFive, it finds one in the install directory. It then asks the installed version to create the targets, which already exist. Therefore, it fails.

There's two options:

1. You're developing HighFive. In that case just leave out the find_package(HighFive REQUIRED).

2. You're developing an independent application, but are reusing the HighFive's CMake for some reason, maybe convenience. If that's the case, I'd recommend you move your own code into it's own directory (and own Git repository). Then you create a simple CMakeLists.txt. You could start out with something like:
   https://cliutils.gitlab.io/modern-cmake/chapters/basics/example.html
   (I quite like that resource for modern CMake.)

   You might need to add a minimum C++ version (possibly in a variation that uses targets):

   set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 14)
   set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
   set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
   

As part of our CI we check that HighFive can be used by external projects. The CMakeLists.txt for applications is here:
https://github.com/BlueBrain/HighFive/blob/9cbd8349b24c6225f001187cd4d2b2c052b8ffe3/tests/cmake_integration/application/CMakeLists.txt

You'll need to delete very liberally, more than 90% of that file isn't needed after making some choices.

[dirichlet10]

Thank you very much! I think this is the reason!

[1uc]

I think I'll close, because I suspect it's too specific to be useful to others.