CMAKE-VARIABLES(7)

NAME
cmake-variables - CMake Variables Reference

This page documents variables that are provided by CMake or have meaning to CMake when set by project code.

For general information on variables, see the Variables section in the cmake-language manual.

NOTE: CMake reserves identifiers that:

•   begin with CMAKE_ (upper-, lower-, or mixed-case), or

•   begin with _CMAKE_ (upper-, lower-, or mixed-case), or

•   begin with _ followed by the name of any CMake Command.

VARIABLES THAT PROVIDE INFORMATION

  CMAKE_AR

Name of archiving tool for static libraries.

This specifies the name of the program that creates archive or static libraries.

  CMAKE_ARGC

Number of command line arguments passed to CMake in script mode.

When run in -P script mode, CMake sets this variable to the number of command line arguments. See also CMAKE_ARGV0, 1, 2 ...

  CMAKE_ARGV0

Command line argument passed to CMake in script mode.

When run in -P script mode, CMake sets this variable to the first command line argument. It then also sets CMAKE_ARGV1, CMAKE_ARGV2, ... and so on, up to the number of command line arguments given. See also CMAKE_ARGC.

  CMAKE_BINARY_DIR

The path to the top level of the build tree.

This is the full path to the top level of the current CMake build tree. For an in-source build, this would be the same as CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR.

When run in cmake -P script mode, CMake sets the variables CMAKE_BINARY_DIR, CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR, CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR and CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR to the current working directory.

Modifying CMAKE_BINARY_DIR has undefined behavior.

  CMAKE_BUILD_TOOL

This variable exists only for backwards compatibility. It contains the same value as CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM. Use that variable instead.

  CMAKE_CACHE_MAJOR_VERSION

Major version of CMake used to create the CMakeCache.txt file

This stores the major version of CMake used to write a CMake cache file. It is only different when a different version of CMake is run on a previously created cache file.

  CMAKE_CACHE_MINOR_VERSION

Minor version of CMake used to create the CMakeCache.txt file

This stores the minor version of CMake used to write a CMake cache file. It is only different when a different version of CMake is run on a previously created cache file.

  CMAKE_CACHE_PATCH_VERSION

Patch version of CMake used to create the CMakeCache.txt file

This stores the patch version of CMake used to write a CMake cache file. It is only different when a different version of CMake is run on a previously created cache file.

  CMAKE_CACHEFILE_DIR

This variable is used internally by CMake, and may not be set during the first configuration of a build tree. When it is set, it has the same value as CMAKE_BINARY_DIR. Use that variable instead.

  CMAKE_COMMAND

The full path to the cmake(1) executable.

This is the full path to the CMake executable cmake(1) which is useful from custom commands that want to use the cmake -E option for portable system commands. (e.g. /usr/local/bin/cmake)

  CMAKE_CPACK_COMMAND

Added in version 3.13.

Full path to cpack(1) command installed with CMake.

This is the full path to the CPack executable cpack(1) that can be used for custom commands or tests to invoke CPack commands.

  CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING

This variable is set by CMake to indicate whether it is cross compiling, but note limitations discussed below.

This variable will be set to true by CMake if the CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME variable has been set manually (i.e. in a toolchain file or as a cache entry from the cmake command line). In most cases, manually setting CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME will only be done when cross compiling since, if not manually set, it will be given the same value as CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME, which is correct for the non-cross-compiling case. In the event that CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME is manually set to the same value as CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME, then CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING will still be set to true.

Another case to be aware of is that builds targeting Apple platforms other than macOS are handled differently to other cross compiling scenarios. Rather than relying on CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME to select the target platform, Apple device builds use CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT to select the appropriate SDK, which indirectly determines the target platform. Furthermore, when using the Xcode generator, developers can switch between device and simulator builds at build time rather than having a single choice at configure time, so the concept of whether the build is cross compiling or not is more complex. Therefore, the use of CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING is not recommended for projects targeting Apple devices.

  CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR

Added in version 3.3.

This variable is only used when CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING is on. It should point to a command on the host system that can run executable built for the target system.

Added in version 3.15: If this variable contains a semicolon-separated list, then the first value is the command and remaining values are its arguments.

Added in version 3.28: This variable can be initialized via an CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR environment variable.

The command will be used to run try_run() generated executables, which avoids manual population of the TryRunResults.cmake file.

This variable is also used as the default value for the CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR target property of executables. However, while generator expressions are supported by the target property (since CMake 3.29), they are not supported by this variable's try_run() functionality.

  CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND

Full path to ctest(1) command installed with CMake.

This is the full path to the CTest executable ctest(1) that can be used for custom commands or tests to invoke CTest commands.

  CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR

The path to the binary directory currently being processed.

This is the full path to the build directory that is currently being processed by cmake. Each directory added by add_subdirectory() will create a binary directory in the build tree, and as it is being processed this variable will be set. For in-source builds this is the current source directory being processed.

When run in cmake -P script mode, CMake sets the variables CMAKE_BINARY_DIR, CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR, CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR and CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR to the current working directory.

Modifying CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR has undefined behavior.

  CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION

Added in version 3.17.

When executing code inside a function(), this variable contains the name of the current function. It can be useful for diagnostic or debug messages.

See also CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_DIR, CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_FILE and CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_LINE.

  CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_DIR

Added in version 3.17.

When executing code inside a function(), this variable contains the full directory of the listfile that defined the current function.

It is quite common practice in CMake for modules to use some additional files, such as templates to be copied in after substituting CMake variables. In such cases, a function needs to know where to locate those files in a way that doesn't depend on where the function is called. Without CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_DIR, the code to do that would typically use the following pattern:

    set(_THIS_MODULE_BASE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}")
    function(foo)
      configure_file(
        "${_THIS_MODULE_BASE_DIR}/some.template.in"
        some.output
      )
    endfunction()

Using CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_DIR inside the function instead eliminates the need for the extra variable which would otherwise be visible outside the function's scope. The above example can be written in the more concise and more robust form:

    function(foo)
      configure_file(
        "${CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_DIR}/some.template.in"
        some.output
      )
    endfunction()

See also CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION, CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_FILE, CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_LINE and CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR.

  CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_FILE

Added in version 3.17.

When executing code inside a function(), this variable contains the full path to the listfile that defined the current function.

See also CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION, CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_DIR, CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_LINE and CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE.

  CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_LINE

Added in version 3.17.

When executing code inside a function(), this variable contains the line number in the listfile where the current function was defined.

See also CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION, CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_DIR, CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_FILE and CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_LINE.

  CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR

Full directory of the listfile currently being processed.

As CMake processes the listfiles in your project this variable will always be set to the directory where the listfile which is currently being processed (CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE) is located. The value has dynamic scope. When CMake starts processing commands in a source file it sets this variable to the directory where this file is located. When CMake finishes processing commands from the file it restores the previous value. Therefore the value of the variable inside a macro or function is the directory of the file invoking the bottom-most entry on the call stack, not the directory of the file containing the macro or function definition.

See also CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE and CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_DIR.

  CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE

Full path to the listfile currently being processed.

As CMake processes the listfiles in your project this variable will always be set to the one currently being processed. The value has dynamic scope. When CMake starts processing commands in a source file it sets this variable to the location of the file. When CMake finishes processing commands from the file it restores the previous value. Therefore the value of the variable inside a macro or function is the file invoking the bottom-most entry on the call stack, not the file containing the macro or function definition.

See also CMAKE_PARENT_LIST_FILE and CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_FILE.

  CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_LINE

The line number of the current file being processed.

This is the line number of the file currently being processed by cmake.

If CMake is currently processing deferred calls scheduled by the cmake_language(DEFER) command, this variable evaluates to DEFERRED instead of a specific line number.

See also CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_LINE.

  CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR

The path to the source directory currently being processed.

This is the full path to the source directory that is currently being processed by cmake.

When run in cmake -P script mode, CMake sets the variables CMAKE_BINARY_DIR, CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR, CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR and CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR to the current working directory.

Modifying CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR has undefined behavior.

  CMAKE_CXX_STDLIB_MODULES_JSON

Added in version 4.2.

This variable may be used to set the path to a metadata file for CMake to understand how the import std target for the active CXX compiler should be constructed.

This should only be used when the compiler does not know how to discover the relevant module metadata file without such assistance.

  CMAKE_DEBUG_TARGET_PROPERTIES

Enables tracing output for target properties.

This variable can be populated with a list of properties to generate debug output for when evaluating target properties. Currently it can only be used when evaluating:

•   AUTOUIC_OPTIONS

•   COMPILE_DEFINITIONS

•   COMPILE_FEATURES

•   COMPILE_OPTIONS

•   INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES

•   LINK_DIRECTORIES

•   LINK_OPTIONS

•   POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE

•   SOURCES

    target properties and any other property listed in COMPATIBLE_INTERFACE_STRING and other COMPATIBLE_INTERFACE_ properties. It outputs an origin for each entry in the target property. Default is unset.

  CMAKE_DIRECTORY_LABELS

Added in version 3.10.

Specify labels for the current directory.

This is used to initialize the LABELS directory property.

  CMAKE_DL_LIBS

This variable contains a name of the dynamic loading library, or a list of system libraries needed to use the dlopen() and dlclose() functions.

Few examples of the values this variable is set to:

dl  On most Unix-like systems.

-lld
    On AIX, prior to CMake 4.2.

dld On HP-UX.

""  Empty string value or not set on systems that have dl*() functions either in the default library that is implicitly linked (e.g., BSD-like systems, Haiku, macOS, SunOS, etc.), or on systems that don't provide these functions (e.g., Windows).

  Examples

  Example: Linking Dynamic Loading Library

Using this variable in a project that uses dynamic loading functionality:

    target_link_libraries(example PRIVATE ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS})

  Example: Checking Symbols

Checking for symbols with the dynamic loading library linked during the check:

    include(CheckSymbolExists)
    include(CMakePushCheckState)
    cmake_push_check_state(RESET)
      set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS})
      check_symbol_exists(dlopen "dlfcn.h" HAVE_DLOPEN)
    cmake_pop_check_state()

  CMAKE_DOTNET_SDK

Added in version 3.23.

Default value for DOTNET_SDK property of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the DOTNET_SDK property on all targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK

Added in version 3.17.

Default value for DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK property of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK property on all targets. See that target property for additional information.

Setting CMAKE_DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK may be necessary when working with C# and newer .NET framework versions to avoid referencing errors with the ALL_BUILD CMake target.

This variable is only evaluated for Visual Studio Generators VS 2010 and above.

  CMAKE_DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION

Added in version 3.12.

Default value for DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION property of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION property on all targets. See that target property for additional information. When set, CMAKE_DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK takes precednece over this variable. See that variable or the associated target property DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK for additional information.

Setting CMAKE_DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION may be necessary when working with C# and newer .NET framework versions to avoid referencing errors with the ALL_BUILD CMake target.

This variable is only evaluated for Visual Studio Generators VS 2010 and above.

  CMAKE_EDIT_COMMAND

Full path to cmake-gui(1) or ccmake(1). Defined only for Makefile Generators and Ninja Generators when not using any Extra Generators.

This is the full path to the CMake executable that can graphically edit the cache. For example, cmake-gui(1) or ccmake(1).

  CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX

The suffix for executables on the target platform.

The suffix to use for the end of an executable filename if any, .exe on Windows.

CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX_<LANG> overrides this for language <LANG>.

See the CMAKE_HOST_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX variable for the executable suffix on the host platform.

  CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX_<LANG>

The suffix to use for the end of an executable filename of <LANG> compiler target architecture, if any.

It overrides CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX for language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_EXTRA_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIXES

Additional suffixes for shared libraries.

Extensions for shared libraries other than that specified by CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX, if any. CMake uses this to recognize external shared library files during analysis of libraries linked by a target.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_ALLOW_RESPONSE_FILE

Added in version 4.2.

Enables FASTBuild's AllowResponseFile option.

See the FASTBuild Compiler() documentation for more information.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_CACHE_PATH

Added in version 4.2.

Specifies the directory for the FASTBuild artifact cache in the generated file.

If not set, FASTBuild will use the FASTBUILD_CACHE_PATH environment variable at build time.

See the FASTBuild caching documentation for more information.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_CAPTURE_SYSTEM_ENV

Added in version 4.2.

Controls capturing of the system environment into fbuild.bff. Setting it to OFF makes the invocation of all tools (compilers and other external processes) hermetic.

NOTE: Setting this variable to OFF can break MSVC toolchains that rely on environment variables such as INCLUDE or LIB unless these are manually configured elsewhere.

Defaults to ON.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_CLANG_GCC_UPDATE_XLANG_ARG

Added in version 4.2.

Enables FASTBuild's ClangGCCUpdateXLanguageArg option.

See the FASTBuild Compiler() documentation for more information.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_CLANG_REWRITE_INCLUDES

Added in version 4.2.

Enables FASTBuild's ClangRewriteIncludes option.

See the FASTBuild Compiler() documentation for more information.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_COMPILER_EXTRA_FILES

Added in version 4.2.

Specifies a semicolon-separated list of additional files (usually DLLs) to include in the FASTBuild Compiler() node.

See the FASTBuild Compiler() documentation for more information.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_ENV_OVERRIDES

Added in version 4.2.

Allows overriding environment variables in the captured environment written to fbuild.bff.

Specify a CMake-style list of key=value pairs. These values will override the corresponding variables in the environment block that FASTBuild uses during execution of tools (e.g., compilers, linkers, resource compilers, etc.).

This is especially useful for ensuring consistent behavior when tools depend on environment variables (e.g., overriding PATH to control tool resolution for rc.exe or mt.exe).

Example:

    set(CMAKE_FASTBUILD_ENV_OVERRIDES
        "PATH=C:/MyTools/bin"
        "TMP=C:/temp"
        "MY_CUSTOM_VAR=some_value"
    )

NOTE: This only affects the environment seen by FASTBuild-generated rules. It does not modify the environment in which CMake itself runs.

Defaults to empty (no overrides).

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_FORCE_RESPONSE_FILE

Added in version 4.2.

Enables FASTBuild's ForceResponseFile option.

See the FASTBuild Compiler() documentation for more information.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_IDE_ARGS

Added in version 4.2.

Specifies the command-line arguments used when invoking fbuild from IDE projects.

If not set, the following arguments are used:

    -ide -cache -summary -dist

Example:

    set(CMAKE_FASTBUILD_IDE_ARGS "-ide -cache -summary -dist -clean")

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_SOURCE_MAPPING

Added in version 4.2.

Sets FASTBuild's SourceMapping_Experimental option.

Example:

    set(CMAKE_FASTBUILD_SOURCE_MAPPING "/another/root")

See the FASTBuild Compiler() documentation for more information.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_TRACK_BYPRODUCTS_AS_OUTPUT

Added in version 4.2.

By default, custom commands declaring only BYPRODUCTS will always run unconditionally. You can use this variable to make FASTBuild rerun the command only when its inputs have changed or the byproduct file is missing.

NOTE: When this variable is OFF (the default), BYPRODUCTS are treated similarly to how Ninja handles them — as opaque side effects — and the generator emits ExecAlways nodes to ensure they always run.

Defaults to OFF.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_USE_DETERMINISTIC_PATHS

Added in version 4.2.

Enables FASTBuild's UseDeterministicPaths_Experimental option.

See the FASTBuild Compiler() documentation for more information.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_USE_LIGHTCACHE

Added in version 4.2.

Enables FASTBuild’s light caching mode, which accelerates cache lookups by parsing source files directly (instead of invoking the compiler preprocessor).

See the FASTBuild Compiler() documentation for more information.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_USE_RELATIVE_PATHS

Added in version 4.2.

Enables FASTBuild's UseRelativePaths_Experimental option.

See the FASTBuild Compiler() documentation for more information.

  CMAKE_FASTBUILD_VERBOSE_GENERATOR

Added in version 4.2.

Enables verbose logging during FASTBuild file generation.

Initialized by the CMAKE_FASTBUILD_VERBOSE_GENERATOR environment variable.

Defaults to OFF.

  CMAKE_FIND_DEBUG_MODE

Added in version 3.17.

Print extra find call information for the following commands to standard error:

•   find_program()

•   find_library()

•   find_file()

•   find_path()

•   find_package()

    Output is designed for human consumption and not for parsing. Enabling this variable is equivalent to using cmake --debug-find with the added ability to enable debugging for a subset of find calls.

        set(CMAKE_FIND_DEBUG_MODE TRUE)
        find_program(...)
        set(CMAKE_FIND_DEBUG_MODE FALSE)

    Default is unset.

  CMAKE_FIND_DEBUG_MODE_NO_IMPLICIT_CONFIGURE_LOG

Added in version 4.1.

The following commands will report configure log events when they experience a transition between found and not-found states or when the result is first defined:

•   find_program()

•   find_library()

•   find_file()

•   find_path()

•   find_package()

    The CMAKE_FIND_DEBUG_MODE_NO_IMPLICIT_CONFIGURE_LOG boolean variable suppresses these implicit events from the configure log when set to a true value.

        set(CMAKE_FIND_DEBUG_MODE_NO_IMPLICIT_CONFIGURE_LOG TRUE)
        find_program(...)
        set(CMAKE_FIND_DEBUG_MODE_NO_IMPLICIT_CONFIGURE_LOG FALSE)

    Default is unset.

  CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NAME

Added in version 3.1.1.

Defined by the find_package() command while loading a find module to record the caller-specified package name. See command documentation for details.

  CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_REDIRECTS_DIR

Added in version 3.24.

This read-only variable specifies a directory that the find_package() command will check first before searching anywhere else for a module or config package file. A config package file in this directory will always be found in preference to any other Find module file or config package file.

The primary purpose of this variable is to facilitate integration between find_package() and FetchContent_MakeAvailable(). The latter command may create files in the CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_REDIRECTS_DIR directory when it populates a dependency. This allows subsequent calls to find_package() for the same dependency to reuse the populated contents instead of trying to satisfy the dependency from somewhere external to the build. Projects may also want to write files into this directory in some situations (see Integrating With find_package() for examples).

The directory that CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_REDIRECTS_DIR points to will always be erased and recreated empty at the start of every CMake run. Any files written into this directory during the CMake run will be lost the next time CMake configures the project.

CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_REDIRECTS_DIR is only set in CMake project mode. It is not set when CMake is run in script mode (i.e. cmake -P).

  CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_SORT_DIRECTION

Added in version 3.7.

Changed in version 4.2: The default sort direction has changed from DEC to ASC.

The sorting direction used by CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_SORT_ORDER. It can assume one of the following values:

ASC Ordering is done in ascending mode. The lowest folder found will be tested first.

DEC Default. Ordering is done in descending mode. The highest folder found will be tested first.

    If CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_SORT_ORDER is set to NONE this variable has no effect.

  CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_SORT_ORDER

Added in version 3.7.

Changed in version 4.2: The default sort order has changed from NONE to NATURAL.

The default order for sorting directories which match a search path containing a glob expression found using find_package(). It can assume one of the following values:

NONE
    No attempt is done to sort directories. The first valid package found will be selected.

NAME
    Sort directories lexicographically before searching.

NATURAL
    Default. Sort directories using natural order (see strverscmp(3) manual), i.e. such that contiguous digits are compared as whole numbers.

    Natural sorting is employed by default to return the highest version when multiple versions of the same library are available to be found by find_package(). For example suppose that the following libraries have package configuration files on disk, in a directory of the same name, with all such directories residing in the same parent directory:

•   libX-1.1.0

•   libX-1.2.9

•   libX-1.2.10

    The default order of NATURAL will select the one with the highest version number, i.e. libX-1.2.10.

    The sort direction can be controlled using the CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_SORT_DIRECTION variable (by default descending, i.e. libX-1.2 will be tested before libX-1.0 and lib-B will be tested before lib-A).

  CMAKE_FIND_REQUIRED

Added in version 4.1.

If enabled, the following commands are treated as having the REQUIRED keyword unless provided with the OPTIONAL keyword:

•   find_package()

•   find_program()

•   find_library()

•   find_path()

•   find_file()

    When find_package() loads a Find<PackageName>.cmake or <PackageName>Config.cmake module, the CMAKE_FIND_REQUIRED variable is automatically unset within it to restore the default behavior for nested find operations. The module is free to set the CMAKE_FIND_REQUIRED variable itself to opt-in to the behavior.

    Note that enabling this variable breaks some commonly used patterns. Multiple calls to find_package() are sometimes used to obtain a different search order to the default.

    See also the CMAKE_REQUIRE_FIND_PACKAGE_<PackageName> variable for making a find_package() call REQUIRED, and for additional information on how enabling these variables can break commonly used patterns.

  CMAKE_GENERATOR

The generator used to build the project. See cmake-generators(7).

The name of the generator that is being used to generate the build files. (e.g. Unix Makefiles, Ninja, etc.)

The value of this variable should never be modified by project code. A generator may be selected via the cmake -G option, interactively in cmake-gui(1), or via the CMAKE_GENERATOR environment variable.

  CMAKE_GENERATOR_INSTANCE

Added in version 3.11.

Generator-specific instance specification provided by user.

Some CMake generators support selection of an instance of the native build system when multiple instances are available. If the user specifies an instance (e.g. by setting this cache entry or via the CMAKE_GENERATOR_INSTANCE environment variable), or after a default instance is chosen when a build tree is first configured, the value will be available in this variable.

The value of this variable should never be modified by project code. A toolchain file specified by the CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE variable may initialize CMAKE_GENERATOR_INSTANCE as a cache entry. Once a given build tree has been initialized with a particular value for this variable, changing the value has undefined behavior.

Instance specification is supported only on specific generators.

  Visual Studio Instance Selection

Visual Studio Generators support instance specification for Visual Studio 2017 and above. The CMAKE_GENERATOR_INSTANCE variable may be set as a cache entry selecting an instance of Visual Studio via one of the following forms:

•   location

•   location[,key=value]*

•   key=value[,key=value]*

    The location specifies the absolute path to the top-level directory of the VS installation.

    The key=value pairs form a comma-separated list of options to specify details of the instance selection. Supported pairs are:

version=<major>.<minor>.<date>.<build>
    Added in version 3.23.

    Specify the 4-component VS Build Version, a.k.a. Build Number.

    The components are:

    <major>.<minor> The VS major and minor version numbers. These are the same as the release version numbers.

    <date> A build date in the format MMMDD, where MMM is a month index since an epoch used by Microsoft, and DD is a day in that month.

    <build> A build index on the day represented by <date>.

    The build number is reported by vswhere as installationVersion. For example, VS 16.11.10 has build number 16.11.32126.315.

    Added in version 3.23: A portable VS instance, which is not known to the Visual Studio Installer, may be specified by providing both location and version=.

    If the value of CMAKE_GENERATOR_INSTANCE is not specified explicitly by the user or a toolchain file, CMake queries the Visual Studio Installer to locate VS instances, chooses one, and sets the variable as a cache entry to hold the value persistently. If an environment variable of the form VS##0COMNTOOLS, where ## the Visual Studio major version number, is set and points to the Common7/Tools directory within one of the VS instances, that instance will be used. Otherwise, if more than one VS instance is installed we do not define which one is chosen by default.

    The VS version build number of the selected VS instance is provided in the CMAKE_VS_VERSION_BUILD_NUMBER variable.

  CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM

Added in version 3.1.

Generator-specific target platform specification provided by user.

Some CMake generators support a target platform name to be given to the native build system to choose a compiler toolchain. If the user specifies a platform name (e.g. via the cmake -A option or via the CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM environment variable) the value will be available in this variable.

The value of this variable should never be modified by project code. A toolchain file specified by the CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE variable may initialize CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM. Once a given build tree has been initialized with a particular value for this variable, changing the value has undefined behavior.

Platform specification is supported only on specific generators:

•   For Visual Studio Generators with VS 2005 and above this specifies the target architecture.

•   For Green Hills MULTI this specifies the target architecture.

    See native build system documentation for allowed platform names.

  Visual Studio Platform Selection

The Visual Studio Generators support platform specification using one of these forms:

•   platform

•   platform[,key=value]*

•   key=value[,key=value]*

    The platform specifies the target platform (VS target architecture), such as x64, ARM64, or Win32. The selected platform name is provided in the CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_NAME variable.

    The key=value pairs form a comma-separated list of options to specify generator-specific details of the platform selection. Supported pairs are:

version=<version>
    Added in version 3.27.

    Specify the Windows SDK version to use. This is supported by VS 2015 and above when targeting Windows or Windows Store. CMake will set the CMAKE_VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION variable to the selected SDK version.

    The <version> may be one of:

10.0
    Specify that any 10.0 SDK version may be used, and let Visual Studio pick one. This is supported by VS 2019 and above.

10.0.<build>.<increment>
    Specify the exact 4-component SDK version, e.g., 10.0.19041.0. The specified version of the SDK must be installed. It may not exceed the value of CMAKE_VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION_MAXIMUM, if that variable is set.

8.1 Specify the 8.1 SDK version. This is always supported by VS 2015. On VS 2017 and above the 8.1 SDK must be installed.

    If the version field is not specified, CMake selects a version as described in the CMAKE_VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION variable documentation.

  CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET

Native build system toolset specification provided by user.

Some CMake generators support a toolset specification to tell the native build system how to choose a compiler. If the user specifies a toolset (e.g. via the cmake -T option or via the CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET environment variable) the value will be available in this variable.

The value of this variable should never be modified by project code. A toolchain file specified by the CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE variable may initialize CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET. Once a given build tree has been initialized with a particular value for this variable, changing the value has undefined behavior.

Toolset specification is supported only on specific generators:

•   Visual Studio Generators for VS 2010 and above

•   The Xcode generator for Xcode 3.0 and above

•   The Green Hills MULTI generator

    See native build system documentation for allowed toolset names.

  Visual Studio Toolset Selection

The Visual Studio Generators support toolset specification using one of these forms:

•   toolset

•   toolset[,key=value]*

•   key=value[,key=value]*

    The toolset specifies the toolset name. The selected toolset name is provided in the CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET variable.

    The key=value pairs form a comma-separated list of options to specify generator-specific details of the toolset selection. Supported pairs are:

cuda=<version>|<path>
    Specify the CUDA toolkit version to use or the path to a standalone CUDA toolkit directory. Supported by VS 2010 and above. The version can only be used with the CUDA toolkit VS integration globally installed. See the CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET_CUDA and CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET_CUDA_CUSTOM_DIR variables.

fortran=<compiler>
    Added in version 3.29.

