Adding extra command to cpack - NSIS packager/installer - installation

Question

I want to package a project of mine for windows with CPack and NSIS using an already existing
GeneratorConfig.cmake file where I want to add an extra command that will copy an .ini file called myProject.ini into %APPDATA%/myProject/myProject.ini .
This is GeneratorConfig.cmake
SET(INSTALL_AN_ALREADY_EXISTING_DIR ".")
##########################################################################
## Begin NSIS Specific options
##------------------------------------------------------------------------
if(CPACK_GENERATOR MATCHES NSIS)
# Additional NSIS commands to uninstall start menu shortcuts
SET(CPACK_NSIS_DELETE_ICONS_EXTRA
"Delete \"$SMPROGRAMS\\$MUI_TEMP\\${PROJECT_NAME}.lnk\"
StrCmp \"$INSTALL_DESKTOP\" \"1\" 0 +2
Delete \"$DESKTOP\\${PROJECT_NAME}.lnk\" ")
# The display name string that appears in the Windows Add/Remove Program control panel
SET(CPACK_NSIS_DISPLAY_NAME "${PROJECT_NAME} ${PROJECT_VER_MAJOR}.${PROJECT_VER_MINOR}")
SET(CPACK_NSIS_DISPLAY_NAME_SET "TRUE")
# Extra NSIS commands that will be added to the end of the install Section, after your
# install tree is available on the target system.
SET(CPACK_NSIS_EXTRA_INSTALL_COMMANDS
"CreateShortCut \"$SMPROGRAMS\\$STARTMENU_FOLDER\\${PROJECT_NAME}.lnk\" \"$INSTDIR\\.\\bin\\${PROJECT_EXE} \" -previousworkingdir \"$INSTDIR\\.\\bin\\app_icon.ico\"
StrCmp \"$INSTALL_DESKTOP\" \"1\" 0 +2
CreateShortCut \"$DESKTOP\\${PROJECT_NAME}.lnk\" \"$INSTDIR\\.\\bin\\${PROJECT_EXE} \" -previousworkingdir \"$INSTDIR\\.\\bin\\app_icon.ico\"
")
# Extra commands to fix permissions of bin/licenses folder
SET(CPACK_NSIS_EXTRA_INSTALL_COMMANDS
"${CPACK_NSIS_EXTRA_INSTALL_COMMANDS}
ExecWait 'icacls \\\"$INSTDIR\\\\bin\\\\licenses\\\" /grant:r Users:\\\(OI\\\)\\\(CI\\\)\\\(F\\\)'
")
# A path to the executable that contains the installer icon.
SET(CPACK_NSIS_INSTALLED_ICON_NAME "${PROJECT__DIR}\\bin\\${PROJECT_EXE}")
# The default installation directory presented to the end user by the NSIS installer
SET(CPACK_NSIS_INSTALL_ROOT "$PROGRAMFILES64")
# Title displayed at the top of the installer
SET(CPACK_NSIS_PACKAGE_NAME "${PROJECT_NAME} ${PROJECT_VER_MAJOR}.${PROJECT_VER_MINOR}")
SET(CPACK_NSIS_PAGE_COMPONENTS " ")
SET(CPACK_NSIS_MUI_FINISHPAGE_RUN ${PROJECT_EXE})
endif(CPACK_GENERATOR MATCHES NSIS)
##------------------------------------------------------------------------
## End NSIS Specific options
##########################################################################
I tried to do this with the code below but this builds the package but doesn't
copy myProject.ini anywhere.
SET(CPACK_NSIS_EXTRA_INSTALL_COMMANDS
"CreateDirectory \"$ENV{APPDATA}\\myProject\",
SetOutPath \"$ENV{APPDATA}\\myProject\",
File \"myProject.ini\"
")
Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.

Answer 1

From what i can tell you are using not enough '\' symbols.
To clarify: that string is evaluated twice, once by CMake and once by CPack, and each time substitutions such as \->\ and \" -> " occur. Please check generated nsis project for what the actual generated commands are and whether all '"' are correctly set.
To summarize: try using this:
SET(CPACK_NSIS_EXTRA_INSTALL_COMMANDS
"CreateDirectory \\\"$ENV{APPDATA}\\\\myProject\\\",
SetOutPath \\\"$ENV{APPDATA}\\\\myProject\\\",
File \\\"myProject.ini\\\"
")