If you need to download a specific file (like a machine learning model or a test dataset) rather than a library, use the file(DOWNLOAD ...) command.
Ensure this is set to ON to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. cmake file download example
Since CMake 3.11, FetchContent has become the standard for managing external files and libraries. It downloads the data when you run the configure command (e.g., cmake .. ). If you need to download a specific file
CMake provides a powerful built-in module called FetchContent that makes downloading files and dependencies during the configuration step seamless. This approach is superior to older methods like ExternalProject_Add because it allows you to use the downloaded content immediately in your build script. It downloads the data when you run the configure command (e
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.11) project(DownloadExample) include(FetchContent) # Define the download parameters FetchContent_Declare( googletest URL https://github.com ) # Download and make the content available FetchContent_MakeAvailable(googletest) Use code with caution. 2. Downloading a Single Data File
file(DOWNLOAD ${URL} ${DEST} EXPECTED_HASH SHA256=e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855 TLS_VERIFY ON ) Use code with caution.
Here is a comprehensive guide and examples for downloading files using CMake. 1. The Modern Way: FetchContent