    Specify the Fortran compiler to use, among those that have the required Visual Studio Integration feature installed. The value may be one of:

ifort
    Intel classic Fortran compiler.

ifx Intel oneAPI Fortran compiler.

    See the CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET_FORTRAN variable.

host=<arch>
    Specify the host tools architecture as x64 or x86. Supported by VS 2013 and above. See the CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET_HOST_ARCHITECTURE variable.

version=<version>
    Specify the toolset version to use. Supported by VS 2017 and above with the specified toolset installed. See the CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET_VERSION variable.

VCTargetsPath=<path>
    Specify an alternative VCTargetsPath value for Visual Studio project files. This allows use of VS platform extension configuration files (.props and .targets) that are not installed with VS.

  Visual Studio Toolset Customization

These are unstable interfaces with no compatibility guarantees because they hook into undocumented internal CMake implementation details. Institutions may use these to internally maintain support for non-public Visual Studio platforms and toolsets, but must accept responsibility to make updates as changes are made to CMake.

Additional key=value pairs are available:

customFlagTableDir=<path>
    Added in version 3.21.

    Specify the absolute path to a directory from which to load custom flag tables stored as JSON documents with file names of the form <platform>_<toolset>_<tool>.json or <platform>_<tool>.json, where <platform> is the CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_NAME, <toolset> is the CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET, and <tool> is the tool for which the flag table is meant. This naming pattern is an internal CMake implementation detail. The <tool> names are undocumented. The format of the .json flag table files is undocumented.

  CMAKE_IMPORT_LIBRARY_PREFIX

The prefix for import libraries that you link to.

The prefix to use for the name of an import library if used on this platform.

CMAKE_IMPORT_LIBRARY_PREFIX_<LANG> overrides this for language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_IMPORT_LIBRARY_SUFFIX

The suffix for import libraries that you link to.

The suffix to use for the end of an import library filename if used on this platform.

CMAKE_IMPORT_LIBRARY_SUFFIX_<LANG> overrides this for language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_JOB_POOL_COMPILE

This variable is used to initialize the JOB_POOL_COMPILE property on all the targets. See JOB_POOL_COMPILE for additional information.

  CMAKE_JOB_POOL_LINK

This variable is used to initialize the JOB_POOL_LINK property on all the targets. See JOB_POOL_LINK for additional information.

  CMAKE_JOB_POOL_PRECOMPILE_HEADER

Added in version 3.17.

This variable is used to initialize the JOB_POOL_PRECOMPILE_HEADER property on all the targets. See JOB_POOL_PRECOMPILE_HEADER for additional information.

  CMAKE_JOB_POOLS

Added in version 3.11.

If the JOB_POOLS global property is not set, the value of this variable is used in its place. See JOB_POOLS for additional information.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_AR

Added in version 3.9.

A wrapper around ar adding the appropriate --plugin option for the compiler.

See also CMAKE_AR.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ARCHITECTURE_ID

Added in version 3.10.

List of identifiers indicating the target architecture(s) of the compiler for language <LANG>.

Typically the list has one entry unless CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES lists multiple architectures.

Possible values for each platform are documented in the following sections.

  Apple Platforms

Added in version 4.1.

These identifiers are used when the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER targets an Apple platform (__APPLE__ is defined).

arm64
    ARM 64-bit

arm64e
    ARM 64-bit with Pointer Authentication (PACs)

arm64_32
    ARM 64-bit with 32-bit pointers (watchOS)

armv5, armv6, armv7, armv7k, armv7s
    ARM 32-bit

i386, i486, i586, i686
    Intel 32-bit

ppc PowerPC 32-bit

x86_64
    Intel 64-bit

  UNIX Platforms

Added in version 4.1.

These identifiers are used when the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER targets a UNIX platform.

aarch64
    ARM 64-bit

alpha
    DEC Alpha

armv5, armv6, armv7
    ARM 32-bit

i386, i486, i586, i686
    Intel 32-bit

ia64
    Itanium 64-bit

loongarch32
    LoongArch 32-bit

loongarch64
    LoongArch 64-bit

m68k
    Motorola 68000

mips
    MIPS 32-bit big-endian

mipsel
    MIPS 32-bit little-endian

mips64
    MIPS 64-bit big-endian

mips64el
    MIPS 64-bit little-endian

parisc
    PA-RISC 32-bit

parisc64
    PA-RISC 64-bit

ppc PowerPC 32-bit big-endian

ppcle
    PowerPC 32-bit little-endian

ppc64
    PowerPC 64-bit big-endian

ppc64le
    PowerPC 64-bit little-endian

riscv32
    RISC-V 32-bit

riscv64
    RISC-V 64-bit

s390, s390x
    IBM Z

sparc
    SPARC 32-bit

sparcv9
    SPARC 64-bit

sw_64
    Sunway

wasm32
    WebAssembly (Emscripten) 32-bit

wasm64
    WebAssembly (Emscripten) 64-bit

x86_64
    Intel 64-bit

  Windows Platforms with GNU ABI (MinGW)

Added in version 4.1.

These identifiers are used when the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER targets Windows with a GNU ABI (_WIN32 and __MINGW32__ are defined).

aarch64
    ARM 64-bit

armv7
    ARM 32-bit

i386, i486, i586, i686
    Intel 32-bit

x86_64
    Intel 64-bit

  Windows Platforms with MSVC ABI

Added in version 3.10.

These identifiers are used when the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER targets Windows with a MSVC ABI (_WIN32 and _MSC_VER are defined).

ARM64
    ARM 64-bit

ARM64EC
    ARM 64-bit Emulation-Compatible

ARMV4I, ARMV5I, ARMV7
    ARM 32-bit

IA64
    Itanium 64-bit

MIPS
    MIPS

SHx, SH3, SH3DSP, SH4, SH5
    SuperH

x64 Intel 64-bit

X86 Intel 32-bit

  Windows Platforms with Watcom ABI

Added in version 3.10.

These identifiers are used when CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID is OpenWatcom or Watcom.

I86 Intel 16-bit

X86 Intel 32-bit

  Green Hills MULTI Platforms

Added in version 3.14.

These identifiers are used when CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID is GHS.

ARM ARM 32-bit

PPC PowerPC 32-bit

PPC64
    PowerPC 64-bit

x64 Intel 64-bit

X86 Intel 32-bit

  IAR Platforms

Added in version 3.10.

These identifiers are used when CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID is IAR.

8051
    Intel 8051-compatible 8-bit

ARM ARM 32-/64-bit

AVR Microchip AVR 8-bit

MSP430
    Texas Instruments MSP430 16-bit

RH850
    Renesas Electronics RH850 32-bit

RISCV
    RISC-V 32-/64-bit

RL78
    Renesas Electronics RL78 16-bit

RX  Renesas Electronics RX 32-bit

STM8
    STMicroelectronics STM8 8-bit

V850
    Renesas Electronics V850 32-bit

  Renesas Compiler Platforms

Added in version 4.1.

These identifiers are used when CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID is Renesas.

RH850
    Renesas Electronics RH850

RL78
    Renesas Electronics RL78

RX  Renesas Electronics RX

  TASKING Platforms

Added in version 3.25.

These identifiers are used when CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID is Tasking.

8051

ARC

ARM

MCS

PCP

TriCore

  Texas Instruments Platforms

Added in version 3.19.

These identifiers are used when CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID is TI.

ARM

Blackfin

MSP430

SHARC

TMS320C28x

TMS320C6x

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_FRONTEND_VARIANT

Added in version 3.14.

Identification string of the compiler frontend variant.

Some compilers have multiple, different frontends for accepting command line options. (For example Clang originally only had a frontend compatible with the GNU compiler but since its port to Windows (Clang-Cl) it now also supports a frontend compatible with MSVC.) When CMake detects such a compiler it sets this variable to what would have been the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID for the compiler whose frontend it resembles.

NOTE: In other words, this variable describes what command line options and language extensions the compiler frontend expects.

Changed in version 3.26: This variable is set for GNU, MSVC, and AppleClang compilers that have only one frontend variant.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LINKER

Added in version 3.29.

The full path to the linker for LANG.

This is the command that will be used as the <LANG> linker.

This variable is not guaranteed to be defined for all linkers or languages.

NOTE: This variable is read-only. It must not be set by the user. To select a specific linker, use the CMAKE_LINKER_TYPE variable or the LINKER_TYPE target property.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LINKER_FRONTEND_VARIANT

Added in version 3.29.

Identification string of the linker frontend variant.

Some linkers have multiple, different frontends for accepting command line options. For example, LLVM LLD originally only had a frontend compatible with the GNU compiler, but since its port to Windows (lld-link), it now also supports a frontend compatible with MSVC. When CMake detects such a linker, it sets this variable to what would have been the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LINKER_ID for the linker whose frontend it resembles.

NOTE: In other words, this variable describes what command line options and language extensions the linker frontend expects.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LINKER_ID

Added in version 3.29.

Linker identification string.

A short string unique to the linker vendor. Possible values include:
Value | Name
AppleClang | Apple Clang
LLD | LLVM LLD
GNU | GNU Binutils - ld linker (also known as bfd)
GNUgold | GNU Binutils - gold linker
MSVC | Microsoft Visual Studio
MOLD | mold: A Modern Linker, or on Apple the sold linker
AIX | AIX system linker
Solaris | SunOS system linker

This variable is not guaranteed to be defined for all linkers or languages.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LINKER_VERSION

Added in version 3.29.

Linker version string.

Linker version in major[.minor[.patch[.tweak]]] format. This variable is not guaranteed to be defined for all linkers or languages.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_RANLIB

Added in version 3.9.

A wrapper around ranlib adding the appropriate --plugin option for the compiler.

See also CMAKE_RANLIB.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_DEVICE_LINK_MODE

Added in version 4.0.

Defines how the device link step is done. The possible values are:

DRIVER
    The compiler is used as driver for the device link step.

LINKER
    The linker is used directly for the device link step.

    This variable is read-only. Setting it is undefined behavior.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_FLAGS

Added in version 4.3.

Language-wide flags for language <LANG> used when linking for all configurations. These flags will be passed to all invocations of the compiler which drive linking.

The flags in this variable will obey the following behavior with respect to ordering of flags from other variables.

•   They will be passed after those added by CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS and CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG>.

•   They will be passed after those added by CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS, CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>, CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS, CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>, CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS, and CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG> depending on the given target type.

•   They will be passed before those added by CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_FLAGS_<CONFIG>.

•   They will be passed before those added by commands such as add_link_options() and target_link_options().

    Use of this variable is enabled when policy CMP0210 is NEW.

  Handling Compiler Driver Differences

Added in version 4.0.

To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

This support implies to parse and re-quote the content of the variable.

  See Also

•   CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

•   CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS

•   CMP0210

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

Added in version 4.3.

Language-wide flags for language <LANG> used when linking for the <CONFIG> configuration. These flags will be passed to all invocations of the compiler which drive linking.

See CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_FLAGS for the ordering of these flags with respect to other variables. Notably, flags in CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_FLAGS_<CONFIG> are passed after those in CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_FLAGS.

  Handling Compiler Driver Differences

Added in version 4.0.

To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

This support implies to parse and re-quote the content of the variable.

  See Also

•   CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_FLAGS

•   CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_SUFFIX

Added in version 3.16.

Language-specific suffix for libraries that you link to.

The suffix to use for the end of a library filename, .lib on Windows.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_MODE

Added in version 4.0.

Defines how the link step is done. The possible values are:

DRIVER
    The compiler is used as driver for the link step.

LINKER
    The linker is used directly for the link step.

    This variable is read-only. Setting it is undefined behavior.

  See Also

•   The CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_<TYPE> variable.

  CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_SUFFIX

The suffix for libraries that you link to.

The suffix to use for the end of a library filename, .lib on Windows.

  CMAKE_LINK_SEARCH_END_STATIC

Added in version 3.4.

End a link line such that static system libraries are used.

Some linkers support switches such as -Bstatic and -Bdynamic to determine whether to use static or shared libraries for -lXXX options. CMake uses these options to set the link type for libraries whose full paths are not known or (in some cases) are in implicit link directories for the platform. By default CMake adds an option at the end of the library list (if necessary) to set the linker search type back to its starting type. This property switches the final linker search type to -Bstatic regardless of how it started.

This variable is used to initialize the target property LINK_SEARCH_END_STATIC for all targets. If set, its value is also used by the try_compile() command.

See also CMAKE_LINK_SEARCH_START_STATIC.

  CMAKE_LINK_SEARCH_START_STATIC

Added in version 3.4.

Assume the linker looks for static libraries by default.

Some linkers support switches such as -Bstatic and -Bdynamic to determine whether to use static or shared libraries for -lXXX options. CMake uses these options to set the link type for libraries whose full paths are not known or (in some cases) are in implicit link directories for the platform. By default the linker search type is assumed to be -Bdynamic at the beginning of the library list. This property switches the assumption to -Bstatic. It is intended for use when linking an executable statically (e.g. with the GNU -static option).

This variable is used to initialize the target property LINK_SEARCH_START_STATIC for all targets. If set, its value is also used by the try_compile() command.

See also CMAKE_LINK_SEARCH_END_STATIC.

  CMAKE_LIST_FILE_NAME

Added in version 4.0.

The name of the CMake project files. This determines the top-level file processed when CMake is configured, and the file processed by add_subdirectory().

By default, this is CMakeLists.txt. If set to anything else, CMakeLists.txt will be used as a fallback whenever the specified file cannot be found within a project subdirectory.

This variable reports the value set via the cmake --project-file option. The value of this variable should never be set directly by projects or users.

WARNING: The use of alternate project file names is intended for temporary use by developers during an incremental transition and not for publication of a final product. CMake will always emit a warning when the project file is anything other than CMakeLists.txt.

  CMAKE_MAJOR_VERSION

First version number component of the CMAKE_VERSION variable.

  CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM

Tool that can launch the native build system. The value may be the full path to an executable or just the tool name if it is expected to be in the PATH.

The tool selected depends on the CMAKE_GENERATOR used to configure the project:

•   The Makefile Generators set this to make, gmake, or a generator-specific tool (e.g. nmake for NMake Makefiles).

    These generators store CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM in the CMake cache so that it may be edited by the user.

•   The Ninja generator sets this to ninja.

    This generator stores CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM in the CMake cache so that it may be edited by the user.

•   The Xcode generator sets this to xcodebuild.

    This generator prefers to lookup the build tool at build time rather than to store CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM in the CMake cache ahead of time. This is because xcodebuild is easy to find.

    For compatibility with versions of CMake prior to 3.2, if a user or project explicitly adds CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM to the CMake cache then CMake will use the specified value.

•   The Visual Studio Generators set this to the full path to MSBuild.exe or devenv.com. (See also variables CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND and CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND.

    These generators prefer to lookup the build tool at build time rather than to store CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM in the CMake cache ahead of time. This is because the tools are version-specific and can be located using the Visual Studio Installer. It is also necessary because the proper build tool may depend on the project content (e.g. the Intel Fortran plugin to Visual Studio requires devenv.com to build its .vfproj project files even though MSBuild.exe is normally preferred to support the CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET).

    For compatibility with versions of CMake prior to 3.0, if a user or project explicitly adds CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM to the CMake cache then CMake will use the specified value if possible.

•   The Green Hills MULTI generator sets this to the full path to gbuild.exe(Windows) or gbuild(Linux) based upon the toolset being used.

    Once the generator has initialized a particular value for this variable, changing the value has undefined behavior.

    The CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM variable is set for use by project code. The value is also used by the cmake --build and ctest --build-and-test tools to launch the native build process.

  CMAKE_MATCH_COUNT

Added in version 3.2.

The number of matches with the last regular expression.

When a regular expression match is used, CMake fills in CMAKE_MATCH_<n> variables with the match contents. The CMAKE_MATCH_COUNT variable holds the number of match expressions when these are filled.

  CMAKE_MATCH_<n>

Capture group <n> matched by the last regular expression, for groups 0 through 9. Group 0 is the entire match. Groups 1 through 9 are the subexpressions captured by () syntax.

When a regular expression match is used, CMake fills in CMAKE_MATCH_<n> variables with the match contents. The CMAKE_MATCH_COUNT variable holds the number of match expressions when these are filled.

  CMAKE_MINIMUM_REQUIRED_VERSION

The <min> version of CMake given to the most recent call to the cmake_minimum_required(VERSION) command in the current variable scope or any parent variable scope.

  CMAKE_MINOR_VERSION

Second version number component of the CMAKE_VERSION variable.

  CMAKE_NETRC

Added in version 3.11.

This variable is used to initialize the NETRC option for the file(DOWNLOAD) and file(UPLOAD) commands. See those commands for additional information.

This variable is also used by the ExternalProject and FetchContent modules for internal calls to file(DOWNLOAD).

The local option takes precedence over this variable.

  CMAKE_NETRC_FILE

Added in version 3.11.

This variable is used to initialize the NETRC_FILE option for the file(DOWNLOAD) and file(UPLOAD) commands. See those commands for additional information.

This variable is also used by the ExternalProject and FetchContent modules for internal calls to file(DOWNLOAD).

The local option takes precedence over this variable.

  CMAKE_OBJDUMP

Path to the objdump executable on the host system. This tool, typically part of the Binutils collection on Unix-like systems, provides information about compiled object files.

This cache variable may be populated by CMake when project languages are enabled using the project() or enable_language() commands.

  See Also

•   The file(GET_RUNTIME_DEPENDENCIES) command provides a more general way to get information from runtime binaries.

•   The CPACK_OBJDUMP_EXECUTABLE variable.

  CMAKE_PARENT_LIST_FILE

Full path to the CMake file that included the current one.

While processing a CMake file loaded by include() or find_package() this variable contains the full path to the file including it.

While processing a CMakeLists.txt file, even in subdirectories, this variable is not defined. See policy CMP0198.

While processing a cmake -P script, this variable is not defined in the outermost script.

See also CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE.

  CMAKE_PATCH_VERSION

Third version number component of the CMAKE_VERSION variable.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_COMPAT_VERSION

Added in version 4.3.

The compatibility version of the top level project.

This variable holds the compatibility version of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. In the event that the top level CMakeLists.txt contains multiple project() calls, the most recently called one from that top level CMakeLists.txt will determine the value that CMAKE_PROJECT_COMPAT_VERSION contains. For example, consider the following top level CMakeLists.txt:

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 4.3)
    project(First VERSION 9.0 COMPAT_VERSION 1.2.3)
    project(Second VERSION 9.0 COMPAT_VERSION 3.4.5)
    add_subdirectory(sub)
    project(Third VERSION 9.0 COMPAT_VERSION 6.7.8)

And sub/CMakeLists.txt with the following contents:

    project(SubProj VERSION 2.0 COMPAT_VERSION 1.0)
    message("CMAKE_PROJECT_COMPAT_VERSION = ${CMAKE_PROJECT_COMPAT_VERSION}")

The most recently seen project() command from the top level CMakeLists.txt would be project(Second ...), so this will print:

    CMAKE_PROJECT_COMPAT_VERSION = 3.4.5

To obtain the version from the most recent call to project() in the current directory scope or above, see the PROJECT_COMPAT_VERSION variable.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION

Added in version 3.9.

The description of the top level project.

This variable holds the description of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. In the event that the top level CMakeLists.txt contains multiple project() calls, the most recently called one from that top level CMakeLists.txt will determine the value that CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION contains. For example, consider the following top level CMakeLists.txt:

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
    project(First DESCRIPTION "I am First")
    project(Second DESCRIPTION "I am Second")
    add_subdirectory(sub)
    project(Third DESCRIPTION "I am Third")

And sub/CMakeLists.txt with the following contents:

    project(SubProj DESCRIPTION "I am SubProj")
    message("CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION = ${CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION}")

The most recently seen project() command from the top level CMakeLists.txt would be project(Second ...), so this will print:

    CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION = I am Second

To obtain the description from the most recent call to project() in the current directory scope or above, see the PROJECT_DESCRIPTION variable.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL

Added in version 3.12.

The homepage URL of the top level project.

This variable holds the homepage URL of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. In the event that the top level CMakeLists.txt contains multiple project() calls, the most recently called one from that top level CMakeLists.txt will determine the value that CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL contains. For example, consider the following top level CMakeLists.txt:

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
    project(First HOMEPAGE_URL "https://first.example.com")
    project(Second HOMEPAGE_URL "https://second.example.com")
    add_subdirectory(sub)
    project(Third HOMEPAGE_URL "https://third.example.com")

And sub/CMakeLists.txt with the following contents:

    project(SubProj HOMEPAGE_URL "https://subproj.example.com")
    message("CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL = ${CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL}")

The most recently seen project() command from the top level CMakeLists.txt would be project(Second ...), so this will print:

    CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL = https://second.example.com

To obtain the homepage URL from the most recent call to project() in the current directory scope or above, see the PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL variable.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME

The name of the top level project.

This variable holds the name of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. In the event that the top level CMakeLists.txt contains multiple project() calls, the most recently called one from that top level CMakeLists.txt will determine the name that CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME contains. For example, consider the following top level CMakeLists.txt:

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
    project(First)
    project(Second)
    add_subdirectory(sub)
    project(Third)

And sub/CMakeLists.txt with the following contents:

    project(SubProj)
    message("CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME = ${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}")

The most recently seen project() command from the top level CMakeLists.txt would be project(Second), so this will print:

    CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME = Second

To obtain the name from the most recent call to project() in the current directory scope or above, see the PROJECT_NAME variable.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_SPDX_LICENSE

Added in version 4.3.

The license(s) of the top level project.

This variable holds the license expression of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. In the event that the top level CMakeLists.txt contains multiple project() calls, the most recently called one from that top level CMakeLists.txt will determine the value that CMAKE_PROJECT_SPDX_LICENSE contains. For example, consider the following top level CMakeLists.txt:

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 4.3)
    project(First SPDX_LICENSE "BSD-3-Clause")
    project(Second SPDX_LICENSE "BSD-3-Clause AND CC-BY-SA-4.0")
    add_subdirectory(sub)
    project(Third SPDX_LICENSE "BSD-3-Clause AND CC0-1.0")

And sub/CMakeLists.txt with the following contents:

    project(SubProj SPDX_LICENSE Apache-2.0)
    message("CMAKE_PROJECT_SPDX_LICENSE = ${CMAKE_PROJECT_SPDX_LICENSE}")

The most recently seen project() command from the top level CMakeLists.txt would be project(Second ...), so this will print:

    CMAKE_PROJECT_SPDX_LICENSE = BSD-3-Clause AND CC-BY-SA-4.0

To obtain the version from the most recent call to project() in the current directory scope or above, see the PROJECT_SPDX_LICENSE variable.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION

Added in version 3.12.

The version of the top level project.

This variable holds the version of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. In the event that the top level CMakeLists.txt contains multiple project() calls, the most recently called one from that top level CMakeLists.txt will determine the value that CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION contains. For example, consider the following top level CMakeLists.txt:

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
    project(First VERSION 1.2.3)
    project(Second VERSION 3.4.5)
    add_subdirectory(sub)
    project(Third VERSION 6.7.8)

And sub/CMakeLists.txt with the following contents:

    project(SubProj VERSION 1)
    message("CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION = ${CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION}")

The most recently seen project() command from the top level CMakeLists.txt would be project(Second ...), so this will print:

    CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION = 3.4.5

To obtain the version from the most recent call to project() in the current directory scope or above, see the PROJECT_VERSION variable.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR

Added in version 3.12.

The major version of the top level project.

This variable holds the major version of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. Please see CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION documentation for the behavior when multiple project() commands are used in the sources.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR

Added in version 3.12.

The minor version of the top level project.

This variable holds the minor version of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. Please see CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION documentation for the behavior when multiple project() commands are used in the sources.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH

Added in version 3.12.

The patch version of the top level project.

This variable holds the patch version of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. Please see CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION documentation for the behavior when multiple project() commands are used in the sources.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION_TWEAK

Added in version 3.12.

The tweak version of the top level project.

This variable holds the tweak version of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. Please see CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION documentation for the behavior when multiple project() commands are used in the sources.

  CMAKE_RANLIB

Name of randomizing tool for static libraries.

This specifies name of the program that randomizes libraries on UNIX, not used on Windows, but may be present.

  CMAKE_ROOT

Install directory for running cmake.

This is the install root for the running CMake and the Modules directory can be found here. This is commonly used in this format: ${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules

  CMAKE_RULE_MESSAGES

Added in version 3.13.

Specify whether to report a message for each make rule.

If set in the cache it is used to initialize the value of the RULE_MESSAGES property. Users may disable the option in their local build tree to disable granular messages and report only as each target completes in Makefile builds.

  CMAKE_SCRIPT_MODE_FILE

Full path to the cmake -P script file currently being processed.

When run in cmake -P script mode, CMake sets this variable to the full path of the script file. When run to configure a CMakeLists.txt file, this variable is not set.

  See Also

•   The CMAKE_ROLE global property provides the current running mode.

  CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_ARCHIVE_SUFFIX

Added in version 3.31.

The suffix for archived shared libraries that you link to.

The suffix to use for the end of a archive containing a shared library, .a on AIX.

  CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_PREFIX

The prefix for shared libraries that you link to.

The prefix to use for the name of a shared library, lib on UNIX.

CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_PREFIX_<LANG> overrides this for language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX

The suffix for shared libraries that you link to.

The suffix to use for the end of a shared library filename, .dll on Windows.

CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX_<LANG> overrides this for language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_SHARED_MODULE_PREFIX

The prefix for loadable modules that you link to.

The prefix to use for the name of a loadable module on this platform.

CMAKE_SHARED_MODULE_PREFIX_<LANG> overrides this for language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_SHARED_MODULE_SUFFIX

The suffix for shared libraries that you link to.

The suffix to use for the end of a loadable module filename on this platform

CMAKE_SHARED_MODULE_SUFFIX_<LANG> overrides this for language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P

Size of a void pointer.

This is set to the size of a pointer on the target machine, and is determined when a compiled language is enabled. If a 64-bit size is found, then the library search path is modified to look for 64-bit libraries first.

  CMAKE_SKIP_INSTALL_RULES

Whether to disable generation of installation rules.

