xmake-options

name	xmake-options
description	Use when defining user-configurable build options (`option(...)`), reading them from targets, or exposing them on the `xmake f` command line. Covers showmenu, default, values, and option-driven config.h generation.

Xmake Options

Options are user-facing switches that can be set via xmake f --name=value and queried from targets and conditions.

Declaring an option

option("enable_foo")
    set_default(false)
    set_showmenu(true)
    set_description("Enable the foo subsystem")
option_end()

set_showmenu(true) makes the option visible in xmake f --menu and xmake f --help.

Using an option from a target

target("app")
    add_files("src/*.cpp")
    if has_config("enable_foo") then
        add_files("src/foo/*.cpp")
        add_defines("ENABLE_FOO=1")
    end

has_config("name") returns true when the option is truthy. Use get_config("name") to read the actual value.

Enumerated / typed options

option("backend")
    set_default("vulkan")
    set_values("vulkan", "metal", "d3d12")
    set_showmenu(true)

xmake f --backend=metal

Options that probe the host

option("has_avx2")
    add_cxflags("-mavx2")
    add_cxxincludes("immintrin.h")
    add_cxxsnippets("int f(){ return _mm256_set1_epi32(1)[0]; }")

Xmake runs the snippet at configure time; the option becomes enabled if the probe compiles.

Generating a config header

target("app")
    set_configdir("$(buildir)/config")
    add_configfiles("src/config.h.in")
    set_configvar("ENABLE_FOO", has_config("enable_foo") and 1 or 0)

src/config.h.in can reference ${define ENABLE_FOO} or ${ENABLE_FOO}.

Command-line usage

xmake f --enable_foo=y --backend=metal -m release
xmake

When to branch out

• Per-target flags — xmake-targets
• Toolchain selection via options — xmake-toolchains