QTCreator copy files to output directory with INSTALLS

Question

I have two sub directories docroot and config in my Qt project. Files in these directories shall be copied to the build directory whenever I build / debug the project.

As of https://stackoverflow.com/a/3991210/356726 this is possible by using INSTALLS (QtDoc), which seems to be much easier than running copy command (e.g here). A similar approach is described here.

config.path    = $${DESTDIR}/config
config.files   = config/*
docroot.path   = $${DESTDIR}/docroot
docroot.files  = docroot/*
INSTALLS       += config docroot

However, when I run a build in Qt Creator nothing happens. This here says I need to run make install . Can I somehow trigger / do this from within Qt Creator automatically whenever I build. I would need always the latest version of the files.

EDIT: Eventually I have used $$OUT_PWD instead of $$DESTDIR

Original comment from Logan here: "Just a note: I used $$OUT_PWD instead of $$DESTDIR to make it work. For reference $$OUT_PWD is the folder that the program is built to, and $$PWD is the folder that the program is Being built from -in other words it's where the .pro file is."

Solution 1

What you need is a custom build step.

1. Switch to Projects Mode: press Ctrl+5.
2. On Build Settings tab under Build Steps click on Add Build Step.
3. Choose Make from the menu.
4. Write install into Make arguments: text input box.

(The version where I checked these is Qt Creator 2.4.1.)

Solution 2

I was using Shadow Build on Window 7 and I ran into the same problem than you.

Moreover, after setting my INSTALLS and running make install I was having the following message :

Nothing to be done for `install'.

The reason is that you have to set $$DESTDIR yourself.

In my case I wanted to copy *.qml files, that's how I achieved it:

# if you are using Shadow build, you need to get the output folder
CONFIG(release, debug|release): DESTDIR = $$OUT_PWD/release
CONFIG(debug, debug|release): DESTDIR = $$OUT_PWD/debug

# if you are using normal build (non-shadow) that would have worked as well.
CONFIG(release, debug|release): DESTDIR = release
CONFIG(debug, debug|release): DESTDIR = debug    

QmlFiles.path = $$DESTDIR/Qml
QmlFiles.files += $$files(Qml/*.qml)

INSTALLS += QmlFiles

EDIT :

I figure out that $$OUT_PWD can be use to find the Shadow Build Output path. So, I fixed the code which finally come close to what you were using.