If TRUE, CMake will neither generate installation rules nor will it generate cmake_install.cmake files. This variable is FALSE by default.

  CMAKE_SKIP_RPATH

If true, do not add run time path information.

If this is set to TRUE, then the rpath information is not added to compiled executables. The default is to add rpath information if the platform supports it. This allows for easy running from the build tree. To omit RPATH in the install step, but not the build step, use CMAKE_SKIP_INSTALL_RPATH instead. To omit RPATH in the build step, use CMAKE_SKIP_BUILD_RPATH.

For more information on RPATH handling see the INSTALL_RPATH and BUILD_RPATH target properties.

  CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR

The path to the top level of the source tree.

This is the full path to the top level of the current CMake source tree. For an in-source build, this would be the same as CMAKE_BINARY_DIR.

When run in cmake -P script mode, CMake sets the variables CMAKE_BINARY_DIR, CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR, CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR and CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR to the current working directory.

Modifying CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR has undefined behavior.

  CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_PREFIX

The prefix for static libraries that you link to.

The prefix to use for the name of a static library, lib on UNIX.

CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_PREFIX_<LANG> overrides this for language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_SUFFIX

The suffix for static libraries that you link to.

The suffix to use for the end of a static library filename, .lib on Windows.

CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_SUFFIX_<LANG> overrides this for language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_Swift_COMPILATION_MODE

Added in version 3.29.

Specify how Swift compiles a target. This variable is used to initialize the Swift_COMPILATION_MODE property on targets as they are created.

The allowed values are:

incremental
    Compiles each Swift source in the module separately, resulting in better parallelism in the build. The compiler emits additional information into the build directory improving rebuild performance when small changes are made to the source between rebuilds. This is the best option to use while iterating on changes in a project.

wholemodule
    Whole-module optimizations are slowest to compile, but results in the most optimized library. The entire context is loaded into once instance of the compiler, so there is no parallelism across source files in the module.

singlefile
    Compiles each source in a Swift modules separately, resulting in better parallelism. Unlike the incremental build mode, no additional information is emitted by the compiler during the build, so rebuilding after making small changes to the source file will not run faster. This option should be used sparingly, preferring incremental builds, unless working around a compiler bug.

    Use generator expressions to support per-configuration specification. For example, the code:

        set(CMAKE_Swift_COMPILATION_MODE
          "$<IF:$<CONFIG:Release>,wholemodule,incremental>")

    sets the default Swift compilation mode to wholemodule mode when building a release configuration and to incremental mode in other configurations.

    If this variable is not set then the Swift_COMPILATION_MODE target property will not be set automatically. If that property is unset then CMake uses the default value incremental to build the Swift source files.

    NOTE: This property only has effect when policy CMP0157 is set to NEW prior to the first project() or enable_language() command that enables the Swift language.

  CMAKE_Swift_MODULE_DIRECTORY

Added in version 3.15.

Swift module output directory.

This variable is used to initialize the Swift_MODULE_DIRECTORY property on all the targets. See the target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_Swift_NUM_THREADS

Added in version 3.15.1.

Number of threads for parallel compilation for Swift targets.

This variable controls the number of parallel jobs that the swift driver creates for building targets. If not specified, it will default to the number of logical CPUs on the host.

  CMAKE_TEST_LAUNCHER

Added in version 3.29.

This variable is used to initialize the TEST_LAUNCHER target property of executable targets as they are created. It is used to specify a launcher for running tests, added by the add_test() command, that run an executable target.

If this variable contains a semicolon-separated list, then the first value is the command and remaining values are its arguments.

This variable can be initialized via an CMAKE_TEST_LAUNCHER environment variable.

  CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE

Path to toolchain file supplied to cmake(1).

This variable is specified on the command line when cross-compiling with CMake. It is the path to a file which is read early in the CMake run and which specifies locations for compilers and toolchain utilities, and other target platform and compiler related information.

Relative paths are allowed and are interpreted first as relative to the build directory, and if not found, relative to the source directory.

This is initialized by the CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE environment variable if it is set when a new build tree is first created.

See the CMAKE_PROJECT_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES variable for setting other things not directly related to the toolchain.

  CMAKE_TWEAK_VERSION

Defined to 0 for compatibility with code written for older CMake versions that may have defined higher values.

NOTE: In CMake versions 2.8.2 through 2.8.12, this variable holds the fourth version number component of the CMAKE_VERSION variable.

  CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE

Enable verbose output from Makefile builds.

This variable is a cache entry initialized (to FALSE) by the project() command. Users may enable the option in their local build tree to get more verbose output from Makefile builds and show each command line as it is launched.

  CMAKE_VERSION

The CMake version string as three non-negative integer components separated by . and possibly followed by - and other information. The first two components represent the feature level and the third component represents either a bug-fix level or development date.

Release versions and release candidate versions of CMake use the format:

    <major>.<minor>.<patch>[-rc<n>]

where the <patch> component is less than 20000000. Development versions of CMake use the format:

    <major>.<minor>.<date>[-<id>]

where the <date> component is of format CCYYMMDD and <id> may contain arbitrary text. This represents development as of a particular date following the <major>.<minor> feature release.

Individual component values are also available in variables:

•   CMAKE_MAJOR_VERSION

•   CMAKE_MINOR_VERSION

•   CMAKE_PATCH_VERSION

•   CMAKE_TWEAK_VERSION

    Use the if() command VERSION_LESS, VERSION_GREATER, VERSION_EQUAL, VERSION_LESS_EQUAL, or VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL operators to compare version string values against CMAKE_VERSION using a component-wise test. Version component values may be 10 or larger so do not attempt to compare version strings as floating-point numbers.

    NOTE: CMake versions 2.8.2 through 2.8.12 used three components for the feature level. Release versions represented the bug-fix level in a fourth component, i.e. <major>.<minor>.<patch>[.<tweak>][-rc<n>]. Development versions represented the development date in the fourth component, i.e. <major>.<minor>.<patch>.<date>[-<id>].

    CMake versions prior to 2.8.2 used three components for the feature level and had no bug-fix component. Release versions used an even-valued second component, i.e. <major>.<even-minor>.<patch>[-rc<n>]. Development versions used an odd-valued second component with the development date as the third component, i.e. <major>.<odd-minor>.<date>.

    The CMAKE_VERSION variable is defined by CMake 2.6.3 and higher. Earlier versions defined only the individual component variables.

  CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND

The Visual Studio Generators set this variable to the devenv.com command installed with the corresponding Visual Studio version.

This variable is not defined by other generators even if devenv.com is installed on the computer.

See also the CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND and CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM variables.

  CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND

The Visual Studio Generators set this variable to the MSBuild.exe command installed with the corresponding Visual Studio version.

This variable is not defined by other generators even if MSBuild.exe is installed on the computer.

See also the CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND and CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM variables.

  CMAKE_VS_NsightTegra_VERSION

Added in version 3.1.

When using Visual Studio Generators with the CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME variable set to Android, this variable contains the version number of the installed NVIDIA Nsight Tegra Visual Studio Edition.

  CMAKE_VS_NUGET_PACKAGE_RESTORE

Added in version 3.23.

When using Visual Studio Generators, this cache variable controls if msbuild should automatically attempt to restore NuGet packages prior to a build. NuGet packages can be defined using the VS_PACKAGE_REFERENCES property on a target. If no package references are defined, this setting will do nothing.

The command line option --resolve-package-references can be used alternatively to control the resolve behavior globally. This option will take precedence over the cache variable.

Targets that use the DOTNET_SDK are required to run a restore before building. Disabling this option may cause the build to fail in such projects.

This setting is stored as a cache entry. Default value is ON.

See also the VS_PACKAGE_REFERENCES property.

  CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_NAME

Added in version 3.1.

Visual Studio target platform name used by the current generator.

VS 8 and above allow project files to specify a target platform. CMake provides the name of the chosen platform in this variable. See the CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM variable for details.

See also the CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_NAME_DEFAULT variable.

  CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_NAME_DEFAULT

Added in version 3.14.3.

Default for the Visual Studio target platform name for the current generator without considering the value of the CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM variable. For Visual Studio Generators for VS 2017 and below this is always Win32. For VS 2019 and above this is based on the host platform.

See also the CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_NAME variable.

  CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET

Visual Studio Platform Toolset name.

VS 10 and above use MSBuild under the hood and support multiple compiler toolchains. CMake may specify a toolset explicitly, such as v110 for VS 11 or Windows7.1SDK for 64-bit support in VS 10 Express. CMake provides the name of the chosen toolset in this variable.

See the CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET variable for details.

  CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET_CUDA

Added in version 3.9.

NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit version whose Visual Studio toolset to use.

The Visual Studio Generators for VS 2010 and above support using a CUDA toolset provided by a CUDA Toolkit. The toolset version number may be specified by a field in CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET of the form cuda=8.0. Or it is automatically detected if a path to a standalone CUDA directory is specified in the form cuda=C:\path\to\cuda. If none is specified CMake will choose a default version. CMake provides the selected CUDA toolset version in this variable. The value may be empty if no CUDA Toolkit with Visual Studio integration is installed.

  CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET_CUDA_CUSTOM_DIR

Added in version 3.16.

Path to standalone NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit (eg. extracted from installer).

The Visual Studio Generators for VS 2010 and above support using a standalone (non-installed) NVIDIA CUDA toolkit. The path may be specified by a field in CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET of the form cuda=C:\path\to\cuda. The given directory must at least contain the nvcc compiler in path .\bin and must provide Visual Studio integration files in path .\extras\visual_studio_integration\ MSBuildExtensions\. One can create a standalone CUDA toolkit directory by either opening a installer with 7zip or copying the files that are extracted by the running installer. The value may be empty if no path to a standalone CUDA Toolkit was specified.

  CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET_FORTRAN

Added in version 3.29.

Fortran compiler to be used by Visual Studio projects.

Visual Studio Generators support selecting among Fortran compilers that have the required Visual Studio Integration feature installed. The compiler may be specified by a field in CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET of the form fortran=.... CMake provides the selected Fortran compiler in this variable.

If the field was not specified, the default depends on the generator:

•   On Visual Studio 18 2026 and above, the default is ifx.

•   On older Visual Studio Generators, the default is empty, which the Intel Visual Studio Integration interprets as equivalent to ifort.

  CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET_HOST_ARCHITECTURE

Added in version 3.8.

Visual Studio preferred tool architecture.

The Visual Studio Generators for VS 2013 and above support using either the 32-bit or 64-bit host toolchains by specifying a host=x86 or host=x64 value in the CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET option. CMake provides the selected toolchain architecture preference in this variable (x86, x64, ARM64 or empty).

  CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET_VERSION

Added in version 3.12.

Visual Studio Platform Toolset version.

The Visual Studio Generators for VS 2017 and above allow to select minor versions of the same toolset. The toolset version number may be specified by a field in CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET of the form version=14.11. If none is specified CMake will choose a default toolset. The value may be empty if no minor version was selected and the default is used.

If the value is not empty, it is the version number that MSBuild uses in its Microsoft.VCToolsVersion.*.props file names.

Added in version 3.19.7: VS 16.9's toolset may also be specified as 14.28.16.9 because VS 16.10 uses the file name Microsoft.VCToolsVersion.14.28.16.9.props.

  Three-Component MSVC Toolset Versions

Added in version 3.19.7.

The version= field may be given a three-component toolset version such as 14.28.29910, and CMake will convert it to the name used by MSBuild Microsoft.VCToolsVersion.*.props files. This is useful to distinguish between VS 16.8's 14.28.29333 toolset and VS 16.9's 14.28.29910 toolset. It also matches vcvarsall's -vcvars_ver= behavior.

  CMAKE_VS_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_IDENTIFIER

Added in version 3.22.

Visual Studio target framework identifier.

In some cases, the Visual Studio Generators may use an explicit value for the MSBuild TargetFrameworkIdentifier setting in .csproj files. CMake provides the chosen value in this variable.

See also CMAKE_VS_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION and CMAKE_VS_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_TARGETS_VERSION.

  CMAKE_VS_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_TARGETS_VERSION

Added in version 3.22.

Visual Studio target framework targets version.

In some cases, the Visual Studio Generators may use an explicit value for the MSBuild TargetFrameworkTargetsVersion setting in .csproj files. CMake provides the chosen value in this variable.

See also CMAKE_VS_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION and CMAKE_VS_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_IDENTIFIER.

  CMAKE_VS_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION

Added in version 3.22.

Visual Studio target framework version.

In some cases, the Visual Studio Generators may use an explicit value for the MSBuild TargetFrameworkVersion setting in .csproj files. CMake provides the chosen value in this variable.

See the CMAKE_DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION variable and DOTNET_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_VERSION target property to specify custom TargetFrameworkVersion values for project targets.

See also CMAKE_VS_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_IDENTIFIER and CMAKE_VS_TARGET_FRAMEWORK_TARGETS_VERSION.

  CMAKE_VS_USE_DEBUG_LIBRARIES

Added in version 3.30.

Indicate to Visual Studio Generators what configurations are considered debug configurations. This controls the UseDebugLibraries setting in each configuration of a .vcxproj file.

The "Use Debug Libraries" setting in Visual Studio projects, despite its specific-sounding name, is a general-purpose indicator of what configurations are considered debug configurations. In standalone projects, this may affect MSBuild's default selection of MSVC runtime library, optimization flags, runtime checks, and similar settings. In CMake projects those settings are typically generated explicitly based on the project's specification, e.g., the MSVC runtime library is controlled by CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY. However, the UseDebugLibraries indicator is useful for reference by both humans and tools, and may also affect the behavior of platform-specific SDKs.

Set CMAKE_VS_USE_DEBUG_LIBRARIES to a true or false value to indicate whether each configuration is considered a debug configuration. The value may also be the empty string ("") in which case no UseDebugLibraries will be added explicitly by CMake, and MSBuild will use its default value, false.

Use generator expressions for per-configuration specification. For example, the code:

    set(CMAKE_VS_USE_DEBUG_LIBRARIES "$<CONFIG:Debug,Custom>")

indicates that all following targets consider their "Debug" and "Custom" configurations to be debug configurations, and their other configurations to be non-debug configurations.

This variable is used to initialize the VS_USE_DEBUG_LIBRARIES property on all targets as they are created. It is also propagated by calls to the try_compile() command into its test project.

If this variable is not set then the VS_USE_DEBUG_LIBRARIES property will not be set automatically. If that property is not set then CMake generates UseDebugLibraries using heuristics to determine which configurations are debug configurations. See policy CMP0162.

  CMAKE_VS_VERSION_BUILD_NUMBER

Added in version 3.26.

Visual Studio version.

Visual Studio Generators for VS 2017 and above set this variable to the Visual Studio version build number in the format <major>.<minor>.<date>.<build>.

The components are:

<major>.<minor> The VS major and minor version numbers. These are the same as the release version numbers.

<date> A build date in the format MMMDD, where MMM is a month index since an epoch used by Microsoft, and DD is a day in that month.

<build> A build index on the day represented by <date>.

The build number is reported by vswhere as installationVersion. For example, VS 16.11.10 has build number 16.11.32126.315.

See also the CMAKE_GENERATOR_INSTANCE variable.

  CMAKE_VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_MIN_VERSION

Added in version 3.27.

Tell Visual Studio Generators to use the given Windows Target Platform Minimum Version.

This variable is used to initialize the VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_MIN_VERSION property on all targets when they are created. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION

Added in version 3.4.

Visual Studio Windows Target Platform Version.

When targeting Windows 10 and above, Visual Studio Generators for VS 2015 and above support specification of a Windows SDK version:

•   If CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM specifies a version= field, as documented by Visual Studio Platform Selection, that SDK version is selected.

•   Otherwise, if the WindowsSDKVersion environment variable is set to an available SDK version, that version is selected. This is intended for use in environments established by vcvarsall.bat or similar scripts.

    Added in version 3.27: This is enabled by policy CMP0149.

•   Otherwise, if CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION is set to an available SDK version, that version is selected.

    Changed in version 3.27: This is disabled by policy CMP0149.

•   Otherwise, CMake uses the latest Windows SDK version available.

    The chosen Windows target version number is provided in CMAKE_VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION. If no Windows 10 SDK is available this value will be empty.

    One may set a CMAKE_WINDOWS_KITS_10_DIR environment variable to an absolute path to tell CMake to look for Windows 10 SDKs in a custom location. The specified directory is expected to contain Include/10.0.* directories.

    See also CMAKE_VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION_MAXIMUM.

  CMAKE_VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION_MAXIMUM

Added in version 3.19.

Override the Windows 10 SDK Maximum Version for VS 2015 and beyond.

The CMAKE_VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION_MAXIMUM variable may be set to a false value (e.g. OFF, FALSE, or 0) or the SDK version to use as the maximum (e.g. 10.0.14393.0). If unset, the default depends on which version of Visual Studio is targeted by the current generator.

This can be used to exclude Windows SDK versions from consideration for CMAKE_VS_WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION.

  CMAKE_WINDOWS_KMDF_VERSION

Added in version 3.31.

Specify the Kernel-Mode Drive Framework target version.

A toolchain file that sets CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME to WindowsKernelModeDriver must also set CMAKE_WINDOWS_KMDF_VERSION to specify the KMDF target version.

  CMAKE_XCODE_BUILD_SYSTEM

Added in version 3.19.

Xcode build system selection.

The Xcode generator defines this variable to indicate which variant of the Xcode build system will be used. The value is the version of Xcode in which the corresponding build system first became mature enough for use by CMake. The possible values are:

1   The original Xcode build system. This is the default when using Xcode 11.x or below and supported up to Xcode 13.x.

12  The Xcode "new build system" introduced by Xcode 10. It became mature enough for use by CMake in Xcode 12. This is the default when using Xcode 12.x or above.

    The CMAKE_XCODE_BUILD_SYSTEM variable is informational and should not be modified by project code. See the Toolset and Build System Selection documentation section to select the Xcode build system.

  CMAKE_XCODE_PLATFORM_TOOLSET

Xcode compiler selection.

Xcode supports selection of a compiler from one of the installed toolsets. CMake provides the name of the chosen toolset in this variable, if any is explicitly selected (e.g. via the cmake -T option).

  <PROJECT-NAME>_BINARY_DIR

Top level binary directory for the named project.

A variable is created with the name used in the project() command, and is the binary directory for the project. This can be useful when add_subdirectory() is used to connect several projects.

  <PROJECT-NAME>_COMPAT_VERSION

Added in version 4.3.

Value given to the COMPAT_VERSION option of the most recent call to the project() command with project name <PROJECT-NAME>, if any.

  <PROJECT-NAME>_DESCRIPTION

Added in version 3.12.

Value given to the DESCRIPTION option of the most recent call to the project() command with project name <PROJECT-NAME>, if any.

  <PROJECT-NAME>_HOMEPAGE_URL

Added in version 3.12.

Value given to the HOMEPAGE_URL option of the most recent call to the project() command with project name <PROJECT-NAME>, if any.

  <PROJECT-NAME>_IS_TOP_LEVEL

Added in version 3.21.

A boolean variable indicating whether the named project was called in a top level CMakeLists.txt file.

To obtain the value from the most recent call to project() in the current directory scope or above, see the PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL variable.

The variable value will be true in:

•   the top-level directory of the project

•   the top-level directory of an external project added by ExternalProject

•   a directory added by add_subdirectory() that does not also contain a project() call

•   a directory added by FetchContent_MakeAvailable(), if the fetched content does not contain a project() call

    The variable value will be false in:

•   a directory added by add_subdirectory() that also contains a project() call

•   a directory added by FetchContent_MakeAvailable(), if the fetched content contains a project() call

  <PROJECT-NAME>_SOURCE_DIR

Top level source directory for the named project.

A variable is created with the name used in the project() command, and is the source directory for the project. This can be useful when add_subdirectory() is used to connect several projects.

  <PROJECT-NAME>_SPDX_LICENSE

Added in version 4.3.

Value given to the SPDX_LICENSE option of the most recent call to the project() command with project name <PROJECT-NAME>, if any.

  <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION

Value given to the VERSION option of the most recent call to the project() command with project name <PROJECT-NAME>, if any.

See also the component-wise version variables <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_MAJOR, <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_MINOR, <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_PATCH, and <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_TWEAK.

  <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_MAJOR

First version number component of the <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION variable as set by the project() command.

  <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_MINOR

Second version number component of the <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION variable as set by the project() command.

  <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_PATCH

Third version number component of the <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION variable as set by the project() command.

  <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_TWEAK

Fourth version number component of the <PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION variable as set by the project() command.

  PROJECT_BINARY_DIR

Full path to build directory for project.

This is the binary directory of the most recent project() command.

  PROJECT_COMPAT_VERSION

Added in version 4.3.

Value given to the COMPAT_VERSION option of the most recent call to the project() command, if any. To obtain the compatibility version of the top level project, see the CMAKE_PROJECT_COMPAT_VERSION variable.

  PROJECT_DESCRIPTION

Added in version 3.9.

Short project description given to the project command.

This is the description given to the most recently called project() command in the current directory scope or above. To obtain the description of the top level project, see the CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION variable.

  PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL

Added in version 3.12.

The homepage URL of the project.

This is the homepage URL given to the most recently called project() command in the current directory scope or above. To obtain the homepage URL of the top level project, see the CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL variable.

  PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL

Added in version 3.21.

A boolean variable indicating whether the most recently called project() command in the current scope or above was in the top level CMakeLists.txt file.

Some modules should only be included as part of the top level CMakeLists.txt file to not cause unintended side effects in the build tree, and this variable can be used to conditionally execute such code. For example, consider the CTest module, which creates targets and options:

    project(MyProject)
    ...
    if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
      include(CTest)
    endif()

The variable value will be true in:

•   the top-level directory of the project

•   the top-level directory of an external project added by ExternalProject

•   a directory added by add_subdirectory() that does not also contain a project() call

•   a directory added by FetchContent_MakeAvailable(), if the fetched content does not contain a project() call

    The variable value will be false in:

•   a directory added by add_subdirectory() that also contains a project() call

•   a directory added by FetchContent_MakeAvailable(), if the fetched content contains a project() call

  PROJECT_NAME

Name of the project given to the project command.

This is the name given to the most recently called project() command in the current directory scope or above. To obtain the name of the top level project, see the CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME variable.

  PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR

This is the source directory of the last call to the project() command made in the current directory scope or one of its parents. Note, it is not affected by calls to project() made within a child directory scope (i.e. from within a call to add_subdirectory() from the current scope).

  PROJECT_SPDX_LICENSE

Added in version 4.3.

Value given to the SPDX_LICENSE option of the most recent call to the project() command, if any. To obtain the compatibility version of the top level project, see the CMAKE_PROJECT_SPDX_LICENSE variable.

  PROJECT_VERSION

Value given to the VERSION option of the most recent call to the project() command, if any.

See also the component-wise version variables PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR, PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR, PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH, and PROJECT_VERSION_TWEAK.

  PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR

First version number component of the PROJECT_VERSION variable as set by the project() command.

  PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR

Second version number component of the PROJECT_VERSION variable as set by the project() command.

  PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH

Third version number component of the PROJECT_VERSION variable as set by the project() command.

  PROJECT_VERSION_TWEAK

Fourth version number component of the PROJECT_VERSION variable as set by the project() command.

VARIABLES THAT CHANGE BEHAVIOR

  BUILD_SHARED_LIBS

Tell add_library() to default to SHARED libraries, instead of STATIC libraries, when called with no explicit library type.

Calls to add_library() without any explicit library type check the current BUILD_SHARED_LIBS variable value. If it is true, then the default library type is SHARED. Otherwise, the default is STATIC.

For example, the code:

    add_library(example ${sources})

behaves as if written

    if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
      add_library(example SHARED ${sources})
    else()
      add_library(example STATIC ${sources})
    endif()

CMake does not define BUILD_SHARED_LIBS by default, but projects often create a cache entry for it using the option() command:

    option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build using shared libraries" ON)

This provides a switch that users can control, e.g., with cmake -D. If adding such an option to the project, do so in the top level CMakeLists.txt file, before any add_library() calls. Note that if bringing external dependencies directly into the build, such as with FetchContent or a direct call to add_subdirectory(), and one of those dependencies has such a call to option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS ...), the top level project must also call option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS ...) before bringing in its dependencies. Failure to do so can lead to different behavior between the first and subsequent CMake runs.

  BUILD_TESTING

Control whether the CTest module invokes enable_testing().

The CTest module, when loaded by include(CTest), runs code of the form:

    option(BUILD_TESTING "..." ON)
    if (BUILD_TESTING)
       # ...
       enable_testing()
       # ...
    endif()

This creates a BUILD_TESTING option that controls whether the enable_testing() command is invoked to enable generation of tests to run using ctest(1). See the add_test() command to create tests.

NOTE: Call include(CTest) in the top-level source directory since ctest(1) expects to find a test file in the top-level build directory.

  CMAKE_ABSOLUTE_DESTINATION_FILES

List of files which have been installed using an ABSOLUTE DESTINATION path.

This variable is defined by CMake-generated cmake_install.cmake scripts. It can be used (read-only) by programs or scripts that source those install scripts. This is used by some CPack generators (e.g. RPM).

  CMAKE_ADD_CUSTOM_COMMAND_DEPENDS_EXPLICIT_ONLY

Added in version 3.27.

Whether to enable the DEPENDS_EXPLICIT_ONLY option by default in add_custom_command().

This variable affects the default behavior of the add_custom_command() command. Setting this variable to ON is equivalent to using the DEPENDS_EXPLICIT_ONLY option in all uses of that command.

See also CMAKE_OPTIMIZE_DEPENDENCIES.

  CMAKE_APPBUNDLE_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories specifying a search path for macOS application bundles used by the find_program(), and find_package() commands.

There is also an environment variable CMAKE_APPBUNDLE_PATH, which is used as an additional list of search directories.

  CMAKE_AUTOGEN_INTERMEDIATE_DIR_STRATEGY

Added in version 4.2.

CMAKE_AUTOGEN_INTERMEDIATE_DIR_STRATEGY is a string cache variable specifying the strategy to use for autogen target intermediate directories and their contents. The supported values are:

•   FULL: Intermediate directories are named based on a <TARGET_NAME>_autogen.dir and <TARGET_NAME>_autogen pattern (with some slight deviations and sanitizations applied in various places). Object file names are based on the filename of the source file being compiled.

