How to detect Qt Creator's target (debug/release) (Visual Studio)

Question

So I use qmake to create my program, but I'm always having a conflict between my debug and release boost libraries with the message:

libboost_system-vc120-mt-s-1_58.lib(error_code.obj):-1: error: LNK2038: mismatch detected for '_ITERATOR_DEBUG_LEVEL': value '0' doesn't match value '2' in main.obj

I would like to make this automated, in such a way where choosing debug or release from Qt Creator suffices to create the correct version. I saw other solutions like the one here, but that doesn't work. The reason why it doesn't work can be seen when calling the following command for both debug and release:

message($$CONFIG)

which will print the configuration of qmake. The results are the following:

For release:

lex yacc debug exceptions depend_includepath testcase_targets import_plugins import_qpa_plugin rtti_off incremental_off windows qt warn_on release link_prl incremental flat precompile_header autogen_precompile_source debug_and_release debug_and_release_target embed_manifest_dll embed_manifest_exe c++11 debug static rtti no_plugin_manifest qpa win32 msvc copy_dir_files release

For Debug:

lex yacc debug exceptions depend_includepath testcase_targets import_plugins import_qpa_plugin rtti_off incremental_off windows qt warn_on release link_prl incremental flat precompile_header autogen_precompile_source debug_and_release debug_and_release_target embed_manifest_dll embed_manifest_exe c++11 debug static rtti no_plugin_manifest qpa win32 msvc copy_dir_files

Notice that both contain debug and release... and I'm wondering why...

I would like to point out that I compiled this Qt version from source. But there was no weird stuff when I did that. I used the following command to compile it (configure then compile with simple nmake):

configure -debug-and-release -opensource -platform win32-msvc2013 -opengl desktop -static -nomake examples -nomake tests

I tried a dull solution by adding the command: debug:CONFIG-=release in my make file, but that will cause the release version to become debug with 30 MB size instead of 14 MB when I choose release from Qt Creator.

My qmake file is a typical one. The following is the part that could have anything to do with the problem. The other parts are just adding files and libraries and paths:

QMAKE_CFLAGS += /MT

QT       += core gui

unix:QMAKE_CXXFLAGS += -std=c++11

greaterThan(QT_MAJOR_VERSION, 4): QT += widgets

TARGET = MyProg
TEMPLATE = app

So why is this problem happening? Why are my debug or release a debug and release? How can I distinguish between them?

Please ask if you require any additional information.

Answer 1

The answer is I think in Qt project org faq 355

If you always accept the name Qt Creator suggests for your build you can use the following simple solution in your pro files that in my case (Qt 5.5) works for Linux, Mac and Windows:

# to distinguish between debug and release executable as target
# we define the variables releaseExec and debugExec
# this only works if the $$OUT_PWD has "Release" in its name
BDIR = $$OUT_PWD
BDIR_STRIPPED = $$replace(BDIR,Release,)
equals (BDIR,$$BDIR_STRIPPED): CONFIG+= debugExec
else: CONFIG+= releaseExec

We used the variables releaseExec and debugExec to avoid name collisions with Qt CONFIG variables.

You can now use the switch statements:

releaseExec: warning ("this is a release build")
debugExec: warning ("this is a debug build")