# CMakeForceCompiler

Deprecated since version 3.6: Do not use.

The commands provided by this module were once intended for use by cross-compiling toolchain files when CMake was not able to automatically detect the compiler identification. Since the introduction of this module, CMake's compiler identification capabilities have improved and can now be taught to recognize any compiler. Furthermore, the suite of information CMake detects from a compiler is now too extensive to be provided by toolchain files using these macros.

One common use case for this module was to skip CMake's checks for a working compiler when using a cross-compiler that cannot link binaries without special flags or custom linker scripts. This case is now supported by setting the `CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_TARGET_TYPE` variable in the toolchain file instead.

Load this module in a CMake toolchain file:

    include(CMakeForceCompiler)

## Commands

This module provides the following commands:

cmake_force_c_compiler

  Sets the `CMAKE_C_COMPILER` variable to the given compiler and the `CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID` variable to the given compiler-id:

      cmake_force_c_compiler(<compiler> <compiler-id>)

  This command also bypasses the check for working compiler and basic compiler information tests.

cmake_force_cxx_compiler

  Sets the `CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER` variable to the given compiler and the `CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID` variable to the given compiler-id:

      cmake_force_cxx_compiler(<compiler> <compiler-id>)

  This command also bypasses the check for working compiler and basic compiler information tests.

cmake_force_fortran_compiler

  Sets the `CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER` variable to the given compiler and the `CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID` variable to the given compiler-id:

      cmake_force_fortran_compiler(<compiler> <compiler-id>)

  This command also bypasses the check for working compiler and basic compiler information tests.

## Examples

A simple toolchain file using this module could look like this:

`cmake/toolchains/example-toolchain.cmake`

    include(CMakeForceCompiler)
    set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Generic)
    cmake_force_c_compiler(chc12 MetrowerksHicross)
    cmake_force_cxx_compiler(chc12 MetrowerksHicross)

In new CMake code, compiler is detected automatically when setting required variables instead:

`cmake/toolchains/example-toolchain.cmake`

    set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Generic)
    set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER chc12)
    set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER chc12)

## See Also

- `cmake-toolchains(7)`