Advanced syntax highlighting for for CMake
When managing large or complex build systems, clarity is crucial. CMakeLists.txt is integral to the CMake build process, but often lacks the readability that well-formatted syntax highlighting can provide. The typical syntax highlighter struggles to differentiate between core commands, variables, strings, and comments. That’s why I created a tailored solution specifically for CMakeLists.txt files.
With enhanced syntax highlighting, you can quickly identify key commands, correctly parse multi-line arguments, and easily distinguish between variable names and quoted strings, all of which significantly improve navigation through build configurations.
CMakeLists.txt Showcase
# Sample CMake code with enhanced syntax highlighting
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.14)
project(MyApp)
set(SOURCES
main.cpp
util.cpp
)
add_executable({PROJECT_NAME} {SOURCES})
target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE mylib)
Core Features
- Command Highlighting: My tool recognizes key CMake commands (
add_executable,set,target_link_libraries, etc.) and highlights them for quick identification. - Variable Highlighting: Variables such as
${PROJECT_NAME}are wrapped in a custom span to differentiate them from other text. - String Highlighting: Quoted strings receive a unique style, making paths and other string arguments stand out.
- Comment Highlighting: CMake comments, which start with
#, are highlighted to ensure they don’t distract from the actual configuration content.
Conclusion
Syntax highlighting in CMakeLists.txt files provides an immediate productivity boost. Whether you’re working on simple projects or managing extensive build systems, this tool reduces the cognitive overhead by improving readability and making it easier to track down issues. Having clear, well-organized configurations is essential for maintaining complex build environments, and this tool helps you achieve that with ease.
This syntax highlighting improvement is another step in my ongoing efforts to develop better tools for programming languages and build systems. I previously worked on similar tools for languages like C++, JavaScript, Matlab, and Fortran, and today I’ve added CMakeLists.txt to that list.
For more details into this topic and check all the languages my code supports, you can find the details here.