CMake has a long-standing bug/feature (see [here](https://cmake.org/pipermail/cmake/2015-March/060204.html) and reply [here](https://cmake.org/pipermail/cmake/2015-March/060209.html)) which can mangle certain path variables by attempting to make them into relative paths if you try to set them with CACHE PATH.
Say you have your OpenCV download at `/path/on/my/computer/to/opencv/`. What actually happens is that if you try to set this variable by invoking CMAKE with `-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/my/desired/install/path`, what you end up is *not* `/usr/local/` and *not* `my/desired/install/path`, but instead, this monstrosity: `/path/on/my/computer/to/opencv/src/OpenCV-build//my/desired/install/path`.
That is, CMake attempts, for some reason, to turn the path that you passed into a path relative to `${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}`. See the links I posted above: this is a known (and apparently unfixable) issue with CMake.
In OpenCV's case, among other potential issues, this leads to broken paths in `opencv_tests_config.hpp`, which can break the build or cause bizarre behaviour.
The fix for this issue, as stated in my links above, is to test that the variable hasn't been set yet with an `if(NOT DEFINED ...)` before attempting to set it. This is what I've implemented here. I admit I don't know enough about OpenCV's internals to know whether you *really* need to force the install to be in `/usr/local`, but as it stands right now you get *neither* a clean `/usr/local` path *nor* a customized `/my/desired/install/path`, but a broken mess. This change at least allows the user to customize their install directory.
In the meantime, there's a workaround for this, by explicitly defining the variable as a path with `-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=my/desired/install/path`. But if this change can save anyone else the hours of headaches that I had today, I'll be happy.
cv2.findContours() no longer modifies source image (#8150)
* cv2.findContours() no longer modifies source image
Since OpenCV 3.2, cv2.findContours() no longer modifies the source image but returns a modified image as the first of three return parameters. ??? Do I have that correct ???
Also fixed up the code blocks to be valid markdown.
* ```python --> @code{.py}
Enables syntax highlighting in docs.
fix for opencv/opencv#8105, compilation issue with mingw32 (in
google/googletest#721 a similar issue was solved and the reason was
described as MinGW defines _CRITICAL_SECTION and _RTL_CRITICAL_SECTION
as two separate (equivalent) structs, instead of using typedef)