•   SHORT: Intermediate directories are named from the hash of the target name and the build directory location and an /autogen subdirectory. This may help with projects that generate long paths in the build directory to support building in directories other than those near a root path.

    When unset or the named strategy is not supported, the FULL strategy is used.

    NOTE: This only works as a cache variable, not a locally-scoped variable.

    This is supported by the following generators:

•   Ninja Generators

•   Makefile Generators

•   Visual Studio Generators

    NOTE: Not all generators support all strategies and paths may differ between generators.

  CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE

Specifies the build type on single-configuration generators (e.g. Makefile Generators or Ninja). Typical values include Debug, Release, RelWithDebInfo and MinSizeRel, but custom build types can also be defined.

This variable is initialized by the first project() or enable_language() command called in a project when a new build tree is first created. If the CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE environment variable is set, its value is used. Otherwise, a toolchain-specific default is chosen when a language is enabled. The default value is often an empty string, but this is usually not desirable and one of the other standard build types is usually more appropriate.

Depending on the situation, the value of this variable may be treated case-sensitively or case-insensitively. See Build Configurations for discussion of this and other related topics.

For multi-config generators, see CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES.

  CMAKE_CLANG_VFS_OVERLAY

Added in version 3.19.

When cross compiling for windows with clang-cl, this variable can be an absolute path pointing to a clang virtual file system yaml file, which will enable clang-cl to resolve windows header names on a case sensitive file system.

  CMAKE_CODEBLOCKS_COMPILER_ID

Added in version 3.11.

Change the compiler id in the generated CodeBlocks project files.

CodeBlocks uses its own compiler id string which differs from CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID. If this variable is left empty, CMake tries to recognize the CodeBlocks compiler id automatically. Otherwise the specified string is used in the CodeBlocks project file. See the CodeBlocks documentation for valid compiler id strings.

Other IDEs like QtCreator that also use the CodeBlocks generator may ignore this setting.

  CMAKE_CODEBLOCKS_EXCLUDE_EXTERNAL_FILES

Added in version 3.10.

Change the way the CodeBlocks generator creates project files.

If this variable evaluates to ON the generator excludes from the project file any files that are located outside the project root.

  CMAKE_CODELITE_USE_TARGETS

Added in version 3.7.

Change the way the CodeLite generator creates projectfiles.

If this variable evaluates to ON at the end of the top-level CMakeLists.txt file, the generator creates projectfiles based on targets rather than projects.

  CMAKE_COLOR_DIAGNOSTICS

Added in version 3.24.

Enable color diagnostics throughout the generated build system.

This variable uses three states: ON, OFF and not defined.

When not defined:

•   Makefile Generators initialize the CMAKE_COLOR_MAKEFILE variable to ON. It controls color buildsystem messages.

•   GNU/Clang compilers are not invoked with any color diagnostics flag.

    When ON:

•   Makefile Generators produce color buildsystem messages by default. CMAKE_COLOR_MAKEFILE is not initialized, but may be explicitly set to OFF to disable color buildsystem messages.

•   GNU/Clang compilers are invoked with a flag enabling color diagnostics (-fcolor-diagnostics).

    When OFF:

•   Makefile Generators do not produce color buildsystem messages by default. CMAKE_COLOR_MAKEFILE is not initialized, but may be explicitly set to ON to enable color buildsystem messages.

•   GNU/Clang compilers are invoked with a flag disabling color diagnostics (-fno-color-diagnostics).

    If the CMAKE_COLOR_DIAGNOSTICS environment variable is set, its value is used. Otherwise, CMAKE_COLOR_DIAGNOSTICS is not defined by default.

    See the CLICOLOR and CLICOLOR_FORCE environment variables to control color output from CMake command-line tools.

  CMAKE_COLOR_MAKEFILE

Enables color output when using the Makefile Generators.

When enabled, the generated Makefiles will produce colored output. Default is ON.

  CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES

Specifies the available build types (configurations) on multi-config generators (e.g. Visual Studio, Xcode, or Ninja Multi-Config) as a semicolon-separated list. Typical entries include Debug, Release, RelWithDebInfo and MinSizeRel, but custom build types can also be defined.

This variable is initialized by the first project() or enable_language() command called in a project when a new build tree is first created. If the CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES environment variable is set, its value is used. Otherwise, the default value is generator-specific.

Depending on the situation, the values in this variable may be treated case-sensitively or case-insensitively. See Build Configurations for discussion of this and other related topics.

For single-config generators, see CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE.

  CMAKE_DEPENDS_IN_PROJECT_ONLY

Added in version 3.6.

When set to TRUE in a directory, the build system produced by the Makefile Generators is set up to only consider dependencies on source files that appear either in the source or in the binary directories. Changes to source files outside of these directories will not cause rebuilds.

This should be used carefully in cases where some source files are picked up through external headers during the build.

  CMAKE_DISABLE_FIND_PACKAGE_<PackageName>

Variable for disabling find_package() calls.

Every non-REQUIRED find_package() call in a project can be disabled by setting the variable CMAKE_DISABLE_FIND_PACKAGE_<PackageName> to TRUE. This can be used to build a project without an optional package, although that package is installed.

This switch should be used during the initial CMake run. Otherwise if the package has already been found in a previous CMake run, the variables which have been stored in the cache will still be there. In that case it is recommended to remove the cache variables for this package from the cache using the cache editor or cmake -U.

Note that this variable can lead to inconsistent results within the project. Consider the case where a dependency is requested via find_package() from two different places within the project. If the first call does not have the REQUIRED keyword, it will not find the dependency when CMAKE_DISABLE_FIND_PACKAGE_<PackageName> is set to true for that dependency. The project will proceed under the assumption that the dependency isn't available. If the second call elsewhere in the project does have the REQUIRED keyword, it can succeed. Two different parts of the same project have then seen opposite results for the same dependency.

See also the CMAKE_REQUIRE_FIND_PACKAGE_<PackageName> variable.

  CMAKE_ECLIPSE_GENERATE_LINKED_RESOURCES

Added in version 3.6.

This cache variable is used by the Eclipse project generator. See cmake-generators(7).

The Eclipse project generator generates so-called linked resources e.g. to the subproject root dirs in the source tree or to the source files of targets. This can be disabled by setting this variable to FALSE.

  CMAKE_ECLIPSE_GENERATE_SOURCE_PROJECT

Added in version 3.6.

This cache variable is used by the Eclipse project generator. See cmake-generators(7).

If this variable is set to TRUE, the Eclipse project generator will generate an Eclipse project in CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR . This project can then be used in Eclipse e.g. for the version control functionality. CMAKE_ECLIPSE_GENERATE_SOURCE_PROJECT defaults to FALSE; so nothing is written into the source directory.

  CMAKE_ECLIPSE_MAKE_ARGUMENTS

Added in version 3.6.

This cache variable is used by the Eclipse project generator. See cmake-generators(7).

This variable holds arguments which are used when Eclipse invokes the make tool. By default it is initialized to hold flags to enable parallel builds (using -j typically).

  CMAKE_ECLIPSE_RESOURCE_ENCODING

Added in version 3.16.

This cache variable tells the Eclipse CDT4 project generator to set the resource encoding to the given value in generated project files. If no value is given, no encoding will be set.

  CMAKE_ECLIPSE_VERSION

Added in version 3.6.

This cache variable is used by the Eclipse project generator. See cmake-generators(7).

When using the Eclipse project generator, CMake tries to find the Eclipse executable and detect the version of it. Depending on the version it finds, some features are enabled or disabled. If CMake doesn't find Eclipse, it assumes the oldest supported version, Eclipse Callisto (3.2).

  CMAKE_ERROR_DEPRECATED

Whether to issue errors for deprecated functionality.

If TRUE, use of deprecated functionality will issue fatal errors. If this variable is not set, CMake behaves as if it were set to FALSE.

  CMAKE_ERROR_ON_ABSOLUTE_INSTALL_DESTINATION

Ask cmake_install.cmake script to error out as soon as a file with absolute INSTALL DESTINATION is encountered.

The fatal error is emitted before the installation of the offending file takes place. This variable is used by CMake-generated cmake_install.cmake scripts. If one sets this variable to ON while running the script, it may get fatal error messages from the script.

  CMAKE_EXECUTE_PROCESS_COMMAND_ECHO

Added in version 3.15.

If this variable is set to STDERR, STDOUT or NONE then commands in execute_process() calls will be printed to either stderr or stdout or not at all.

  CMAKE_EXECUTE_PROCESS_COMMAND_ERROR_IS_FATAL

Added in version 4.0.

Specify a default for the execute_process() command's COMMAND_ERROR_IS_FATAL option. This variable is ignored when a RESULTS_VARIABLE or RESULT_VARIABLE keyword is supplied to the command.

  CMAKE_EXPORT_BUILD_DATABASE

Added in version 3.31.

NOTE: This variable is meaningful only when experimental support for build databases has been enabled by the CMAKE_EXPERIMENTAL_EXPORT_BUILD_DATABASE gate.

Enable/Disable output of module compile commands during the build.

If enabled, generates a build_database.json file containing the information necessary to compile a target's C++ module sources with any tooling. The format of the JSON file looks like:

    {
      "version": 1,
      "revision": 0,
      "sets": [
        {
          "family-name" : "export_build_database",
          "name" : "export_build_database@Debug",
          "translation-units" : [
            {
              "arguments": [
                "/path/to/compiler",
                "...",
              ],
              "baseline-arguments" :
              [
                "...",
              ],
              "local-arguments" :
              [
                "...",
              ],
              "object": "CMakeFiles/target.dir/source.cxx.o",
              "private": true,
              "provides": {
                "importable": "path/to/bmi"
              },
              "requires" : [],
              "source": "path/to/source.cxx",
              "work-directory": "/path/to/working/directory"
            }
          ],
          "visible-sets" : []
        }
      ]
    }

This is initialized by the CMAKE_EXPORT_BUILD_DATABASE environment variable, and initializes the EXPORT_BUILD_DATABASE target property for all targets.

NOTE: This option is implemented only by the Ninja Generators. It is ignored on other generators.

When supported and enabled, numerous targets are created in order to make it possible to build a file containing just the commands that are needed for the tool in question.

cmake_build_database-<CONFIG>
    Writes build_database_<CONFIG>.json. Writes a build database for the entire build for the given configuration and all languages. Not available if the configuration name is the empty string.

cmake_build_database-<LANG>-<CONFIG>
    Writes build_database_<LANG>_<CONFIG>.json. Writes build database for the entire build for the given configuration and language. Not available if the configuration name is the empty string.

cmake_build_database-<LANG>
    Writes build_database_<LANG>.json. Writes build database for the entire build for the given language and all configurations. In a multi-config generator, other build configuration database may be assumed to exist.

cmake_build_database
    Writes to build_database.json. Writes build database for all languages and configurations. In a multi-config generator, other build configuration database may be assumed to exist.

  CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS

Added in version 3.5.

Enable/Disable output of compile commands during generation.

If enabled, generates a compile_commands.json file containing the exact compiler calls for all translation units of the project in machine-readable form. The format of the JSON file looks like:

    [
      {
        "directory": "/home/user/development/project",
        "command": "/usr/bin/c++ ... -c ../foo/foo.cc",
        "file": "../foo/foo.cc",
        "output": "../foo.dir/foo.cc.o"
      },
      ...
      {
        "directory": "/home/user/development/project",
        "command": "/usr/bin/c++ ... -c ../foo/bar.cc",
        "file": "../foo/bar.cc",
        "output": "../foo.dir/bar.cc.o"
      }
    ]

This is initialized by the CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS environment variable, and initializes the EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS target property for all targets.

NOTE: This option is implemented only by Makefile Generators and Ninja Generators. It is ignored on other generators.

This option currently does not work well in combination with the UNITY_BUILD target property or the CMAKE_UNITY_BUILD variable.

  CMAKE_EXPORT_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY

Added in version 3.1.

Disable the export(PACKAGE) command when CMP0090 is not set to NEW.

In some cases, for example for packaging and for system wide installations, it is not desirable to write the user package registry. If the CMAKE_EXPORT_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable is enabled, the export(PACKAGE) command will do nothing.

If CMP0090 is set to NEW this variable does nothing, and the CMAKE_EXPORT_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable controls the behavior instead.

See also Disabling the Package Registry.

  CMAKE_EXPORT_PACKAGE_REGISTRY

Added in version 3.15.

Enables the export(PACKAGE) command when CMP0090 is set to NEW.

The export(PACKAGE) command does nothing by default. In some cases it is desirable to write to the user package registry, so the CMAKE_EXPORT_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable may be set to enable it.

If CMP0090 is not set to NEW this variable does nothing, and the CMAKE_EXPORT_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable controls the behavior instead.

See also Disabling the Package Registry.

  CMAKE_EXPORT_SARIF

Added in version 4.0.

Enable or disable CMake diagnostics output in SARIF format for a project.

If enabled, CMake will generate a SARIF log file containing diagnostic messages output by CMake when running in a project. By default, the log file is written to .cmake/sarif/cmake.sarif, but the location can be changed by setting the command-line option cmake --sarif-output to the desired path.

The Static Analysis Results Interchange Format (SARIF) is a JSON-based standard format for static analysis tools (including build tools like CMake) to record and communicate diagnostic messages. CMake generates a SARIF log entry for warnings and errors produced while running CMake on a project (e.g. message() calls). Each log entry includes the message, severity, and location information if available.

An example of CMake's SARIF output is:

    {
      "version" : "2.1.0",
      "$schema" : "https://schemastore.azurewebsites.net/schemas/json/sarif-2.1.0-rtm.4.json",
      "runs" :
      [
        {
          "tool" :
          {
            "driver" :
            {
              "name" : "CMake",
              "rules" :
              [
                {
                  "id" : "CMake.Warning",
                  "messageStrings" :
                  {
                    "default" :
                    {
                      "text" : "CMake Warning: {0}"
                    }
                  },
                  "name" : "CMake Warning"
                }
              ]
            }
          },
          "results" :
          [
            {
              "level" : "warning",
              "locations" :
              [
                {
                  "physicalLocation" :
                  {
                    "artifactLocation" :
                    {
                      "uri" : "/home/user/development/project/CMakeLists.txt"
                    },
                    "region" :
                    {
                      "startLine" : 5
                    }
                  }
                }
              ],
              "message" :
              {
                "text" : "An example warning"
              },
              "ruleId" : "CMake.Warning",
              "ruleIndex" : 0
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }

  CMAKE_FIND_APPBUNDLE

Added in version 3.4.

This variable affects how find_* commands choose between macOS Application Bundles and unix-style package components.

On Darwin or systems supporting macOS Application Bundles, the CMAKE_FIND_APPBUNDLE variable can be set to empty or one of the following:

FIRST
    Try to find application bundles before standard programs. This is the default on Darwin.

LAST
    Try to find application bundles after standard programs.

ONLY
    Only try to find application bundles.

NEVER
    Never try to find application bundles.

  CMAKE_FIND_FRAMEWORK

Added in version 3.4.

This variable affects how find_* commands choose between macOS Frameworks and unix-style package components.

On Darwin or systems supporting macOS Frameworks, the CMAKE_FIND_FRAMEWORK variable can be set to empty or one of the following:

FIRST
    Try to find frameworks before standard libraries or headers. This is the default on Darwin.

LAST
    Try to find frameworks after standard libraries or headers.

ONLY
    Only try to find frameworks.

NEVER
    Never try to find frameworks.

  CMAKE_FIND_LIBRARY_CUSTOM_LIB_SUFFIX

Added in version 3.9.

Specify a <suffix> to tell the find_library() command to search in a lib<suffix> directory before each lib directory that would normally be searched.

This overrides the behavior of related global properties:

•   FIND_LIBRARY_USE_LIB32_PATHS

•   FIND_LIBRARY_USE_LIB64_PATHS

•   FIND_LIBRARY_USE_LIBX32_PATHS

  CMAKE_FIND_LIBRARY_PREFIXES

Prefixes to prepend when looking for libraries.

This specifies what prefixes to add to library names when the find_library() command looks for libraries. On UNIX systems this is typically lib, meaning that when trying to find the foo library it will look for libfoo.

CMake sets this variable automatically during toolchain inspection by calls to the project() or enable_language() commands.

  CMAKE_FIND_LIBRARY_SUFFIXES

Suffixes to append when looking for libraries.

This specifies what suffixes to add to library names when the find_library() command looks for libraries. On Windows systems this is typically .lib and, depending on the compiler, .dll.lib, .dll.a, .a (e.g. rustc, GCC, or Clang), so when it tries to find the foo library, it will look for [<prefix>]foo[.dll].lib and/or [<prefix>]foo[.dll].a, depending on the compiler used and the <prefix> specified in the CMAKE_FIND_LIBRARY_PREFIXES.

CMake sets this variable automatically during toolchain inspection by calls to the project() or enable_language() commands.

  CMAKE_FIND_NO_INSTALL_PREFIX

Exclude the values of the CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX and CMAKE_STAGING_PREFIX variables from CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH. CMake adds these project-destination prefixes to CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH by default in order to support building a series of dependent packages and installing them into a common prefix. Set CMAKE_FIND_NO_INSTALL_PREFIX to TRUE to suppress this behavior.

The CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH is initialized on the first call to a project() or enable_language() command. Therefore one must set CMAKE_FIND_NO_INSTALL_PREFIX before this in order to take effect. A user may set the variable as a cache entry on the command line to achieve this.

Note that the prefix(es) may still be searched for other reasons, such as being the same prefix as the CMake installation, or for being a built-in system prefix.

  CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_PREFER_CONFIG

Added in version 3.15.

Tell find_package() to try "Config" mode before "Module" mode if no mode was specified.

The command find_package() operates without an explicit mode when the reduced signature is used without the MODULE option. In this case, by default, CMake first tries Module mode by searching for a Find<pkg>.cmake module. If it fails, CMake then searches for the package using Config mode.

Set CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_PREFER_CONFIG to TRUE to tell find_package() to first search using Config mode before falling back to Module mode.

This variable may be useful when a developer has compiled a custom version of a common library and wishes to link it to a dependent project. If this variable is set to TRUE, it would prevent a dependent project's call to find_package() from selecting the default library located by the system's Find<pkg>.cmake module before finding the developer's custom built library.

Once this variable is set, it is the responsibility of the exported <pkg>Config.cmake files to provide the same result variables as the Find<pkg>.cmake modules so that dependent projects can use them interchangeably.

  CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_RESOLVE_SYMLINKS

Added in version 3.14.

Set to TRUE to tell find_package() calls to resolve symbolic links in the value of <PackageName>_DIR.

This is helpful in use cases where the package search path points at a proxy directory in which symlinks to the real package locations appear. This is not enabled by default because there are also common use cases in which the symlinks should be preserved.

  CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_TARGETS_GLOBAL

Added in version 3.24.

Setting to TRUE promotes all IMPORTED targets discovered by find_package() to a GLOBAL scope.

Setting this to TRUE is akin to specifying GLOBAL as an argument to find_package(). Default value is OFF.

  CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_WARN_NO_MODULE

Tell find_package() to warn if called without an explicit mode.

If find_package() is called without an explicit mode option (MODULE, CONFIG, or NO_MODULE) and no Find<pkg>.cmake module is in CMAKE_MODULE_PATH then CMake implicitly assumes that the caller intends to search for a package configuration file. If no package configuration file is found then the wording of the failure message must account for both the case that the package is really missing and the case that the project has a bug and failed to provide the intended Find module. If instead the caller specifies an explicit mode option then the failure message can be more specific.

Set CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_WARN_NO_MODULE to TRUE to tell find_package() to warn when it implicitly assumes Config mode. This helps developers enforce use of an explicit mode in all calls to find_package() within a project.

This variable has no effect if CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_PREFER_CONFIG is set to TRUE.

  CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of root paths to search on the filesystem.

This variable is most useful when cross-compiling. CMake uses the paths in this list as alternative roots to find filesystem items with find_package(), find_library() etc.

  CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_INCLUDE

This variable controls whether the CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH and CMAKE_SYSROOT are used by find_file() and find_path().

If set to ONLY, then only the roots in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be searched. If set to NEVER, then the roots in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be ignored and only the host system root will be used. If set to BOTH, then the host system paths and the paths in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be searched.

  CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_LIBRARY

This variable controls whether the CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH and CMAKE_SYSROOT are used by find_library().

If set to ONLY, then only the roots in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be searched. If set to NEVER, then the roots in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be ignored and only the host system root will be used. If set to BOTH, then the host system paths and the paths in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be searched.

  CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PACKAGE

This variable controls whether the CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH and CMAKE_SYSROOT are used by find_package().

If set to ONLY, then only the roots in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be searched. If set to NEVER, then the roots in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be ignored and only the host system root will be used. If set to BOTH, then the host system paths and the paths in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be searched.

  CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM

This variable controls whether the CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH and CMAKE_SYSROOT are used by find_program().

If set to ONLY, then only the roots in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be searched. If set to NEVER, then the roots in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be ignored and only the host system root will be used. If set to BOTH, then the host system paths and the paths in CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH will be searched.

  CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_ENVIRONMENT_PATH

Added in version 3.16.

Controls the default behavior of the following commands for whether or not to search paths provided by cmake-specific environment variables:

•   find_program()

•   find_library()

•   find_file()

•   find_path()

•   find_package()

    This is useful in cross-compiling environments.

    By default this variable is not set, which is equivalent to it having a value of TRUE. Explicit options given to the above commands take precedence over this variable.

    See also the CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_INSTALL_PREFIX, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, and CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_ROOT_PATH variables.

  CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_PATH

Added in version 3.16.

Controls the default behavior of the following commands for whether or not to search paths provided by cmake-specific cache variables:

•   find_program()

•   find_library()

•   find_file()

•   find_path()

•   find_package()

    This is useful in cross-compiling environments.

    By default this variable is not set, which is equivalent to it having a value of TRUE. Explicit options given to the above commands take precedence over this variable.

    See also the CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, and CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_ROOT_PATH variables.

  CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PATH

Added in version 3.16.

Controls the default behavior of the following commands for whether or not to search paths provided by platform-specific cmake variables:

•   find_program()

•   find_library()

•   find_file()

•   find_path()

•   find_package()

    This is useful in cross-compiling environments.

    By default this variable is not set, which is equivalent to it having a value of TRUE. Explicit options given to the above commands take precedence over this variable.

    See also the CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_INSTALL_PREFIX, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, and CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_ROOT_PATH variables.

  CMAKE_FIND_USE_INSTALL_PREFIX

Added in version 3.24.

Controls the default behavior of the following commands for whether or not to search the locations in the CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX and CMAKE_STAGING_PREFIX variables.

•   find_program()

•   find_library()

•   find_file()

•   find_path()

•   find_package()

    This is useful in cross-compiling environments.

    Due to backwards compatibility with CMAKE_FIND_NO_INSTALL_PREFIX, the behavior of the find command change based on if this variable exists.
    CMAKE_FIND_USE_INSTALL_PREFIX | CMAKE_FIND_NO_INSTALL_PREFIX | Search
    Not Defined | On | NO
    Not Defined | Off || Not Defined | YES
    Off | On | NO
    Off | Off || Not Defined | NO
    On | On | YES
    On | Off || Not Defined | YES

    By default this variable is not defined. Explicit options given to the above commands take precedence over this variable.

    See also the CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, and CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_ROOT_PATH variables.

  CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY

Added in version 3.16.

Controls the default behavior of the find_package() command for whether or not to search paths provided by the User Package Registry.

By default this variable is not set and the behavior will fall back to that determined by the deprecated CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable. If that is also not set, then find_package() will use the User Package Registry unless the NO_CMAKE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY option is provided.

This variable takes precedence over CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY when both are set.

In some cases, for example to locate only system wide installations, it is not desirable to use the User Package Registry when searching for packages. If the CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable is FALSE, all the find_package() commands will skip the User Package Registry as if they were called with the NO_CMAKE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY argument.

See also Disabling the Package Registry and the CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_INSTALL_PREFIX, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, and CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_ROOT_PATH variables.

  CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_ROOT_PATH

Added in version 3.16.

Controls the default behavior of the following commands for whether or not to search paths provided by <PackageName>_ROOT variables:

•   find_program()

•   find_library()

•   find_file()

•   find_path()

•   find_package()

    By default this variable is not set, which is equivalent to it having a value of TRUE. Explicit options given to the above commands take precedence over this variable.

    See also the CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_INSTALL_PREFIX, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, and CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variables.

  CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT_PATH

Added in version 3.16.

Controls the default behavior of the following commands for whether or not to search paths provided by standard system environment variables:

•   find_program()

•   find_library()

•   find_file()

•   find_path()

•   find_package()

    This is useful in cross-compiling environments.

    By default this variable is not set, which is equivalent to it having a value of TRUE. Explicit options given to the above commands take precedence over this variable.

    See also the CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_INSTALL_PREFIX, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_ROOT_PATH, and CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variables.

  CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY

Added in version 3.16.

Controls searching the System Package Registry by the find_package() command.

By default this variable is not set and the behavior will fall back to that determined by the deprecated CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable. If that is also not set, then find_package() will use the System Package Registry unless the NO_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY option is provided.

This variable takes precedence over CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY when both are set.

In some cases, for example to locate only user specific installations, it is not desirable to use the System Package Registry when searching for packages. If the CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable is FALSE, all the find_package() commands will skip the System Package Registry as if they were called with the NO_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY argument.

See also Disabling the Package Registry.

See also the CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_INSTALL_PREFIX, CMAKE_FIND_USE_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT_PATH, CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY, and CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_ROOT_PATH variables.

  CMAKE_FRAMEWORK_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories specifying a search path for macOS frameworks used by the find_library(), find_package(), find_path(), and find_file() commands.

There is also an environment variable CMAKE_FRAMEWORK_PATH, which is used as an additional list of search directories.

  CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories to be ignored by the various find...() commands.

For find_program(), find_library(), find_file(), and find_path(), any file found in one of the listed directories will be ignored. The listed directories do not apply recursively, so any subdirectories to be ignored must also be explicitly listed. CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH does not affect the search prefixes used by these four commands. To ignore individual paths under a search prefix (e.g. bin, include, lib, etc.), each path must be listed in CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH as a full absolute path. CMAKE_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH provides a more appropriate way to ignore a whole search prefix.

find_package() is also affected by CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH, but only for Config mode searches. Any <Name>Config.cmake or <name>-config.cmake file found in one of the specified directories will be ignored. In addition, any search prefix found in CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH will be skipped for backward compatibility reasons, but new code should prefer to use CMAKE_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH to ignore prefixes instead.

