A CMake Generator is responsible for writing the input files for a native build system. Exactly one of the CMake Generators must be selected for a build tree to determine what native build system is to be used. Optionally one of the Extra Generators may be selected as a variant of some of the Command-Line Build Tool Generators to produce project files for an auxiliary IDE.
CMake Generators are platform-specific so each may be available only on certain platforms. The cmake(1) command-line tool --help output lists available generators on the current platform. Use its -G option to specify the generator for a new build tree. The cmake-gui(1) offers interactive selection of a generator when creating a new build tree.
These generators support command-line build tools. In order to use them, one must launch CMake from a command-line prompt whose environment is already configured for the chosen compiler and build tool.
These generators support Integrated Development Environment (IDE) project files. Since the IDEs configure their own environment one may launch CMake from any environment.
Some of the CMake Generators listed in the cmake(1) command-line tool --help output may have variants that specify an extra generator for an auxiliary IDE tool. Such generator names have the form <extra-generator> - <main-generator>. The following extra generators are known to CMake.
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https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.19/manual/cmake-generators.7.html