Ignoring search locations can be useful in cross-compiling environments where some system directories contain incompatible but possibly linkable libraries. For example, on cross-compiled cluster environments, this allows a user to ignore directories containing libraries meant for the front-end machine.

By default, CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH is empty. It is intended to be set by the project or the end user.

See also the following variables:

•   CMAKE_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PATH

•   CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH

•   CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH

•   CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH

•   CMAKE_PROGRAM_PATH

  CMAKE_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH

Added in version 3.23.

Semicolon-separated list of search prefixes to be ignored by the find_program(), find_library(), find_file(), and find_path() commands. The prefixes are also ignored by the Config mode of the find_package() command (Module mode is unaffected). To ignore specific directories instead, see CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH.

Ignoring search locations can be useful in cross-compiling environments where some system directories contain incompatible but possibly linkable libraries. For example, on cross-compiled cluster environments, this allows a user to ignore directories containing libraries meant for the front-end machine.

By default, CMAKE_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH is empty. It is intended to be set by the project or the end user.

See also the following variables:

•   CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH

•   CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH

•   CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH

•   CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH

•   CMAKE_PROGRAM_PATH

  CMAKE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_BEFORE

Whether to append or prepend directories by default in include_directories().

This variable affects the default behavior of the include_directories() command. Setting this variable to ON is equivalent to using the BEFORE option in all uses of that command.

  CMAKE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_PROJECT_BEFORE

Whether to force prepending of project include directories.

This variable affects the order of include directories generated in compiler command lines. If set to ON, it causes the CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR and the CMAKE_BINARY_DIR to appear first.

  CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories specifying a search path for the find_file() and find_path() commands. By default it is empty, it is intended to be set by the project.

There is also an environment variable CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH, which is used as an additional list of search directories.

See also CMAKE_SYSTEM_INCLUDE_PATH and CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_COMPONENT_NAME

Default component used in install() commands.

If an install() command is used without the COMPONENT argument, these files will be grouped into a default component. The name of this default install component will be taken from this variable. It defaults to Unspecified.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS

Added in version 3.11.

Default permissions for directories created implicitly during installation of files by install() and file(INSTALL).

If make install is invoked and directories are implicitly created they get permissions set by CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS variable or platform specific default permissions if the variable is not set.

Implicitly created directories are created if they are not explicitly installed by install() command but are needed to install a file on a certain path. Example of such locations are directories created due to the setting of CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX.

Expected content of the CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS variable is a list of permissions that can be used by install() command PERMISSIONS section.

Example usage:

    set(CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS
         OWNER_READ
         OWNER_WRITE
         OWNER_EXECUTE
         GROUP_READ
       )

  CMAKE_INSTALL_EXPORTS_AS_PACKAGE_INFO

Added in version 4.3.

NOTE: This variable is meaningful only when experimental support has been enabled by the CMAKE_EXPERIMENTAL_FIXME gate.

A list of directives instructing CMake to install Common Package Specification package information when exported target information is installed via install(EXPORT). The value is treated as a list, with each directive having the form:

    <export-name>:<package-name>[/[l][a<appendix-name>][/<destination>]]

Slashes are used to separate different components of the directive.

Note that this feature is intended for package distributors, and should only be used when editing a project's CMake script is not feasible. Developers should use install(PACKAGE_INFO) directly.

Additionally, because CMAKE_INSTALL_EXPORTS_AS_PACKAGE_INFO functions by emulating a call to install(PACKAGE_INFO), using it with a project that is already calling install(PACKAGE_INFO) directly may result in conflicting installation directives, which will usually cause the project's configure step to fail.

The meaning of the values is as follows:

<export-name>
    Name of the export for which package information should be installed.

<package-name>
    Name of the package for which to generate package information. This is also the name that users would use in a find_package() call.

l   Optional. Specifies that the name of the package information file on disk should be lower case. See the LOWER_CASE_FILE option of install(PACKAGE_INFO).

a<appendix-name>
    Optional. Specifies that an appendix <appendix-name> should be created rather than a root package description. See the APPENDIX option of install(PACKAGE_INFO). Note that additional information (see below) cannot be added to appendices.

<destination>
    Optional. Specifies the destination to which the package information file should be installed. See the DESTINATION option of install(PACKAGE_INFO). Note that the default is a platform-specific location that is appropriate for Common Package Specification files in most instances, not the DESTINATION of the install(EXPORT) which the directive matched.

    For non-appendices, CMake will also infer additional information from several CMake variables of the form <export-name>_EXPORT_PACKAGE_INFO_<var>. The values of these are first processed as if by string(CONFIGURE) with the @ONLY option. These are optional, and their effect is equivalent to passing their value to the <var> option of the install(PACKAGE_INFO) command.

    The additional variables are:

•   <export-name>_EXPORT_PACKAGE_INFO_VERSION

•   <export-name>_EXPORT_PACKAGE_INFO_COMPAT_VERSION

•   <export-name>_EXPORT_PACKAGE_INFO_VERSION_SCHEMA

•   <export-name>_EXPORT_PACKAGE_INFO_LICENSE

•   <export-name>_EXPORT_PACKAGE_INFO_DEFAULT_LICENSE

•   <export-name>_EXPORT_PACKAGE_INFO_DEFAULT_CONFIGURATIONS

    Ideally, the version should be set to @PROJECT_VERSION@. However, some projects may not use the VERSION option of the project() command.

  Example

Consider the following (simplified) project:

    project(Example VERSION 1.2.3 SPDX_LICENSE "BSD-3-Clause")
    add_library(foo ...)
    add_library(bar ...)
    install(TARGETS foo EXPORT required-targets)
    install(TARGETS bar EXPORT optional-targets)
    install(EXPORT required-targets FILE example-targets.cmake ...)
    install(EXPORT optional-targets FILE example-optional-targets.cmake ...)

In this example, let example-targets.cmake be a file which is always installed, and example-optional-targets.cmake be a file which is optionally installed (e.g. is distributed as part of a separate package which depends on the 'base' package).

Now, imagine we are a distributor that wants to make Common Package Specification package information files available to our users, but we do not want to modify the project's build files. We can do this by passing the following arguments to CMake:

    -DCMAKE_EXPERIMENTAL_FIXME=<elided>
    -DCMAKE_INSTALL_EXPORTS_AS_PACKAGE_INFO=\
      required-targets:Example/l;\
      optional-targets:Example/laoptional
    -Drequired-targets_EXPORT_PACKAGE_INFO_VERSION=@Example_VERSION@
    -Drequired-targets_EXPORT_PACKAGE_INFO_LICENSE=@Example_SPDX_LICENSE@

(Whitespace and line continuation characters, added for readability, should be removed in real usage. Arguments may need to be quoted to prevent being reinterpreted by the command shell.)

This will cause CMake to also create and install the files example.cps and example-optional.cps which describe the Example package. We could also specify the version and license information using substitutions provided by the package build system (e.g. rpm, dpkg) if the project does not provide this information via the project() command.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_MESSAGE

Added in version 3.1.

Specify verbosity of installation script code generated by the install() command (using the file(INSTALL) command). For paths that are newly installed or updated, installation may print lines like:

    -- Installing: /some/destination/path

For paths that are already up to date, installation may print lines like:

    -- Up-to-date: /some/destination/path

The CMAKE_INSTALL_MESSAGE variable may be set to control which messages are printed:

ALWAYS
    Print both Installing and Up-to-date messages.

LAZY
    Print Installing but not Up-to-date messages.

NEVER
    Print neither Installing nor Up-to-date messages.

    Other values have undefined behavior and may not be diagnosed.

    If this variable is not set, the default behavior is ALWAYS.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX

Install directory used by install().

If make install is invoked or INSTALL is built, this directory is prepended onto all install directories.

This variable defaults as follows:

•   Added in version 3.29: If the CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX environment variable is set, its value is used as default for this variable.

•   c:/Program Files/${PROJECT_NAME} on Windows.

•   /usr/local on UNIX platforms.

    See CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX_INITIALIZED_TO_DEFAULT for how a project might choose its own default.

    On UNIX one can use the DESTDIR mechanism in order to relocate the whole installation to a staging area. See the DESTDIR environment variable for more information.

    The installation prefix is also added to CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH so that find_package(), find_program(), find_library(), find_path(), and find_file() will search the prefix for other software. This behavior can be disabled by setting the CMAKE_FIND_NO_INSTALL_PREFIX to TRUE before the first project() invocation.

    NOTE: Use the GNUInstallDirs module to provide GNU-style options for the layout of directories within the installation.

    The CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX may be defined when configuring a build tree to set its installation prefix. Or, when using the cmake(1) command-line tool's --install mode, one may specify a different prefix using the --prefix option:

        cmake --install . --prefix /my/install/prefix

    NOTE: When the project is using the GNUInstallDirs module, there are some special cases that are evaluated based on the value of the CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX variable during the configuration phase. The results persist even if an alternative --prefix option is used during installation.

  See Also

•   The --install-prefix option.

•   The $<INSTALL_PREFIX> generator expression.

•   The installDir field in CMake configure presets.

•   The CPACK_PACKAGING_INSTALL_PREFIX variable.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX_INITIALIZED_TO_DEFAULT

Added in version 3.7.1.

CMake sets this variable to a TRUE value when the CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX has just been initialized to its default value, typically on the first run of CMake within a new build tree and the CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX environment variable is not set on the first run of CMake. This can be used by project code to change the default without overriding a user-provided value:

    if(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX_INITIALIZED_TO_DEFAULT)
      set_property(CACHE CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX PROPERTY VALUE "/my/default")
    endif()

  CMAKE_INTERMEDIATE_DIR_STRATEGY

Added in version 4.2.

CMAKE_INTERMEDIATE_DIR_STRATEGY is a string cache variable specifying the strategy to use for target intermediate directories and their contents. The supported values are:

•   FULL: Intermediate directories are named based on a <TARGET_NAME>.dir pattern (with some slight deviations and sanitizations applied in various places). Object file names are based on the filename of the source file being compiled or, if set, its OBJECT_NAME property.

•   SHORT: Intermediate directories are named from the hash of the target name and the build directory location. Object file names are based on hashes of the source file name to reduce path lengths. This may help with projects that generate long paths in the build directory to support building in directories other than those near a root path.

    When unset or the named strategy is not supported, the FULL strategy is used.

    NOTE: This only works as a cache variable, not a locally-scoped variable.

    This is supported by the following generators:

•   Ninja Generators

•   Makefile Generators

•   Visual Studio Generators

    NOTE: Not all generators support all strategies and paths may differ between generators.

  CMAKE_KATE_FILES_MODE

Added in version 3.27.

This cache variable is used by the Kate project generator and controls to what mode the files entry in the project file will be set. See cmake-generators(7).

Possible values are AUTO, SVN, GIT, HG, FOSSIL and LIST.

When set to LIST, CMake will put the list of source files known to CMake in the project file. When set to SVN, GIT, HG or FOSSIL, CMake will set the generated project accordingly to Subversion, git, Mercurial or Fossil, and Kate will then use the respective command line tool to retrieve the list of files in the project. When unset or set to AUTO, CMake will try to detect whether the source directory is part of a git or svn checkout or not, and put the respective entry into the project file.

  CMAKE_KATE_MAKE_ARGUMENTS

Added in version 3.0.

This cache variable is used by the Kate project generator. See cmake-generators(7).

This variable holds arguments which are used when Kate invokes the make tool. By default it is initialized to hold flags to enable parallel builds (using -j typically).

  CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories specifying a search path for the find_library() command. By default it is empty, it is intended to be set by the project.

There is also an environment variable CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH, which is used as an additional list of search directories.

See also CMAKE_SYSTEM_LIBRARY_PATH and CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH.

  CMAKE_LINK_DIRECTORIES_BEFORE

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to append or prepend directories by default in link_directories().

This variable affects the default behavior of the link_directories() command. Setting this variable to ON is equivalent to using the BEFORE option in all uses of that command.

  CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARIES_ONLY_TARGETS

Added in version 3.23.

Set this variable to initialize the LINK_LIBRARIES_ONLY_TARGETS property of non-imported targets when they are created. Setting it to true enables an additional check that all items named by target_link_libraries() that can be target names are actually names of existing targets. See the target property documentation for details.

  CMAKE_MAXIMUM_RECURSION_DEPTH

Added in version 3.14.

Maximum recursion depth for CMake scripts. It is intended to be set on the command line with -DCMAKE_MAXIMUM_RECURSION_DEPTH=<x>, or within CMakeLists.txt by projects that require a large recursion depth. Projects that set this variable should provide the user with a way to override it. For example:

    # About to perform deeply recursive actions
    if(NOT CMAKE_MAXIMUM_RECURSION_DEPTH)
      set(CMAKE_MAXIMUM_RECURSION_DEPTH 2000)
    endif()

If it is not set, or is set to a non-integer value, a sensible default limit is used. If the recursion limit is reached, the script terminates immediately with a fatal error.

Calling any of the following commands increases the recursion depth:

•   include()

•   find_package()

•   add_subdirectory()

•   try_compile()

•   ctest_read_custom_files()

•   ctest_run_script() (unless NEW_PROCESS is specified)

•   User-defined function()'s and macro()'s (note that function() and macro() themselves don't increase recursion depth)

•   Reading or writing variables that are being watched by a variable_watch()

    See also the CMAKE_MAXIMUM_RECURSION_DEPTH environment variable.

  CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT

Added in version 3.17.

When enabled by the cmake --log-context command line option or the CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT_SHOW variable, the message() command converts the CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT list into a dot-separated string surrounded by square brackets and prepends it to each line for messages of log levels NOTICE and below.

For logging contexts to work effectively, projects should generally APPEND and POP_BACK an item to the current value of CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT rather than replace it. Projects should not assume the message context at the top of the source tree is empty, as there are scenarios where the context might have already been set (e.g. hierarchical projects).

WARNING: Valid context names are restricted to anything that could be used as a CMake variable name. All names that begin with an underscore or the string cmake_ are also reserved for use by CMake and should not be used by projects.

Example:

    function(bar)
      list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT "bar")
      message(VERBOSE "bar VERBOSE message")
    endfunction()
    function(baz)
      list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT "baz")
      message(DEBUG "baz DEBUG message")
    endfunction()
    function(foo)
      list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT "foo")
      bar()
      message(TRACE "foo TRACE message")
      baz()
    endfunction()
    list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT "top")
    message(VERBOSE "Before `foo`")
    foo()
    message(VERBOSE "After `foo`")
    list(POP_BACK CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT)

Which results in the following output:

    -- [top] Before `foo`
    -- [top.foo.bar] bar VERBOSE message
    -- [top.foo] foo TRACE message
    -- [top.foo.baz] baz DEBUG message
    -- [top] After `foo`

  CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT_SHOW

Added in version 3.17.

Setting this variable to true enables showing a context with each line logged by the message() command (see CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT for how the context itself is specified).

This variable is an alternative to providing the --log-context option on the cmake command line. Whereas the command line option will apply only to that one CMake run, setting CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT_SHOW to true as a cache variable will ensure that subsequent CMake runs will continue to show the message context.

Projects should not set CMAKE_MESSAGE_CONTEXT_SHOW. It is intended for users so that they may control whether or not to include context with messages.

  CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT

Added in version 3.16.

The message() command joins the strings from this list and for log levels of NOTICE and below, it prepends the resultant string to each line of the message.

Example:

    list(APPEND listVar one two three)
    message(VERBOSE [[Collected items in the "listVar":]])
    list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT "  ")
    foreach(item IN LISTS listVar)
      message(VERBOSE ${item})
    endforeach()
    list(POP_BACK CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT)
    message(VERBOSE "No more indent")

Which results in the following output:

    -- Collected items in the "listVar":
    --   one
    --   two
    --   three
    -- No more indent

  CMAKE_MESSAGE_LOG_LEVEL

Added in version 3.17.

When set, this variable specifies the logging level used by the message() command. Valid values are the same as those for the --log-level command line option of the cmake(1) program. If this variable is set and the --log-level command line option is given, the command line option takes precedence.

The main advantage to using this variable is to make a log level persist between CMake runs. Setting it as a cache variable will ensure that subsequent CMake runs will continue to use the chosen log level.

Projects should not set this variable, it is intended for users so that they may control the log level according to their own needs.

Added in version 3.25: See the cmake_language() cmake_language command for a way to query the current message logging level.

  CMAKE_MFC_FLAG

Use the MFC library for an executable or dll.

Enables the use of the Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC). It should be set to 1 for the static MFC library, and 2 for the shared MFC library. This is used in Visual Studio project files.

Contents of CMAKE_MFC_FLAG may use generator expressions.

  Examples

Usage example:

    set(CMAKE_MFC_FLAG 2)
    add_executable(CMakeSetup WIN32 ${SRCS})
    # Visual Studio generators add this flag automatically based on the
    # CMAKE_MFC_FLAG value, but generators matching "Make" require it:
    target_compile_definitions(CMakeSetup PRIVATE _AFXDLL)

  See Also

•   The FindMFC module to check whether MFC is installed and available.

  CMAKE_MODULE_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories, represented using forward slashes, specifying a search path for CMake modules to be loaded by the include() or find_package() commands before checking the default modules that come with CMake. By default it is empty. It is intended to be set by the project.

It's fairly common for a project to have a directory containing various *.cmake files to assist in development. Adding the directory to the CMAKE_MODULE_PATH simplifies loading them. For example, a project's top-level CMakeLists.txt file may contain:

    list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake")
    include(Foo) # Loads ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/Foo.cmake
    find_package(Bar) # Loads ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/FindBar.cmake

  CMAKE_PKG_CONFIG_DISABLE_UNINSTALLED

Added in version 4.0.

Enable / Disable the default "uninstalled" search behavior of the cmake_pkg_config() command. When this variable is false, package files with an "-uninstalled" suffix have higher priority than exact package name matches.

  CMAKE_PKG_CONFIG_PC_LIB_DIRS

Added in version 4.0.

Semicolon-separated list of primary paths which the cmake_pkg_config() command will search for package files by default. Also used to derive the pc_path package variable.

  CMAKE_PKG_CONFIG_PC_PATH

Added in version 4.0.

Semicolon-separated list of supplementary paths which the cmake_pkg_config() command will search for package files by default. Also used to derive the pc_path package variable.

  CMAKE_PKG_CONFIG_SYSROOT_DIR

Added in version 4.0.

Path prepended to -I include directories and -L library directories extracted by the cmake_pkg_config() command by default. Also used to derive the pc_sysrootdir package variable.

  CMAKE_PKG_CONFIG_TOP_BUILD_DIR

Added in version 4.0.

Path used to derive the pc_top_builddir package variable by the cmake_pkg_config() command by default.

  CMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP<NNNN>

Default for CMake Policy CMP<NNNN> when it is otherwise left unset.

Commands cmake_minimum_required(VERSION) and cmake_policy(VERSION) by default leave policies introduced after the given version unset. Set CMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP<NNNN> to OLD or NEW to specify the default for policy CMP<NNNN>, where <NNNN> is the policy number.

This variable should not be set by a project in CMake code as a way to set its own policies; use cmake_policy(SET) instead. This variable is meant to externally set policies for which a project has not itself been updated:

•   Users running CMake may set this variable in the cache (e.g. -DCMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP<NNNN>=<OLD|NEW>). Set it to OLD to quiet a policy warning while using old behavior or to NEW to try building the project with new behavior.

•   Projects may set this variable before a call to add_subdirectory() that adds a third-party project in order to set its policies without modifying third-party code.

    See CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM set policies to NEW based on the version of CMake that introduced them.

  CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM

Added in version 4.0.

Specify a minimum Policy Version for a project without modifying its calls to cmake_minimum_required(VERSION) and cmake_policy(VERSION).

This variable should not be set by a project in CMake code as a way to set its own policy version. Use cmake_minimum_required(VERSION) and/or cmake_policy(VERSION) for that. This variable is meant to externally set policies for which a project has not itself been updated:

•   Users running CMake may set this variable in the cache, e.g., -DCMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5, to try configuring a project that has not been updated to set at least that policy version itself.

    Alternatively, users may set the CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM environment variable to initialize the cache entry in new build trees automatically.

•   Projects may set this variable before a call to add_subdirectory() that adds a third-party project in order to set its policy version without modifying third-party code.

    See CMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP<NNNN> to set individual policies.

  CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP<NNNN>

Explicitly enable or disable the warning when CMake Policy CMP<NNNN> has not been set explicitly by cmake_policy() or implicitly by cmake_minimum_required(). This is meaningful only for the policies that do not warn by default:

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0025 controlled the warning for policy CMP0025 in CMake versions before 4.0.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0047 controlled the warning for policy CMP0047 in CMake versions before 4.0.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0056 controlled the warning for policy CMP0056 in CMake versions before 4.0.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0060 controlled the warning for policy CMP0060 in CMake versions before 4.0.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0065 controlled the warning for policy CMP0065 in CMake versions before 4.0.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0066 controls the warning for policy CMP0066.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0067 controls the warning for policy CMP0067.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0082 controls the warning for policy CMP0082.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0089 controls the warning for policy CMP0089.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0102 controls the warning for policy CMP0102.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0112 controls the warning for policy CMP0112.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0116 controls the warning for policy CMP0116.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0126 controls the warning for policy CMP0126.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0128 controls the warning for policy CMP0128.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0129 controls the warning for policy CMP0129.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0133 controls the warning for policy CMP0133.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0172 controls the warning for policy CMP0172.

•   CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0206 controls the warning for policy CMP0206.

    This variable should not be set by a project in CMake code. Project developers running CMake may set this variable in their cache to enable the warning (e.g. -DCMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP<NNNN>=ON). Alternatively, running cmake(1) with the --debug-output, --trace, or --trace-expand option will also enable the warning.

  CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories specifying installation prefixes to be searched by the find_package(), find_program(), find_library(), find_file(), and find_path() commands. Each command will add appropriate subdirectories (like bin, lib, or include) as specified in its own documentation.

By default this is empty. It is intended to be set by the project.

There is also an environment variable CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH, which is used as an additional list of search prefixes.

See also CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH, CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH, CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH, CMAKE_PROGRAM_PATH, and CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH.

  CMAKE_PROGRAM_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories specifying a search path for the find_program() command. By default it is empty, it is intended to be set by the project.

There is also an environment variable CMAKE_PROGRAM_PATH, which is used as an additional list of search directories.

See also CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROGRAM_PATH and CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE

Added in version 3.15.

A CMake language file to be included as the last step of all project() command calls. This is intended for injecting custom code into project builds without modifying their source. See Code Injection for a more detailed discussion of files potentially included during a project() call.

Added in version 3.29: This variable can be a semicolon-separated list of CMake language files to be included sequentially. It can also now refer to module names to be found in CMAKE_MODULE_PATH or as a builtin CMake module.

See also the CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE, CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE_BEFORE, CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE_BEFORE, and CMAKE_PROJECT_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES variables.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE_BEFORE

Added in version 3.15.

A CMake language file to be included as the first step of all project() command calls. This is intended for injecting custom code into project builds without modifying their source. See Code Injection for a more detailed discussion of files potentially included during a project() call.

Added in version 3.29: This variable can be a semicolon-separated list of CMake language files to be included sequentially. It can also now refer to module names to be found in CMAKE_MODULE_PATH or as a builtin CMake module.

See also the CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE, CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE_BEFORE, CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE, and CMAKE_PROJECT_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES variables.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE

A CMake language file to be included as the last step of any project() command calls that specify <PROJECT-NAME> as the project name. This is intended for injecting custom code into project builds without modifying their source. See Code Injection for a more detailed discussion of files potentially included during a project() call.

Added in version 3.29: This variable can be a semicolon-separated list of CMake language files to be included sequentially. It can also now refer to module names to be found in CMAKE_MODULE_PATH or as a builtin CMake module.

See also the CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE_BEFORE, CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE, CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE_BEFORE, and CMAKE_PROJECT_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES variables.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE_BEFORE

Added in version 3.17.

A CMake language file to be included as the first step of any project() command calls that specify <PROJECT-NAME> as the project name. This is intended for injecting custom code into project builds without modifying their source. See Code Injection for a more detailed discussion of files potentially included during a project() call.

Added in version 3.29: This variable can be a semicolon-separated list of CMake language files to be included sequentially. It can also now refer to module names to be found in CMAKE_MODULE_PATH or as a builtin CMake module.

See also the CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE, CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE, CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE_BEFORE, and CMAKE_PROJECT_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES variables.

  CMAKE_PROJECT_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES

Added in version 3.24.

Semicolon-separated list of CMake language files to include as part of the very first project() call. The files will be included immediately after the toolchain file has been read (if one is specified) and platform variables have been set, but before any languages have been enabled. Therefore, language-specific variables, including things like CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER, might not be set. See Code Injection for a more detailed discussion of files potentially included during a project() call.

Added in version 3.29: This variable can also now refer to module names to be found in CMAKE_MODULE_PATH or builtin to CMake.

This variable is intended for specifying files that perform one-time setup for the build. It provides an injection point for things like configuring package managers, adding logic the user shares between projects (e.g. defining their own custom build types), and so on. It is primarily for users to add things specific to their environment, but not for specifying the toolchain details (use CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE for that).

By default, this variable is empty. It is intended to be set by the user.

See also:

•   CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE

•   CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE_BEFORE

•   CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE

•   CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE_BEFORE

•   PROPAGATE_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES_TO_TRY_COMPILE

  CMAKE_REQUIRE_FIND_PACKAGE_<PackageName>

Added in version 3.22.

Variable for making find_package() call REQUIRED.

Every non-REQUIRED find_package() call in a project can be turned into REQUIRED by setting the variable CMAKE_REQUIRE_FIND_PACKAGE_<PackageName> to TRUE. This can be used to assert assumptions about build environment and to ensure the build will fail early if they do not hold.

Note that setting this variable to true breaks some commonly used patterns. Multiple calls to find_package() are sometimes used to obtain a different search order to the default. For example, projects can force checking a known path for a particular package first before searching any of the other default search paths:

    find_package(something PATHS /some/local/path NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
    find_package(something)

In the above, the first call looks for the something package in a specific directory. If CMAKE_REQUIRE_FIND_PACKAGE_something is set to true, then this first call must succeed, otherwise a fatal error occurs. The second call never gets a chance to provide a fall-back to using the default search locations.

A similar pattern is used even by some of CMake's own Find modules to search for a config package first:

    find_package(something CONFIG QUIET)
    if(NOT something_FOUND)
      # Fall back to searching using typical Find module logic...
    endif()

Again, if CMAKE_REQUIRE_FIND_PACKAGE_something is true, the first call must succeed. It effectively means a config package must be found for the dependency, and the Find module logic is never used.

See also the CMAKE_DISABLE_FIND_PACKAGE_<PackageName> variable.

  CMAKE_SKIP_INSTALL_ALL_DEPENDENCY

Don't make the install target depend on the all target.

By default, the install target depends on the all target. This has the effect, that when make install is invoked or INSTALL is built, first the all target is built, then the installation starts. If CMAKE_SKIP_INSTALL_ALL_DEPENDENCY is set to TRUE, this dependency is not created, so the installation process will start immediately, independent from whether the project has been completely built or not.

See also CMAKE_SKIP_TEST_ALL_DEPENDENCY.

  CMAKE_SKIP_TEST_ALL_DEPENDENCY

Added in version 3.29.

Control whether the test target depends on the all target.

If this variable is not defined, or is set to TRUE, then the test (or RUN_TESTS) target does not depend on the all (or ALL_BUILD) target. When the test target is built, e.g., via make test, the test process will start immediately, regardless of whether the project has been completely built or not.

If CMAKE_SKIP_TEST_ALL_DEPENDENCY is explicitly set to FALSE, then the test target will depend on the all target. When the test target is built, e.g., via make test, the all target will be built first, and then the tests will run.

See also CMAKE_SKIP_INSTALL_ALL_DEPENDENCY.

  CMAKE_STAGING_PREFIX

This variable may be set to a path to install to when cross-compiling. This can be useful if the path in CMAKE_SYSROOT is read-only, or otherwise should remain pristine.

The CMAKE_STAGING_PREFIX location is also used as a search prefix by the find_* commands. This can be controlled by setting the CMAKE_FIND_NO_INSTALL_PREFIX variable.

If any RPATH/RUNPATH entries passed to the linker contain the CMAKE_STAGING_PREFIX, the matching path fragments are replaced with the CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX.

  CMAKE_SUBLIME_TEXT_2_ENV_SETTINGS

Added in version 3.8.

This variable contains a list of env vars as a list of tokens with the syntax var=value.

Example:

    set(CMAKE_SUBLIME_TEXT_2_ENV_SETTINGS
       "FOO=FOO1\;FOO2\;FOON"
       "BAR=BAR1\;BAR2\;BARN"
       "BAZ=BAZ1\;BAZ2\;BAZN"
       "FOOBAR=FOOBAR1\;FOOBAR2\;FOOBARN"
       "VALID="
       )

In case of malformed variables CMake will fail:

    set(CMAKE_SUBLIME_TEXT_2_ENV_SETTINGS
        "THIS_IS_NOT_VALID"
        )

  CMAKE_SUBLIME_TEXT_2_EXCLUDE_BUILD_TREE

Added in version 3.8.

If this variable evaluates to ON at the end of the top-level CMakeLists.txt file, the Sublime Text 2 extra generator excludes the build tree from the .sublime-project if it is inside the source tree.

  CMAKE_SUPPRESS_REGENERATION

Added in version 3.12.

If CMAKE_SUPPRESS_REGENERATION is OFF, which is default, then CMake adds a special target on which all other targets depend that checks the build system and optionally re-runs CMake to regenerate the build system when the target specification source changes.

If this variable evaluates to ON at the end of the top-level CMakeLists.txt file, CMake will not add the regeneration target to the build system or perform any build system checks.

  CMAKE_SYSROOT

Path to pass to the compiler in the --sysroot flag.

The CMAKE_SYSROOT content is passed to the compiler in the --sysroot flag, if supported. The path is also stripped from the RPATH/RUNPATH if necessary on installation. The CMAKE_SYSROOT is also used to prefix paths searched by the find_* commands.

This variable may only be set in a toolchain file specified by the CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE variable.

See also the CMAKE_SYSROOT_COMPILE and CMAKE_SYSROOT_LINK variables.

  CMAKE_SYSROOT_COMPILE

Added in version 3.9.

Path to pass to the compiler in the --sysroot flag when compiling source files. This is the same as CMAKE_SYSROOT but is used only for compiling sources and not linking.

This variable may only be set in a toolchain file specified by the CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE variable.

  CMAKE_SYSROOT_LINK

Added in version 3.9.

Path to pass to the compiler in the --sysroot flag when linking. This is the same as CMAKE_SYSROOT but is used only for linking and not compiling sources.

This variable may only be set in a toolchain file specified by the CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE variable.

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_APPBUNDLE_PATH

Added in version 3.4.

Search path for macOS application bundles used by the find_program(), and find_package() commands. By default it contains the standard directories for the current system. It is not intended to be modified by the project, use CMAKE_APPBUNDLE_PATH for this.

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_FRAMEWORK_PATH

Added in version 3.4.

Search path for macOS frameworks used by the find_library(), find_package(), find_path(), and find_file() commands. By default it contains the standard directories for the current system. It is not intended to be modified by the project, use CMAKE_FRAMEWORK_PATH for this.

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories to be ignored by the various find...() commands.

For find_program(), find_library(), find_file(), and find_path(), any file found in one of the listed directories will be ignored. The listed directories do not apply recursively, so any subdirectories to be ignored must also be explicitly listed. CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PATH does not affect the search prefixes used by these four commands. To ignore individual paths under a search prefix (e.g. bin, include, lib, etc.), each path must be listed in CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PATH as a full absolute path. CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH provides a more appropriate way to ignore a whole search prefix.

find_package() is also affected by CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PATH, but only for Config mode searches. Any <Name>Config.cmake or <name>-config.cmake file found in one of the specified directories will be ignored. In addition, any search prefix found in CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PATH will be skipped for backward compatibility reasons, but new code should prefer to use CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH to ignore prefixes instead.

Ignoring search locations can be useful in cross-compiling environments where some system directories contain incompatible but possibly linkable libraries. For example, on cross-compiled cluster environments, this allows a user to ignore directories containing libraries meant for the front-end machine.

CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PATH is populated by CMake as part of its platform and toolchain setup. Its purpose is to ignore locations containing incompatible binaries meant for the host rather than the target platform. The project or end user should not modify this variable, they should use CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH instead.

See also the following variables:

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_LIBRARY_PATH

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_INCLUDE_PATH

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROGRAM_PATH

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH

Added in version 3.23.

Semicolon-separated list of search prefixes to be ignored by the find_program(), find_library(), find_file(), and find_path() commands. The prefixes are also ignored by the Config mode of the find_package() command (Module mode is unaffected). To ignore specific directories instead, see CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PATH.

Ignoring search locations can be useful in cross-compiling environments where some system directories contain incompatible but possibly linkable libraries. For example, on cross-compiled cluster environments, this allows a user to ignore directories containing libraries meant for the front-end machine.

CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH is populated by CMake as part of its platform and toolchain setup. Its purpose is to ignore locations containing incompatible binaries meant for the host rather than the target platform. The project or end user should not modify this variable, they should use CMAKE_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH instead.

See also the following variables:

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PATH

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_LIBRARY_PATH

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_INCLUDE_PATH

•   CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROGRAM_PATH

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_INCLUDE_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories specifying a search path for the find_file() and find_path() commands. By default this contains the standard directories for the current system. It is not intended to be modified by the project; use CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH for this. See also CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH.

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_LIBRARY_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories specifying a search path for the find_library() command. By default this contains the standard directories for the current system. It is not intended to be modified by the project; use CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH for this. See also CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH.

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories specifying installation prefixes to be searched by the find_package(), find_program(), find_library(), find_file(), and find_path() commands. Each command will add appropriate subdirectories (like bin, lib, or include) as specified in its own documentation.

By default this contains the system directories for the current system, the CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX, and the CMAKE_STAGING_PREFIX. The installation and staging prefixes may be excluded by setting the CMAKE_FIND_NO_INSTALL_PREFIX variable before the first project() invocation.

The system directories that are contained in CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH are locations that typically include installed software. An example being /usr/local for UNIX based platforms. In addition to standard platform locations, CMake will also add values to CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH based on environment variables. The environment variables and search locations that CMake uses may evolve over time, as platforms and their conventions also evolve. The following provides an indicative list of environment variables and locations that CMake searches, but they are subject to change:

CrayLinuxEnvironment:

•   ENV{SYSROOT_DIR}/

•   ENV{SYSROOT_DIR}/usr

•   ENV{SYSROOT_DIR}/usr/local

Darwin:

•   ENV{SDKROOT}/usr When CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT is not explicitly specified.

OpenBSD:

•   ENV{LOCALBASE}

Unix:

•   ENV{CONDA_PREFIX} when using a conda compiler

MSYSTEM environment with MinGW toolchain:
    Added in version 3.28.

•   ENV{MSYSTEM_PREFIX}/local

•   ENV{MSYSTEM_PREFIX}

Windows:

•   ENV{ProgramW6432}

•   ENV{ProgramFiles}

•   ENV{ProgramFiles(x86)}

•   ENV{SystemDrive}/Program Files

•   ENV{SystemDrive}/Program Files (x86)

    CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH is not intended to be modified by the project; use CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH for this.

    See also CMAKE_SYSTEM_INCLUDE_PATH, CMAKE_SYSTEM_LIBRARY_PATH, CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROGRAM_PATH, and CMAKE_SYSTEM_IGNORE_PATH.

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROGRAM_PATH

Semicolon-separated list of directories specifying a search path for the find_program() command. By default this contains the standard directories for the current system. It is not intended to be modified by the project; use CMAKE_PROGRAM_PATH for this. See also CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH.

  CMAKE_TLS_CAINFO

Specify the default value for the file(DOWNLOAD) and file(UPLOAD) commands' TLS_CAINFO options. It is unset by default.

This variable is also used by the ExternalProject and FetchContent modules for internal calls to file(DOWNLOAD).

  CMAKE_TLS_VERIFY

Specify the default value for the file(DOWNLOAD) and file(UPLOAD) commands' TLS_VERIFY options. If this variable is not set, the commands check the CMAKE_TLS_VERIFY environment variable. If neither is set, the default is on.

Changed in version 3.31: The default is on. Previously, the default was off. Users may set the CMAKE_TLS_VERIFY environment variable to 0 to restore the old default.

This variable is also used by the ExternalProject and FetchContent modules for internal calls to file(DOWNLOAD).

TLS verification can help provide confidence that one is connecting to the desired server. When downloading known content, one should also use file hashes to verify it.

    set(CMAKE_TLS_VERIFY TRUE)

  CMAKE_TLS_VERSION

Added in version 3.30.

Specify the default value for the file(DOWNLOAD) and file(UPLOAD) commands' TLS_VERSION option. If this variable is not set, the commands check the CMAKE_TLS_VERSION environment variable. If neither is set, the default is TLS 1.2.

Changed in version 3.31: The default is TLS 1.2. Previously, no minimum version was enforced by default.

The value may be one of:

•   1.0

•   1.1

•   1.2

•   1.3

    This variable is also used by the ExternalProject and FetchContent modules for internal calls to file(DOWNLOAD) and git clone.

  CMAKE_USER_MAKE_RULES_OVERRIDE

Specify a CMake file that overrides platform information.

CMake loads the specified file while enabling support for each language from either the project() or enable_language() commands. It is loaded after CMake's builtin compiler and platform information modules have been loaded but before the information is used. The file may set platform information variables to override CMake's defaults. See CMAKE_USER_MAKE_RULES_OVERRIDE_<LANG> for the language-specific version of this variable.

This feature is intended for use only in overriding information variables that must be set before CMake builds its first test project to check that the compiler for a language works. It should not be used to load a file in cases that a normal include() will work. Use it only as a last resort for behavior that cannot be achieved any other way. For example, one may set the CMAKE_C_FLAGS_INIT variable to change the default value used to initialize the CMAKE_C_FLAGS variable before it is cached. The override file should NOT be used to set anything that could be set after languages are enabled, such as variables like CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY that affect the placement of binaries. Information set in the file will be used for try_compile() and try_run() builds too.

  CMAKE_WARN_DEPRECATED

Whether to issue warnings for deprecated functionality.

If not FALSE, use of deprecated functionality will issue warnings. If this variable is not set, CMake behaves as if it were set to TRUE.

When running cmake(1), this option can be enabled with the -Wdeprecated option, or disabled with the -Wno-deprecated option.

  CMAKE_WARN_ON_ABSOLUTE_INSTALL_DESTINATION

Ask cmake_install.cmake script to warn each time a file with absolute INSTALL DESTINATION is encountered.

This variable is used by CMake-generated cmake_install.cmake scripts. If one sets this variable to ON while running the script, it may get warning messages from the script.

  CMAKE_XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME

Added in version 3.9.

If enabled, the Xcode generator will generate schema files. These are useful to invoke analyze, archive, build-for-testing and test actions from the command line.

This variable initializes the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property on all targets.

  CMAKE_XCODE_GENERATE_TOP_LEVEL_PROJECT_ONLY

Added in version 3.11.

If enabled, the Xcode generator will generate only a single Xcode project file for the topmost project() command instead of generating one for every project() command.

This could be useful to speed up the CMake generation step for large projects and to work-around a bug in the ZERO_CHECK logic.

  CMAKE_XCODE_LINK_BUILD_PHASE_MODE

Added in version 3.19.

This variable is used to initialize the XCODE_LINK_BUILD_PHASE_MODE property on targets. It affects the methods that the Xcode generator uses to link different kinds of libraries. Its default value is NONE.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_ADDRESS_SANITIZER

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Address Sanitizer in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_ADDRESS_SANITIZER property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_ADDRESS_SANITIZER_USE_AFTER_RETURN

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Detect use of stack after return in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_ADDRESS_SANITIZER_USE_AFTER_RETURN property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_DEBUG_DOCUMENT_VERSIONING

Added in version 3.16.

Whether to enable Allow debugging when using document Versions Browser in the Options section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_DEBUG_DOCUMENT_VERSIONING property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_DISABLE_MAIN_THREAD_CHECKER

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to disable the Main Thread Checker in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_DISABLE_MAIN_THREAD_CHECKER property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_DYNAMIC_LIBRARY_LOADS

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Dynamic Library Loads in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_DYNAMIC_LIBRARY_LOADS property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_DYNAMIC_LINKER_API_USAGE

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Dynamic Linker API usage in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_DYNAMIC_LINKER_API_USAGE property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_ENABLE_GPU_API_VALIDATION

Added in version 3.25.

Populate Metal: API Validation in the Options section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_ENABLE_GPU_API_VALIDATION property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_ENABLE_GPU_FRAME_CAPTURE_MODE

Added in version 3.23.

Populate GPU Frame Capture in the Options section of the generated Xcode scheme. Example values are Metal and Disabled.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_ENABLE_GPU_FRAME_CAPTURE_MODE property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_ENABLE_GPU_SHADER_VALIDATION

Added in version 3.25.

Populate Metal: Shader Validation in the Options section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_ENABLE_GPU_SHADER_VALIDATION property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_ENVIRONMENT

Added in version 3.17.

Specify environment variables that should be added to the Arguments section of the generated Xcode scheme.

If set to a list of environment variables and values of the form MYVAR=value those environment variables will be added to the scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_ENVIRONMENT property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_GUARD_MALLOC

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Guard Malloc in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_GUARD_MALLOC property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_LAUNCH_CONFIGURATION

Added in version 3.25.

Set the build configuration to run the target.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_LAUNCH_CONFIGURATION property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_LAUNCH_MODE

Added in version 3.25.

Populate Launch in the Info section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_LAUNCH_MODE property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_LLDB_INIT_FILE

Added in version 4.0.

Populate LLDB Init File in the Info section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_LLDB_INIT_FILE property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_MAIN_THREAD_CHECKER_STOP

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable the Main Thread Checker option Pause on issues in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_MAIN_THREAD_CHECKER_STOP property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_MALLOC_GUARD_EDGES

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Malloc Guard Edges in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_MALLOC_GUARD_EDGES property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_MALLOC_SCRIBBLE

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Malloc Scribble in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_MALLOC_SCRIBBLE property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_MALLOC_STACK

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Malloc Stack in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_MALLOC_STACK property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_TEST_CONFIGURATION

Added in version 4.0.

Set the build configuration for testing targets.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_TEST_CONFIGURATION property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_THREAD_SANITIZER

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Thread Sanitizer in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_THREAD_SANITIZER property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_THREAD_SANITIZER_STOP

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Thread Sanitizer - Pause on issues in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_THREAD_SANITIZER_STOP property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_UNDEFINED_BEHAVIOUR_SANITIZER

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Undefined Behavior Sanitizer in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_UNDEFINED_BEHAVIOUR_SANITIZER property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_UNDEFINED_BEHAVIOUR_SANITIZER_STOP

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Undefined Behavior Sanitizer option Pause on issues in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_UNDEFINED_BEHAVIOUR_SANITIZER_STOP property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_WORKING_DIRECTORY

Added in version 3.17.

Specify the Working Directory of the Run and Profile actions in the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_WORKING_DIRECTORY property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_SCHEME_ZOMBIE_OBJECTS

Added in version 3.13.

Whether to enable Zombie Objects in the Diagnostics section of the generated Xcode scheme.

This variable initializes the XCODE_SCHEME_ZOMBIE_OBJECTS property on all targets.

Please refer to the XCODE_GENERATE_SCHEME target property documentation to see all Xcode schema related properties.

  CMAKE_XCODE_XCCONFIG

Added in version 3.24.

If set, the Xcode generator will register the specified file as a global XCConfig file. For target-level XCConfig files see the XCODE_XCCONFIG target property.

This feature is intended to ease migration from native Xcode projects to CMake projects.

Contents of CMAKE_XCODE_XCCONFIG may use generator expressions.

  <PackageName>_ROOT

Added in version 3.12.

Calls to find_package(<PackageName>) will search in prefixes specified by the <PackageName>_ROOT CMake variable, where <PackageName> is the (case-preserved) name given to the find_package() call and _ROOT is literal. For example, find_package(Foo) will search prefixes specified in the Foo_ROOT CMake variable (if set). See policy CMP0074.

This variable may hold a single prefix or a semicolon-separated list of multiple prefixes.

See also the <PackageName>_ROOT environment variable.

<PACKAGENAME>_ROOT
    Added in version 3.27.

    Calls to find_package(<PackageName>) will also search in prefixes specified by the upper-case <PACKAGENAME>_ROOT CMake variable. See policy CMP0144.

VARIABLES THAT DESCRIBE THE SYSTEM

  AIX

Added in version 4.0.

Set to true when the target system is AIX.

  ANDROID

Added in version 3.7.

Set to 1 when the target system (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME) is Android.

  APPLE

Set to True when the target system is an Apple platform (macOS, iOS, tvOS, visionOS or watchOS).

  BORLAND

True if the Borland compiler is being used.

This is set to true if the Borland compiler is being used.

  BSD

Added in version 3.25.

Set to a string value when the target system is BSD. This value can be one of the following: DragonFlyBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, or NetBSD.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_NDK_VERSION

Added in version 3.20.

When Cross Compiling for Android with the NDK and using an Android NDK version 11 or higher, this variable is provided by CMake to report the NDK version number.

  CMAKE_CL_64

Discouraged. Use CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P instead.

Set to a true value when using a Microsoft Visual Studio cl compiler that targets a 64-bit architecture.

  CMAKE_COMPILER_2005

Using the Visual Studio 2005 compiler from Microsoft

Set to true when using the Visual Studio 2005 compiler from Microsoft.

  CMAKE_HOST_AIX

Added in version 4.0.

Set to true when the host system is AIX.

  CMAKE_HOST_APPLE

True for Apple macOS operating systems.

Set to true when the host system is Apple macOS.

  CMAKE_HOST_BSD

Added in version 3.25.

Set to a string value when the host system is BSD. This value can be one of the following: DragonFlyBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, or NetBSD.

  CMAKE_HOST_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX

Added in version 3.31.

The suffix for executables on the host platform. This may differ from the suffix for the target platform, CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX.

The suffix to use for the end of an executable filename if any, .exe on Windows.

See also CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX.

  CMAKE_HOST_LINUX

Added in version 3.25.

Set to true when the host system is Linux.

  CMAKE_HOST_SOLARIS

Added in version 3.6.

True for Oracle Solaris operating systems.

Set to true when the host system is Oracle Solaris.

  CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM

Composite Name of OS CMake is being run on.

This variable is the composite of CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME and CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_VERSION, e.g. ${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME}-${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_VERSION}. If CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_VERSION is not set, then this variable is the same as CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME.

  CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME

Name of the OS CMake is running on.

On systems that have the uname command, this variable is set to the output of uname -s. Linux, Windows, and Darwin for macOS are the values found on the big three operating systems.

For a list of possible values, see CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME.

  CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR

The name of the CPU CMake is running on.

  Windows Platforms

On Windows, this variable is set to the value of the environment variable PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE.

  Unix Platforms

On systems that support uname, this variable is set to the output of:

•   uname -m on GNU, Linux, Cygwin, Android, or

•   arch on OpenBSD, or

•   on other systems,

•   uname -p if its exit code is nonzero, or

•   uname -m otherwise.

  macOS Platforms

The value of uname -m is used by default.

On Apple Silicon hosts, the architecture printed by uname -m may vary based on CMake's own architecture and that of the invoking process tree.

Added in version 3.19.2: On Apple Silicon hosts:

•   The CMAKE_APPLE_SILICON_PROCESSOR variable or the CMAKE_APPLE_SILICON_PROCESSOR environment variable may be set to specify the host architecture explicitly.

•   If CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES is not set, CMake adds explicit flags to tell the compiler to build for the host architecture so the toolchain does not have to guess based on the process tree's architecture.

  CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_VERSION

The OS version CMake is running on.

A numeric version string for the system. On systems that support uname, this variable is set to the output of uname -r. On other systems this is set to major-minor version numbers.

  CMAKE_HOST_UNIX

True for UNIX and UNIX like operating systems.

Set to true when the host system is UNIX or UNIX like (i.e. APPLE and CYGWIN).

  CMAKE_HOST_WIN32

True if the host system is running Windows, including Windows 64-bit and MSYS.

Set to false on Cygwin.

  CMAKE_LIBRARY_ARCHITECTURE

Target architecture library directory name, if detected.

This is the value of CMAKE_<LANG>_LIBRARY_ARCHITECTURE as detected for one of the enabled languages.

  CMAKE_LIBRARY_ARCHITECTURE_REGEX

Regex matching possible target architecture library directory names.

This is used to detect CMAKE_<LANG>_LIBRARY_ARCHITECTURE from the implicit linker search path by matching the <arch> name.

  CMAKE_OBJECT_PATH_MAX

Maximum object file full-path length allowed by native build tools.

CMake computes for every source file an object file name that is unique to the source file and deterministic with respect to the full path to the source file. This allows multiple source files in a target to share the same name if they lie in different directories without rebuilding when one is added or removed. However, it can produce long full paths in a few cases, so CMake shortens the path using a hashing scheme when the full path to an object file exceeds a limit. CMake has a built-in limit for each platform that is sufficient for common tools, but some native tools may have a lower limit. This variable may be set to specify the limit explicitly. The value must be an integer no less than 128.

  CMAKE_SYSTEM

Composite name of operating system CMake is compiling for.

This variable is the composite of CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME and CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION, e.g. ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME}-${CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION}. If CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION is not set, then this variable is the same as CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME.

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME

The name of the operating system for which CMake is to build. See the CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION variable for the OS version.

Note that CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME is not set to anything by default when running in script mode, since it's not building anything.

  System Name for Host Builds

CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME is by default set to the same value as the CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME variable so that the build targets the host system.

  System Name for Cross Compiling

CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME may be set explicitly when first configuring a new build tree in order to enable cross compiling. In this case the CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION variable must also be set explicitly.

  System Names Known to CMake

The following is a list of possible values, each associated with corresponding operating systems or environments.
Value | Name
ADSP | Analog Devices Audio Digital Signal Processing
AIX | IBM Unix operating system
Android | Android operating system
ARTOS | Operating system for microcontrollers
BeOS | Operating system for personal computers (discontinued)
BlueGeneL | Blue Gene/L static environment
BlueGeneP-dynamic | Blue Gene/P dynamic environment
BlueGeneP-static | Blue Gene/P static environment
BlueGeneQ-dynamic | Blue Gene/Q dynamic environment
BlueGeneQ-static | Blue Gene/Q static environment
BSDOS | BSD operating system (discontinued)
Catamount | Operating system for Cray XT series
CrayLinuxEnvironment | Cray Linux Environment
CYGWIN | Cygwin environment for Windows
Darwin | Apple stationary operating systems (macOS, OS X, etc.)
DOS | MS-DOS or compatible
DragonFly | BSD-derived operating system
eCos | Real-time embedded operating system
Emscripten | Compiler toolchain to WebAssembly
Euros | Real-time operating system for embedded devices
FreeBSD | FreeBSD operating system
Fuchsia | Operating system by Google based on the Zircon kernel
Generic-ADSP | Generic ADSP (Audio DSP) environment
Generic-ELF | Generic ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) environment
Generic | Some platforms, e.g. bare metal embedded devices
GHS-MULTI | Green Hills Software MULTI environment
GNU | GNU/Hurd-based operating system
Haiku | Unix operating system inspired by BeOS
HP-UX | Hewlett Packard Unix
iOS | Apple mobile phone operating system
Linux | All Linux-based distributions
Midipix | POSIX-compatible layer for Windows
MirBSD | MirOS BSD operating system
MP-RAS | MP-RAS UNIX operating system
MSYS | MSYS environment (MSYSTEM=MSYS)
NetBSD | NetBSD operating systems
OpenBSD | OpenBSD operating systems
OpenVMS | OpenVMS operating system by HP
OS2 | OS/2 operating system
OSF1 | Compaq Tru64 UNIX (formerly DEC OSF/1, Digital Unix) (discontinued)
QNX | Unix-like operating system by BlackBerry
RISCos | RISC OS operating system
SCO_SV | SCO OpenServer 5
SerenityOS | Unix-like operating system
SINIX | SINIX operating system
SunOS | Oracle Solaris and all illumos operating systems
syllable | Syllable operating system
Tru64 | Compaq Tru64 UNIX (formerly DEC OSF/1) operating system
tvOS | Apple TV operating system
ULTRIX | Unix operating system (discontinued)
UNIX_SV | SCO UnixWare (pre release 7)
UnixWare | SCO UnixWare 7
visionOS | Apple mixed reality operating system
WASI | WebAssembly System Interface
watchOS | Apple watch operating system
Windows | Windows stationary operating systems
WindowsCE | Windows Embedded Compact
WindowsPhone | Windows mobile phone operating system
WindowsStore | Universal Windows Platform applications
Xenix | SCO Xenix Unix operating system (discontinued)

Platform-specific notes:

•   MSYS2's msys/cmake package (/usr/bin/cmake) works only under MSYSTEM=MSYS environments, with system name MSYS. Under other environments like MSYSTEM=MINGW64, use another package such as mingw64/mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake (/mingw64/bin/cmake), which targets MSYSTEM=MINGW64 with system name Windows.

•   Cygwin's cmake package (/usr/bin/cmake) uses system name CYGWIN. A non-cygwin CMake on Windows (e.g. $PROGRAMFILES/CMake/bin/cmake) uses system name Windows even when it runs under a Cygwin environment.

  Removed Platforms

The following platforms were once supported by CMake and got removed either due to platform's EOL, or other incompatibilities:
Value | Name | Removed in CMake
kFreeBSD | FreeBSD kernel with a GNU userland | 4.1

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR

When not cross-compiling, this variable has the same value as the CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR variable. In many cases, this will correspond to the target architecture for the build, but this is not guaranteed. (E.g. on Windows, the host may be AMD64 even when using a MSVC cl compiler with a 32-bit target.)

When cross-compiling, a CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE should set the CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR variable to match target architecture that it specifies (via CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER and perhaps CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_TARGET).

  CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION

The version of the operating system for which CMake is to build. See the CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME variable for the OS name.

  System Version for Host Builds

When the CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME variable takes its default value then CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION is by default set to the same value as the CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_VERSION variable so that the build targets the host system version.

In the case of a host build then CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION may be set explicitly when first configuring a new build tree in order to enable targeting the build for a different version of the host operating system than is actually running on the host. This is allowed and not considered cross compiling so long as the binaries built for the specified OS version can still run on the host.

  System Version for Cross Compiling

When the CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME variable is set explicitly to enable cross compiling then the value of CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION must also be set explicitly to specify the target system version.

  CYGWIN

True for Cygwin.

Set to true when using Cygwin.

  GHSMULTI

Added in version 3.3.

1 when using Green Hills MULTI generator.

Also, Set to 1 when the target system is a Green Hills platform (i.e. When CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME is GHS-MULTI).

  IOS

Added in version 3.14.

Set to 1 when the target system (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME) is iOS.

  LINUX

Added in version 3.25.

Set to true when the target system is Linux.

  MINGW

Added in version 3.2.

Set to a true value when at least one language is enabled with a compiler targeting the GNU ABI on Windows (MinGW).

Otherwise, this variable is not set by CMake.

  MSVC

Set to true when the compiler is some version of Microsoft Visual C++ or another compiler simulating the Visual C++ cl command-line syntax.

See also the MSVC_VERSION variable.

  MSVC_IDE

True when using the Microsoft Visual C++ IDE.

Set to true when the target platform is the Microsoft Visual C++ IDE, as opposed to the command line compiler.

NOTE: This variable is only available after compiler detection has been performed, so it is not available to toolchain files or before the first project() or enable_language() call which uses an MSVC-like compiler.

  MSVC_TOOLSET_VERSION

Added in version 3.12.

The toolset version of Microsoft Visual C/C++ being used if any. If MSVC-like is being used, this variable is set based on the version of the compiler as given by the MSVC_VERSION variable.

Known toolset version numbers are:
Value | Version
80 | VS 2005 (8.0)
90 | VS 2008 (9.0)
100 | VS 2010 (10.0)
110 | VS 2012 (11.0)
120 | VS 2013 (12.0)
140 | VS 2015 (14.0)
141 | VS 2017 (15.0)
142 | VS 2019 (16.0)
143 | VS 2022 (17.0)
145 | VS 2026 (18.0)

Compiler versions newer than those known to CMake will be reported as the latest known toolset version.

See also the MSVC_VERSION variable.

  MSVC_VERSION

The version of Microsoft Visual C/C++ being used if any. If a compiler simulating Visual C++ is being used, this variable is set to the toolset version simulated as given by the _MSC_VER preprocessor definition.

Known version numbers are:
Value | Version
1200 | VS 6.0
1300 | VS 7.0
1310 | VS 7.1
1400 | VS 8.0 (v80 toolset)
1500 | VS 9.0 (v90 toolset)
1600 | VS 10.0 (v100 toolset)
1700 | VS 11.0 (v110 toolset)
1800 | VS 12.0 (v120 toolset)
1900 | VS 14.0 (v140 toolset)
1910-1919 | VS 15.0 (v141 toolset)
1920-1929 | VS 16.0 (v142 toolset)
1930-1949 | VS 17.0 (v143 toolset)
1950-1959 | VS 18.0 (v145 toolset)

See also the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_VERSION and MSVC_TOOLSET_VERSION variable.

  MSYS

Added in version 3.14.

True when using the MSYS Makefiles generator.

  UNIX

Set to True when the target system is UNIX or UNIX-like (e.g. APPLE and CYGWIN). The CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME variable should be queried if a more specific understanding of the target system is required.

  WASI

Added in version 3.31.

Set to 1 when the target system is WebAssembly System Interface (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME is WASI).

  WIN32

Set to True when the target system is Windows, including Win64.

  WINCE

Added in version 3.1.

True when the CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME variable is set to WindowsCE.

  WINDOWS_PHONE

Added in version 3.1.

True when the CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME variable is set to WindowsPhone.

  WINDOWS_STORE

Added in version 3.1.

True when the CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME variable is set to WindowsStore.

  XCODE

Added in version 3.7.

True when using Xcode generator.

  XCODE_VERSION

Version of Xcode (Xcode generator only).

Under the Xcode generator, this is the version of Xcode as specified in Xcode.app/Contents/version.plist (such as 3.1.2).

VARIABLES THAT CONTROL THE BUILD

  CMAKE_ADSP_ROOT

Added in version 3.24.

When Cross Compiling for ADSP SHARC/Blackfin, this variable holds the absolute path to the latest CCES or VDSP++ install. The directory is expected to contain the cc21k.exe and ccblkfn.exe compilers. This will be set automatically if a default install of CCES or VDSP++ can be found.

See also the ADSP_ROOT environment variable.

  CMAKE_AIX_EXPORT_ALL_SYMBOLS

Added in version 3.17.

Default value for AIX_EXPORT_ALL_SYMBOLS target property. This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created.

  CMAKE_AIX_SHARED_LIBRARY_ARCHIVE

Added in version 3.31.

On AIX, enable or disable creation of shared library archives.

This variable initializes the AIX_SHARED_LIBRARY_ARCHIVE target property on non-imported SHARED library targets as they are created by add_library(). See that target property for details.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_ANT_ADDITIONAL_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_ANT_ADDITIONAL_OPTIONS target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_API

Added in version 3.1.

When Cross Compiling for Android with NVIDIA Nsight Tegra Visual Studio Edition, this variable may be set to specify the default value for the ANDROID_API target property. See that target property for additional information.

When Cross Compiling for Android, the CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION variable represents the Android API version number targeted. For historical reasons, if a toolchain file sets CMAKE_ANDROID_API, but not CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION, the latter will be initialized using the former.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_API_MIN

Added in version 3.2.

Default value for the ANDROID_API_MIN target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_ARCH

Added in version 3.4.

When Cross Compiling for Android with NVIDIA Nsight Tegra Visual Studio Edition, this variable may be set to specify the default value for the ANDROID_ARCH target property. See that target property for additional information.

Otherwise, when Cross Compiling for Android, this variable provides the name of the Android architecture corresponding to the value of the CMAKE_ANDROID_ARCH_ABI variable. The architecture name may be one of:

•   arm

•   arm64

•   mips

•   mips64

•   x86

•   x86_64

  CMAKE_ANDROID_ARCH_ABI

Added in version 3.7.

When Cross Compiling for Android, this variable specifies the target architecture and ABI to be used. Valid values are:

•   arm64-v8a

•   armeabi-v7a

•   armeabi-v6

•   armeabi

•   mips

•   mips64

•   x86

•   x86_64

    See also the CMAKE_ANDROID_ARM_MODE and CMAKE_ANDROID_ARM_NEON variables.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_ARM_MODE

Added in version 3.7.

When Cross Compiling for Android and CMAKE_ANDROID_ARCH_ABI is set to one of the armeabi architectures, set CMAKE_ANDROID_ARM_MODE to ON to target 32-bit ARM processors (-marm). Otherwise, the default is to target the 16-bit Thumb processors (-mthumb).

  CMAKE_ANDROID_ARM_NEON

Added in version 3.7.

When Cross Compiling for Android and CMAKE_ANDROID_ARCH_ABI is set to armeabi-v7a set CMAKE_ANDROID_ARM_NEON to ON to target ARM NEON devices.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_ASSETS_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_ASSETS_DIRECTORIES target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_EXCEPTIONS

Added in version 3.20.

When Cross Compiling for Android with the NDK, this variable may be set to specify whether exceptions are enabled.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_GUI

Added in version 3.1.

Default value for the ANDROID_GUI target property of executables. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_JAR_DEPENDENCIES

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_JAR_DEPENDENCIES target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_JAR_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_JAR_DIRECTORIES target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_JAVA_SOURCE_DIR

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_JAVA_SOURCE_DIR target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_NATIVE_LIB_DEPENDENCIES

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_NATIVE_LIB_DEPENDENCIES target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_NATIVE_LIB_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_NATIVE_LIB_DIRECTORIES target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_NDK

Added in version 3.7.

When Cross Compiling for Android with the NDK, this variable holds the absolute path to the root directory of the NDK. The directory must contain a platforms subdirectory holding the android-<api> directories.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_NDK_DEPRECATED_HEADERS

Added in version 3.9.

When Cross Compiling for Android with the NDK, this variable may be set to specify whether to use the deprecated per-api-level headers instead of the unified headers.

If not specified, the default will be false if using a NDK version that provides the unified headers and true otherwise.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_NDK_TOOLCHAIN_HOST_TAG

Added in version 3.7.1.

When Cross Compiling for Android with the NDK, this variable provides the NDK's "host tag" used to construct the path to prebuilt toolchains that run on the host.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_NDK_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION

Added in version 3.7.

When Cross Compiling for Android with the NDK, this variable may be set to specify the version of the toolchain to be used as the compiler.

On NDK r19 or above, this variable must be unset or set to clang.

On NDK r18 or below, this variable must be set to one of these forms:

•   <major>.<minor>: GCC of specified version

•   clang<major>.<minor>: Clang of specified version

•   clang: Clang of most recent available version

    A toolchain of the requested version will be selected automatically to match the ABI named in the CMAKE_ANDROID_ARCH_ABI variable.

    If not specified, the default will be a value that selects the latest available GCC toolchain.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_PROCESS_MAX

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_PROCESS_MAX target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_PROGUARD

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_PROGUARD target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_PROGUARD_CONFIG_PATH

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_PROGUARD_CONFIG_PATH target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_RTTI

Added in version 3.20.

When Cross Compiling for Android with the NDK, this variable may be set to specify whether RTTI is enabled.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_SECURE_PROPS_PATH

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_SECURE_PROPS_PATH target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_SKIP_ANT_STEP

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for the ANDROID_SKIP_ANT_STEP target property. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_STANDALONE_TOOLCHAIN

Added in version 3.7.

When Cross Compiling for Android with a Standalone Toolchain, this variable holds the absolute path to the root directory of the toolchain. The specified directory must contain a sysroot subdirectory.

  CMAKE_ANDROID_STL_TYPE

Added in version 3.4.

When Cross Compiling for Android with NVIDIA Nsight Tegra Visual Studio Edition, this variable may be set to specify the default value for the ANDROID_STL_TYPE target property. See that target property for additional information.

When Cross Compiling for Android with the NDK, this variable may be set to specify the STL variant to be used. The value may be one of:

none
    No C++ Support

system
    Minimal C++ without STL

gabi++_static
    GAbi++ Static

gabi++_shared
    GAbi++ Shared

gnustl_static
    GNU libstdc++ Static

gnustl_shared
    GNU libstdc++ Shared

c++_static
    LLVM libc++ Static

c++_shared
    LLVM libc++ Shared

stlport_static
    STLport Static

stlport_shared
    STLport Shared

    The default value is gnustl_static on NDK versions that provide it and otherwise c++_static. Note that this default differs from the native NDK build system because CMake may be used to build projects for Android that are not natively implemented for it and use the C++ standard library.

  CMAKE_APPLE_SILICON_PROCESSOR

Added in version 3.19.2.

On Apple Silicon hosts running macOS, set this variable to tell CMake what architecture to use for CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR. The value must be either arm64 or x86_64.

The value of this variable should never be modified by project code. It is meant to be set as a cache entry provided by the user, e.g. via -DCMAKE_APPLE_SILICON_PROCESSOR=....

See also the CMAKE_APPLE_SILICON_PROCESSOR environment variable.

  CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY

Where to put all the ARCHIVE target files when built.

This variable is used to initialize the ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_<CONFIG>

Added in version 3.3.

Where to put all the ARCHIVE target files when built for a specific configuration.

This variable is used to initialize the ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_<CONFIG> property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_AUTOGEN_BETTER_GRAPH_MULTI_CONFIG

Added in version 3.29.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOGEN_BETTER_GRAPH_MULTI_CONFIG property on all targets as they are created. See that target property for additional information.

By default CMAKE_AUTOGEN_BETTER_GRAPH_MULTI_CONFIG is unset.

  CMAKE_AUTOGEN_COMMAND_LINE_LENGTH_MAX

Added in version 3.29.

Command line length limit for autogen targets, i.e. moc or uic, that triggers the use of response files on Windows instead of passing all arguments to the command line.

By default CMAKE_AUTOGEN_COMMAND_LINE_LENGTH_MAX is unset.

  CMAKE_AUTOGEN_ORIGIN_DEPENDS

Added in version 3.14.

Switch for forwarding origin target dependencies to the corresponding <ORIGIN>_autogen targets.

NOTE: If Qt 5.15 or later is used and the generator is either Ninja or Makefile Generators, additional target dependencies are added to the <ORIGIN>_autogen_timestamp_deps target instead of the <ORIGIN>_autogen target.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOGEN_ORIGIN_DEPENDS property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

By default CMAKE_AUTOGEN_ORIGIN_DEPENDS is ON.

  CMAKE_AUTOGEN_PARALLEL

Added in version 3.11.

Number of parallel moc or uic processes to start when using AUTOMOC and AUTOUIC.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOGEN_PARALLEL property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

By default CMAKE_AUTOGEN_PARALLEL is unset.

  CMAKE_AUTOGEN_USE_SYSTEM_INCLUDE

Added in version 3.27.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOGEN_USE_SYSTEM_INCLUDE property on all targets as they are created. See that target property for additional information.

By default CMAKE_AUTOGEN_USE_SYSTEM_INCLUDE is unset.

  CMAKE_AUTOGEN_VERBOSE

Added in version 3.13.

Sets the verbosity of AUTOMOC, AUTOUIC and AUTORCC. A positive integer value or a true boolean value lets the AUTO* generators output additional processing information.

Setting CMAKE_AUTOGEN_VERBOSE has the same effect as setting the VERBOSE environment variable during generation (e.g. by calling make VERBOSE=1). The extra verbosity is limited to the AUTO* generators though.

By default CMAKE_AUTOGEN_VERBOSE is unset.

  CMAKE_AUTOMOC

Whether to handle moc automatically for Qt targets.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOMOC property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_AUTOMOC_COMPILER_PREDEFINES

Added in version 3.10.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOMOC_COMPILER_PREDEFINES property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

By default it is ON.

  CMAKE_AUTOMOC_DEPEND_FILTERS

Added in version 3.9.

Filter definitions used by CMAKE_AUTOMOC to extract file names from source code as additional dependencies for the moc file.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOMOC_DEPEND_FILTERS property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

By default it is empty.

  CMAKE_AUTOMOC_EXECUTABLE

Added in version 3.27.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOMOC_EXECUTABLE property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

By default it is empty.

  CMAKE_AUTOMOC_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 4.1.

Specifies zero or more include directories for AUTOMOC to pass explicitly to the Qt Meta‑Object Compiler (moc) instead of automatically discovering each target's include directories.

The directories listed here will replace any include paths discovered from target properties such as INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOMOC_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_AUTOMOC_MACRO_NAMES

Added in version 3.10.

Semicolon-separated list list of macro names used by CMAKE_AUTOMOC to determine if a C++ file needs to be processed by moc.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOMOC_MACRO_NAMES property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

The default value is Q_OBJECT;Q_GADGET;Q_NAMESPACE;Q_NAMESPACE_EXPORT.

  Example

Let CMake know that source files that contain CUSTOM_MACRO must be moc processed as well:

    set(CMAKE_AUTOMOC ON)
    list(APPEND CMAKE_AUTOMOC_MACRO_NAMES "CUSTOM_MACRO")

  CMAKE_AUTOMOC_MOC_OPTIONS

Additional options for moc when using CMAKE_AUTOMOC.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOMOC_MOC_OPTIONS property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_AUTOMOC_PATH_PREFIX

Added in version 3.16.

Whether to generate the -p path prefix option for moc on AUTOMOC enabled Qt targets.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOMOC_PATH_PREFIX property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

The default value is OFF.

  CMAKE_AUTORCC

Whether to handle rcc automatically for Qt targets.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTORCC property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_AUTORCC_EXECUTABLE

Added in version 3.27.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTORCC_EXECUTABLE property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

By default it is empty.

  CMAKE_AUTORCC_OPTIONS

Additional options for rcc when using CMAKE_AUTORCC.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTORCC_OPTIONS property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  EXAMPLE

    # ...
    set(CMAKE_AUTORCC_OPTIONS "--compress;9")
    # ...

  CMAKE_AUTOUIC

Whether to handle uic automatically for Qt targets.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOUIC property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_AUTOUIC_EXECUTABLE

Added in version 3.27.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOUIC_EXECUTABLE property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

By default it is empty.

  CMAKE_AUTOUIC_OPTIONS

Additional options for uic when using CMAKE_AUTOUIC.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOUIC_OPTIONS property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  EXAMPLE

    # ...
    set_property(CMAKE_AUTOUIC_OPTIONS "--no-protection")
    # ...

  CMAKE_AUTOUIC_SEARCH_PATHS

Added in version 3.9.

Search path list used by CMAKE_AUTOUIC to find included .ui files.

This variable is used to initialize the AUTOUIC_SEARCH_PATHS property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

By default it is empty.

  CMAKE_BUILD_RPATH

Added in version 3.8.

Semicolon-separated list specifying runtime path (RPATH) entries to add to binaries linked in the build tree (for platforms that support it). The entries will not be used for binaries in the install tree. See also the CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH variable.

This is used to initialize the BUILD_RPATH target property for all targets.

  CMAKE_BUILD_RPATH_USE_ORIGIN

Added in version 3.14.

Whether to use relative paths for the build RPATH.

This is used to initialize the BUILD_RPATH_USE_ORIGIN target property for all targets, see that property for more details.

  CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_NAME_DIR

Added in version 3.9.

Whether to use INSTALL_NAME_DIR on targets in the build tree.

This variable is used to initialize the BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_NAME_DIR property on all targets.

  CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH

Use the install path for the RPATH.

Normally CMake uses the build tree for the RPATH when building executables etc on systems that use RPATH. When the software is installed the executables etc are relinked by CMake to have the install RPATH. If this variable is set to true then the software is always built with the install path for the RPATH and does not need to be relinked when installed.

This is used to initialize the BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH target property for all targets.

  CMAKE_COMPILE_PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY

Added in version 3.1.

Output directory for MS debug symbol .pdb files generated by the compiler while building source files.

This variable is used to initialize the COMPILE_PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY property on all the targets.

  CMAKE_COMPILE_PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_<CONFIG>

Added in version 3.1.

Per-configuration output directory for MS debug symbol .pdb files generated by the compiler while building source files.

This is a per-configuration version of CMAKE_COMPILE_PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY. This variable is used to initialize the COMPILE_PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_<CONFIG> property on all the targets.

  CMAKE_COMPILE_WARNING_AS_ERROR

Added in version 3.24.

Specify whether to treat warnings on compile as errors.

This variable is used to initialize the COMPILE_WARNING_AS_ERROR property on all the targets.

  CMAKE_<CONFIG>_POSTFIX

Default filename postfix for libraries under configuration <CONFIG>.

When a non-executable target is created its <CONFIG>_POSTFIX target property is initialized with the value of this variable if it is set.

  CMAKE_CROSS_CONFIGS

Added in version 3.17.

Specifies a semicolon-separated list of configurations available from all build-<Config>.ninja files in the Ninja Multi-Config generator. This variable activates cross-config mode. Targets from each config specified in this variable can be built from any build-<Config>.ninja file. Custom commands will use the configuration native to build-<Config>.ninja. If it is set to all, all configurations from CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES are cross-configs. If it is not specified, or empty, each build-<Config>.ninja file will only contain build rules for its own configuration.

The value of this variable must be a subset of CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES.

  CMAKE_CTEST_ARGUMENTS

Added in version 3.17.

Set this to a semicolon-separated list of command-line arguments to pass to ctest(1) when running tests through the test (or RUN_TESTS) target of the generated build system.

  CMAKE_CUDA_RESOLVE_DEVICE_SYMBOLS

Added in version 3.16.

Default value for CUDA_RESOLVE_DEVICE_SYMBOLS target property when defined. By default this variable is not defined.

This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created.

  CMAKE_CUDA_RUNTIME_LIBRARY

Added in version 3.17.

Select the CUDA runtime library for use when compiling and linking CUDA. This variable is used to initialize the CUDA_RUNTIME_LIBRARY property on all targets as they are created.

The allowed case insensitive values are:

None
    Link with -cudart=none or equivalent flag(s) to use no CUDA runtime library.

Shared
    Link with -cudart=shared or equivalent flag(s) to use a dynamically-linked CUDA runtime library.

Static
    Link with -cudart=static or equivalent flag(s) to use a statically-linked CUDA runtime library.

    Contents of CMAKE_CUDA_RUNTIME_LIBRARY may use generator expressions.

    If this variable is not set then the CUDA_RUNTIME_LIBRARY target property will not be set automatically. If that property is not set then CMake uses an appropriate default value based on the compiler to select the CUDA runtime library.

    NOTE: This property has effect only when the CUDA language is enabled. To control the CUDA runtime linking when only using the CUDA SDK with the C or C++ language we recommend using the FindCUDAToolkit module.

  CMAKE_CUDA_SEPARABLE_COMPILATION

Added in version 3.11.

Default value for CUDA_SEPARABLE_COMPILATION target property. This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created.

  CMAKE_CXX_MODULE_STD

Added in version 3.30.

Whether to add utility targets as dependencies to targets with at least cxx_std_23 or not.

NOTE: This setting is meaningful only when experimental support for import std; has been enabled by the CMAKE_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX_IMPORT_STD gate.

This variable is used to initialize the CXX_MODULE_STD property on all targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_CXX_SCAN_FOR_MODULES

Added in version 3.28.

Whether to scan C++ source files for module dependencies.

This variable is used to initialize the CXX_SCAN_FOR_MODULES property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX

See variable CMAKE_<CONFIG>_POSTFIX.

This variable is a special case of the more-general CMAKE_<CONFIG>_POSTFIX variable for the DEBUG configuration.

  CMAKE_DEBUGGER_WORKING_DIRECTORY

Added in version 4.0.

This variable is used to initialize the DEBUGGER_WORKING_DIRECTORY property on each target as it is created. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_DEFAULT_BUILD_TYPE

Added in version 3.17.

Specifies the configuration to use by default in a build.ninja file in the Ninja Multi-Config generator. If this variable is specified, build.ninja uses build rules from build-<Config>.ninja by default. All custom commands are executed with this configuration. If the variable is not specified, the first item from CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES is used instead.

The value of this variable must be one of the items from CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES.

  CMAKE_DEFAULT_CONFIGS

Added in version 3.17.

Specifies a semicolon-separated list of configurations to build for a target in build.ninja if no :<Config> suffix is specified in the Ninja Multi-Config generator. If it is set to all, all configurations from CMAKE_CROSS_CONFIGS are used. If it is not specified, it defaults to CMAKE_DEFAULT_BUILD_TYPE.

For example, if you set CMAKE_DEFAULT_BUILD_TYPE to Release, but set CMAKE_DEFAULT_CONFIGS to Debug or all, all <target> aliases in build.ninja will resolve to <target>:Debug or <target>:all, but custom commands will still use the Release configuration.

The value of this variable must be a subset of CMAKE_CROSS_CONFIGS or be the same as CMAKE_DEFAULT_BUILD_TYPE. It must not be specified if CMAKE_DEFAULT_BUILD_TYPE or CMAKE_CROSS_CONFIGS is not used.

  CMAKE_DEPENDS_USE_COMPILER

Added in version 3.20.

For the Makefile Generators, source dependencies are now, for a selection of compilers, generated by the compiler itself. By defining this variable with value FALSE, you can restore the legacy behavior (i.e. using CMake for dependencies discovery).

  CMAKE_DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS

Added in version 3.16.

Default value for DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS of targets.

By default CMAKE_DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS is OFF.

  CMAKE_DLL_NAME_WITH_SOVERSION

Added in version 3.27.

This variable is used to initialize the DLL_NAME_WITH_SOVERSION property on shared library targets for the Windows platform, which is selected when the WIN32 variable is set.

See this target property for additional information.

Please note that setting this variable has no effect if versioned filenames are globally disabled with the CMAKE_PLATFORM_NO_VERSIONED_SONAME variable.

  CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_ENABLE_EXPORTS

Added in version 3.27.

Specify whether executables export symbols for loadable modules.

This variable is used to initialize the ENABLE_EXPORTS target property for executable targets when they are created by calls to the add_executable() command. See the property documentation for details.

This variable supersedes the CMAKE_ENABLE_EXPORTS variable.

  See Also

•   The CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_ENABLE_EXPORTS variable.

  CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS

Linker flags to be used to create executables.

These flags will be used by the linker when creating an executable for all build configurations.

  Handling Compiler Driver Differences

Added in version 4.0.

To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

This support implies to parse and re-quote the content of the variable. See policy CMP0181.

  See Also

•   CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

  CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

Flags to be used when linking an executable.

These flags will be used by the linker when creating an executable for the <CONFIG> configuration.

  Handling Compiler Driver Differences

Added in version 4.0.

To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

This support implies to parse and re-quote the content of the variable. See policy CMP0181.

  See Also

•   CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS

  CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

Value used to initialize the CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG> cache entry the first time a build tree is configured. This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file. CMake may prepend or append content to the value based on the environment and target platform.

See also CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT.

  CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

Value used to initialize the CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS cache entry the first time a build tree is configured. This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file. CMake may prepend or append content to the value based on the environment and target platform.

See also the configuration-specific variable CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT.

  CMAKE_EXPORT_FIND_PACKAGE_NAME

NOTE: Experimental. Gated by CMAKE_EXPERIMENTAL_EXPORT_PACKAGE_DEPENDENCIES.

Initializes the value of EXPORT_FIND_PACKAGE_NAME.

  CMAKE_FOLDER

Added in version 3.12.

Set the folder name. Use to organize targets in an IDE.

This variable is used to initialize the FOLDER property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_Fortran_FORMAT

Set to FIXED or FREE to indicate the Fortran source layout.

This variable is used to initialize the Fortran_FORMAT property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_Fortran_MODULE_DIRECTORY

Fortran module output directory.

This variable is used to initialize the Fortran_MODULE_DIRECTORY property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_Fortran_PREPROCESS

Added in version 3.18.

Default value for Fortran_PREPROCESS of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the Fortran_PREPROCESS property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_FRAMEWORK

Added in version 3.15.

Default value for FRAMEWORK of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the FRAMEWORK property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_FRAMEWORK_MULTI_CONFIG_POSTFIX_<CONFIG>

Added in version 3.18.

Default framework filename postfix under configuration <CONFIG> when using a multi-config generator.

When a framework target is created its FRAMEWORK_MULTI_CONFIG_POSTFIX_<CONFIG> target property is initialized with the value of this variable if it is set.

  CMAKE_GHS_NO_SOURCE_GROUP_FILE

Added in version 3.14.

ON / OFF boolean to control if the project file for a target should be one single file or multiple files. Refer to GHS_NO_SOURCE_GROUP_FILE for further details.

  CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTOGEN_TARGET

Added in version 3.14.

Switch to enable generation of a global autogen target.

When CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTOGEN_TARGET is enabled, a custom target autogen is generated. This target depends on all AUTOMOC and AUTOUIC generated <ORIGIN>_autogen targets in the project. By building the global autogen target, all AUTOMOC and AUTOUIC files in the project will be generated.

The name of the global autogen target can be changed by setting CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTOGEN_TARGET_NAME.

By default CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTOGEN_TARGET is unset.

See the cmake-qt(7) manual for more information on using CMake with Qt.

NOTE: <ORIGIN>_autogen targets by default inherit their origin target's dependencies. This might result in unintended dependency target builds when only <ORIGIN>_autogen targets are built. A solution is to disable AUTOGEN_ORIGIN_DEPENDS on the respective origin targets.

  CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTOGEN_TARGET_NAME

Added in version 3.14.

Change the name of the global autogen target.

When CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTOGEN_TARGET is enabled, a global custom target named autogen is created. CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTOGEN_TARGET_NAME allows to set a different name for that target.

By default CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTOGEN_TARGET_NAME is unset.

See the cmake-qt(7) manual for more information on using CMake with Qt.

  CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTORCC_TARGET

Added in version 3.14.

Switch to enable generation of a global autorcc target.

When CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTORCC_TARGET is enabled, a custom target autorcc is generated. This target depends on all AUTORCC generated <ORIGIN>_arcc_<QRC> targets in the project. By building the global autorcc target, all AUTORCC files in the project will be generated.

The name of the global autorcc target can be changed by setting CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTORCC_TARGET_NAME.

By default CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTORCC_TARGET is unset.

See the cmake-qt(7) manual for more information on using CMake with Qt.

  CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTORCC_TARGET_NAME

Added in version 3.14.

Change the name of the global autorcc target.

When CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTORCC_TARGET is enabled, a global custom target named autorcc is created. CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTORCC_TARGET_NAME allows to set a different name for that target.

By default CMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTORCC_TARGET_NAME is unset.

See the cmake-qt(7) manual for more information on using CMake with Qt.

  CMAKE_GNUtoMS

Convert GNU import libraries (.dll.a) to MS format (.lib).

This variable is used to initialize the GNUtoMS property on targets when they are created. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_INCLUDE_CURRENT_DIR

Automatically add the current source and build directories to the include path.

If this variable is enabled, CMake automatically adds CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR and CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR to the include path for each directory. These additional include directories do not propagate down to subdirectories. This is useful mainly for out-of-source builds, where files generated into the build tree are included by files located in the source tree.

By default CMAKE_INCLUDE_CURRENT_DIR is OFF.

  CMAKE_INCLUDE_CURRENT_DIR_IN_INTERFACE

Automatically add the current source and build directories to the INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES target property.

If this variable is enabled, CMake automatically adds for each shared library target, static library target, module target and executable target, CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR and CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR to the INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES target property. By default CMAKE_INCLUDE_CURRENT_DIR_IN_INTERFACE is OFF.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_DIR

Directory name for installed targets on Apple platforms.

CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_DIR is used to initialize the INSTALL_NAME_DIR property on all targets. See that target property for more information.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_OBJECT_NAME_STRATEGY

Added in version 4.2.

Strategy to use for naming installed object files.

CMAKE_INSTALL_OBJECT_NAME_STRATEGY is used to initialize the INSTALL_OBJECT_NAME_STRATEGY property on all targets. See that target property for more information.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_OBJECT_ONLY_USE_DESTINATION

Added in version 4.2.

Controls whether the install(DESTINATION) for object libraries is used as-is or supplemented with conflict-avoiding subdirectories.

CMAKE_INSTALL_OBJECT_ONLY_USE_DESTINATION is used to initialize the INSTALL_OBJECT_ONLY_USE_DESTINATION property on all targets. See that target property for more information.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_REMOVE_ENVIRONMENT_RPATH

Added in version 3.16.

Sets the default for whether toolchain-defined rpaths should be removed during installation.

CMAKE_INSTALL_REMOVE_ENVIRONMENT_RPATH is a boolean that provides the default value for the INSTALL_REMOVE_ENVIRONMENT_RPATH property of all subsequently created targets.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH

The rpath to use for installed targets.

A semicolon-separated list specifying the rpath to use in installed targets (for platforms that support it). This is used to initialize the target property INSTALL_RPATH for all targets.

  CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH

Add paths to linker search and installed rpath.

CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH is a boolean that if set to True will append to the runtime search path (rpath) of installed binaries any directories outside the project that are in the linker search path or contain linked library files. The directories are appended after the value of the INSTALL_RPATH target property.

This variable is used to initialize the target property INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH for all targets.

  CMAKE_INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION

Added in version 3.9.

Default value for INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  See Also

•   The CMAKE_INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION_<CONFIG> variable.

  CMAKE_INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION_<CONFIG>

Added in version 3.9.

Default value for INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION_<CONFIG> of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION_<CONFIG> property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  See Also

•   The CMAKE_INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_CLANG_TIDY

Added in version 3.6.

Default value for <LANG>_CLANG_TIDY target property when <LANG> is C, CXX, OBJC or OBJCXX.

This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created. For example:

    set(CMAKE_CXX_CLANG_TIDY clang-tidy -checks=-*,readability-*)
    add_executable(foo foo.cxx)

  CMAKE_<LANG>_CLANG_TIDY_EXPORT_FIXES_DIR

Added in version 3.26.

Default value for <LANG>_CLANG_TIDY_EXPORT_FIXES_DIR target property when <LANG> is C, CXX, OBJC or OBJCXX.

This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created. For example:

    set(CMAKE_CXX_CLANG_TIDY_EXPORT_FIXES_DIR clang-tidy-fixes)
    add_executable(foo foo.cxx)

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for <LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER target property. This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created. This is done only when <LANG> is C, CXX, Fortran, HIP, ISPC, OBJC, OBJCXX, or CUDA.

This variable is initialized to the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER environment variable if it is set.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_CPPCHECK

Added in version 3.10.

Default value for <LANG>_CPPCHECK target property. This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created. This is done only when <LANG> is C or CXX.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_CPPLINT

Added in version 3.8.

Default value for <LANG>_CPPLINT target property. This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created. This is done only when <LANG> is C or CXX.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_ICSTAT

Added in version 4.1.

Default value for <LANG>_ICSTAT target property. This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created. This is done only when <LANG> is C or CXX.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE

Added in version 3.3.

Default value for <LANG>_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE target property. This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created. This is done only when <LANG> is C or CXX.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_DEF_FILE_FLAG

Added in version 4.1.

Linker flag to be used to specify a .def file for dll creation with the toolchain for language <LANG>.

CMake sets this variable automatically during toolchain inspection by calls to the project() or enable_language() commands.

If the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_DEF_FILE_FLAG variable is defined, it takes precedence over the language-agnostic CMAKE_LINK_DEF_FILE_FLAG variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>

Added in version 3.24.

This variable defines how to link a group of libraries for the specified <FEATURE> when a LINK_GROUP generator expression is used and the link language for the target is <LANG>. For this variable to have any effect, the associated CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED variable must be set to true.

The CMAKE_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE> variable should be defined instead for features that are independent of the link language.

Feature names are case-sensitive and may only contain letters, numbers and underscores. Feature names defined in all uppercase are reserved for CMake's own built-in features (see Predefined Features further below).

  Feature Definitions

A group feature definition is a list that contains exactly two elements:

    <PREFIX> <SUFFIX>

On the linker command line, <PREFIX> will precede the list of libraries in the group and <SUFFIX> will follow after.

For the elements of this variable, the LINKER: prefix can be used.

To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

The LINKER: prefix can be specified as part of a SHELL: prefix expression.

The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

  Examples

  Solving cross-references between two static libraries

A project may define two or more static libraries which have circular dependencies between them. In order for the linker to resolve all symbols at link time, it may need to search repeatedly among the libraries until no new undefined references are created. Different linkers use different syntax for achieving this. The following example shows how this may be implemented for some linkers. Note that this is for illustration purposes only. Projects should use the built-in RESCAN group feature instead (see Predefined Features), which provides a more complete and more robust implementation of this functionality.

    set(CMAKE_C_LINK_GROUP_USING_cross_refs_SUPPORTED TRUE)
    if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU" AND CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Linux")
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_GROUP_USING_cross_refs
        "LINKER:--start-group"
        "LINKER:--end-group"
      )
    elseif(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "SunPro" AND CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "SunOS")
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_GROUP_USING_cross_refs
        "LINKER:-z,rescan-start"
        "LINKER:-z,rescan-end"
      )
    else()
      # feature not yet supported for the other environments
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_GROUP_USING_cross_refs_SUPPORTED FALSE)
    endif()
    add_library(lib1 STATIC ...)
    add_library(lib2 SHARED ...)
    if(CMAKE_C_LINK_GROUP_USING_cross_refs_SUPPORTED)
      target_link_libraries(lib2 PRIVATE "$<LINK_GROUP:cross_refs,lib1,external>")
    else()
      target_link_libraries(lib2 PRIVATE lib1 external)
    endif()

CMake will generate the following linker command line fragments when linking lib2:

•   GNU: -Wl,--start-group /path/to/lib1.a -lexternal -Wl,--end-group

•   SunPro: -Wl,-z,rescan-start /path/to/lib1.a -lexternal -Wl,-z,rescan-end

  Predefined Features

The following built-in group features are pre-defined by CMake:

RESCAN
    Some linkers are single-pass only. For such linkers, circular references between libraries typically result in unresolved symbols. This feature instructs the linker to search the specified static libraries repeatedly until no new undefined references are created.

    Normally, a static library is searched only once in the order that it is specified on the command line. If a symbol in that library is needed to resolve an undefined symbol referred to by an object in a library that appears later on the command line, the linker would not be able to resolve that reference. By grouping the static libraries with the RESCAN feature, they will all be searched repeatedly until all possible references are resolved. This will use linker options like --start-group and --end-group, or on SunOS, -z rescan-start and -z rescan-end.

    Using this feature has a significant performance cost. It is best to use it only when there are unavoidable circular references between two or more static libraries.

    This feature is available when using toolchains that target Linux, BSD, and SunOS. It can also be used when targeting Windows platforms if the GNU toolchain is used.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED

Added in version 3.24.

This variable specifies whether the <FEATURE> is supported for the link language <LANG>. If this variable is true, then the <FEATURE> must be defined by CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>, and the more generic CMAKE_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED and CMAKE_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE> variables are not used.

If CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED is false or is not set, then the CMAKE_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED variable will determine whether <FEATURE> is deemed to be supported.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES

Added in version 3.30.

This variable defines the semantics of the specified link library <FEATURE> when linking with the link language <LANG>. It takes precedence over CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES if that variable is also defined for the same <FEATURE>, but otherwise has similar effects. See CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES for further details.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_FILE_FLAG

Added in version 3.16.

Language-specific flag to be used to link a library specified by a path to its file.

The flag will be used before a library file path is given to the linker. This is needed only on very few platforms.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_FLAG

Added in version 3.16.

Flag to be used to link a library into a shared library or executable.

This flag will be used to specify a library to link to a shared library or an executable for the specific language. On most compilers this is -l.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>

Added in version 3.24.

This variable defines how to link a library or framework for the specified <FEATURE> when a LINK_LIBRARY generator expression is used and the link language for the target is <LANG>. For this variable to have any effect, the associated CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED variable must be set to true.

The CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE> variable should be defined instead for features that are independent of the link language.

Feature names are case-sensitive and may only contain letters, numbers and underscores. Feature names defined in all uppercase are reserved for CMake's own built-in features (see Predefined Features further below).

Some aspects of feature behavior can be defined by the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES and CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES variables.

  Feature Definitions

A library feature definition is a list that contains one or three elements:

    [<PREFIX>] <LIBRARY_EXPRESSION> [<SUFFIX>]

When <PREFIX> and <SUFFIX> are specified, they precede and follow respectively the whole list of libraries specified in the LINK_LIBRARY expression, not each library item individually. There is no guarantee that the list of specified libraries will be kept grouped together though, so the <PREFIX> and <SUFFIX> may appear more than once if the library list is reorganized by CMake to satisfy other constraints. This means constructs like --start-group and --end-group, as supported by the GNU ld linker, cannot be used in this way. The LINK_GROUP generator expression should be used instead for such constructs.

<LIBRARY_EXPRESSION> is used to specify the pattern for constructing the corresponding fragment on the linker command line for each library. The following placeholders can be used in the expression:

•   <LIBRARY> is expanded to the full path to the library for CMake targets, or to a platform-specific value based on the item otherwise (the same as <LINK_ITEM> on Windows, or the library base name for other platforms).

•   <LINK_ITEM> is expanded to how the library would normally be linked on the linker command line.

•   <LIB_ITEM> is expanded to the full path to the library for CMake targets, or the item itself exactly as specified in the <LIBRARY_EXPRESSION> otherwise.

    In addition to the above, it is possible to have one pattern for paths (CMake targets and external libraries specified with file paths) and another for other items specified by name only. The PATH{} and NAME{} wrappers can be used to provide the expansion for those two cases, respectively. When wrappers are used, both must be present. For example:

        set(CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_weak_library
            "PATH{-weak_library <LIBRARY>}NAME{LINKER:-weak-l<LIB_ITEM>}"
        )

    For all three elements of this variable (<PREFIX>, <LIBRARY_EXPRESSION>, and <SUFFIX>), the LINKER: prefix can be used.

    To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

    For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

    The LINKER: prefix can be specified as part of a SHELL: prefix expression.

    The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

    NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

  Examples

  Loading a whole static library

A common need is to prevent the linker from discarding any symbols from a static library. Different linkers use different syntax for achieving this. The following example shows how this may be implemented for some linkers. Note that this is for illustration purposes only. Projects should use the built-in WHOLE_ARCHIVE feature instead (see Predefined Features), which provides a more complete and more robust implementation of this functionality.

    set(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive_SUPPORTED TRUE)
    if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "AppleClang")
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive "-force_load <LIB_ITEM>")
    elseif(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU" AND CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Linux")
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive
        "LINKER:--push-state,--whole-archive"
        "<LINK_ITEM>"
        "LINKER:--pop-state"
      )
    elseif(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "MSVC")
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive "/WHOLEARCHIVE:<LIBRARY>")
    else()
      # feature not yet supported for the other environments
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive_SUPPORTED FALSE)
    endif()
    add_library(lib1 STATIC ...)
    add_library(lib2 SHARED ...)
    if(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive_SUPPORTED)
      # The -force_load Apple linker option requires a file name
      set(external_lib
        "$<IF:$<LINK_LANG_AND_ID:C,AppleClang>,libexternal.a,external>"
      )
      target_link_libraries(lib2 PRIVATE
        "$<LINK_LIBRARY:load_archive,lib1,${external_lib}>"
      )
    else()
      target_link_libraries(lib2 PRIVATE lib1 external)
    endif()

CMake will generate the following link expressions:

•   AppleClang: -force_load /path/to/lib1.a -force_load libexternal.a

•   GNU: -Wl,--push-state,--whole-archive /path/to/lib1.a -lexternal -Wl,--pop-state

•   MSVC: /WHOLEARCHIVE:/path/to/lib1.lib /WHOLEARCHIVE:external.lib

  Linking a library as weak

On macOS, it is possible to link a library in weak mode (the library and all references are marked as weak imports). Different flags must be used for a library specified by file path compared to one specified by name. This constraint can be solved using PATH{} and NAME{} wrappers. Again, the following example shows how this may be implemented for some linkers, but it is for illustration purposes only. Projects should use the built-in WEAK_FRAMEWORK or WEAK_LIBRARY features instead (see Predefined Features), which provide more complete and more robust implementations of this functionality.

    if (CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "AppleClang")
      set(CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_weak_library
          "PATH{-weak_library <LIBRARY>}NAME{LINKER:-weak-l<LIB_ITEM>}"
      )
      set(CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_weak_library_SUPPORTED TRUE)
    endif()
    add_library(lib SHARED ...)
    add_executable(main ...)
    if(CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_weak_library_SUPPORTED)
      target_link_libraries(main PRIVATE "$<LINK_LIBRARY:weak_library,lib,external>")
    else()
      target_link_libraries(main PRIVATE lib external)
    endif()

CMake will generate the following linker command line fragment when linking main using the AppleClang toolchain:

-weak_library /path/to/lib -Xlinker -weak-lexternal.

  Predefined Features

The following built-in library features are pre-defined by CMake:

DEFAULT
    This feature corresponds to standard linking, essentially equivalent to using no feature at all. It is typically only used with the LINK_LIBRARY_OVERRIDE and LINK_LIBRARY_OVERRIDE_<LIBRARY> target properties.

WHOLE_ARCHIVE
    Force inclusion of all members of a static library when linked as a dependency of consuming Executables, Shared Libraries, and Module Libraries. This feature is only supported for the following platforms, with limitations as noted:

•   Linux.

•   All BSD variants.

•   SunOS.

•   All Apple variants. The library must be specified as a CMake target name, a library file name (such as libfoo.a), or a library file path (such as /path/to/libfoo.a). Due to a limitation of the Apple linker, it cannot be specified as a plain library name like foo, where foo is not a CMake target.

•   Windows. When using a MSVC or MSVC-like toolchain, the MSVC version must be greater than 1900.

•   Cygwin.

•   MSYS.

    NOTE: Since Static Libraries are archives and not linked binaries, CMake records their link dependencies for transitive use when linking consuming binaries. Therefore WHOLE_ARCHIVE does not cause a static library's objects to be included in other static libraries. Use Object Libraries for that.

FRAMEWORK
    This option tells the linker to search for the specified framework using the -framework linker option. It can only be used on Apple platforms, and only with a linker that understands the option used (i.e. the linker provided with Xcode, or one compatible with it).

    The framework can be specified as a CMake framework target, a bare framework name, or a file path. If a target is given, that target must have the FRAMEWORK target property set to true. For a file path, if it contains a directory part, that directory will be added as a framework search path.

        add_library(lib SHARED ...)
        target_link_libraries(lib PRIVATE "$<LINK_LIBRARY:FRAMEWORK,/path/to/my_framework>")
        # The constructed linker command line will contain:
        #   -F/path/to -framework my_framework

    File paths must conform to one of the following patterns (* is a wildcard, and optional parts are shown as [...]):

•   [/path/to/]FwName[.framework]

•   [/path/to/]FwName.framework/FwName[suffix]

•   [/path/to/]FwName.framework/Versions/*/FwName[suffix]

    Note that CMake recognizes and automatically handles framework targets, even without using the $<LINK_LIBRARY:FRAMEWORK,...> expression. The generator expression can still be used with a CMake target if the project wants to be explicit about it, but it is not required to do so. The linker command line may have some differences between using the generator expression or not, but the final result should be the same. On the other hand, if a file path is given, CMake will recognize some paths automatically, but not all cases. The project may want to use $<LINK_LIBRARY:FRAMEWORK,...> for file paths so that the expected behavior is clear.

    Added in version 3.25: The FRAMEWORK_MULTI_CONFIG_POSTFIX_<CONFIG> target property as well as the suffix of the framework library name are now supported by the FRAMEWORK features.

NEEDED_FRAMEWORK
    This is similar to the FRAMEWORK feature, except it forces the linker to link with the framework even if no symbols are used from it. It uses the -needed_framework option and has the same linker constraints as FRAMEWORK.

REEXPORT_FRAMEWORK
    This is similar to the FRAMEWORK feature, except it tells the linker that the framework should be available to clients linking to the library being created. It uses the -reexport_framework option and has the same linker constraints as FRAMEWORK.

WEAK_FRAMEWORK
    This is similar to the FRAMEWORK feature, except it forces the linker to mark the framework and all references to it as weak imports. It uses the -weak_framework option and has the same linker constraints as FRAMEWORK.

NEEDED_LIBRARY
    This is similar to the NEEDED_FRAMEWORK feature, except it is for use with non-framework targets or libraries (Apple platforms only). It uses the -needed_library or -needed-l option as appropriate, and has the same linker constraints as NEEDED_FRAMEWORK.

REEXPORT_LIBRARY
    This is similar to the REEXPORT_FRAMEWORK feature, except it is for use with non-framework targets or libraries (Apple platforms only). It uses the -reexport_library or -reexport-l option as appropriate, and has the same linker constraints as REEXPORT_FRAMEWORK.

WEAK_LIBRARY
    This is similar to the WEAK_FRAMEWORK feature, except it is for use with non-framework targets or libraries (Apple platforms only). It uses the -weak_library or -weak-l option as appropriate, and has the same linker constraints as WEAK_FRAMEWORK.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED

Added in version 3.24.

Set to TRUE if the <FEATURE>, as defined by variable CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>, is supported for the linker language <LANG>.

NOTE: This variable is evaluated before the more generic variable CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_WHAT_YOU_USE_FLAG

Added in version 3.22.

Linker flag used by LINK_WHAT_YOU_USE to tell the linker to link all shared libraries specified on the command line even if none of their symbols is needed. This is an implementation detail used so that the command in CMAKE_LINK_WHAT_YOU_USE_CHECK can check the binary for unnecessarily-linked shared libraries.

NOTE: Do not rely on this abstraction to intentionally link to shared libraries whose symbols are not needed.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_LAUNCHER

Added in version 3.21.

Default value for <LANG>_LINKER_LAUNCHER target property. This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created. This is done only when <LANG> is one of:

•   C

•   CXX

•   CUDA

    Added in version 4.1.

•   OBJC

•   OBJCXX

•   Fortran

    Added in version 4.1.

•   HIP

    Added in version 4.1.

    This variable is initialized to the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_LAUNCHER environment variable if it is set.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_PVS_STUDIO

Added in version 4.3.

Default value for <LANG>_PVS_STUDIO target property when <LANG> is C or CXX.

This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created. For example:

    set(CMAKE_CXX_PVS_STUDIO pvs-studio-analyzer analyze -a "GA\;OP")
    add_executable(foo foo.cxx)

  CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_<TYPE>

Added in version 3.29.

This variable defines how to specify the <TYPE> linker for the link step, as controlled by the CMAKE_LINKER_TYPE variable or the LINKER_TYPE target property. Depending on the value of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_MODE variable, CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_<TYPE> can hold compiler flags for the link step, or the path to the linker tool.

Changed in version 4.0.

The type of information stored in this variable is now determined by the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_MODE variable instead of the CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_MODE variable.

NOTE: The specified linker tool is generally expected to be accessible through the PATH environment variable.

For example, the LLD linker for GNU compilers is defined like so:

    # CMAKE_C_LINK_MODE holds value "DRIVER"
    set(CMAKE_C_USING_LINKER_LLD "-fuse-ld=lld")

On the Windows platform with Clang compilers simulating MSVC with GNU front-end:

    # CMAKE_C_LINK_MODE holds value "DRIVER"
    set(CMAKE_C_USING_LINKER_LLD "-fuse-ld=lld-link")

And for the MSVC compiler or Clang compilers simulating MSVC with MSVC front-end, the linker is invoked directly, not via the compiler front-end:

    # CMAKE_C_LINK_MODE holds value "LINKER"
    set(CMAKE_C_USING_LINKER_LLD "/path/to/lld-link.exe")

A custom linker type can also be defined, usually in a toolchain file:

    set(CMAKE_LINKER_TYPE lld_launcher)
    set(CMAKE_C_USING_LINKER_lld_launcher "-fuse-ld=/path/to/lld-launcher.sh")

  CMAKE_<LANG>_VISIBILITY_PRESET

Default value for the <LANG>_VISIBILITY_PRESET target property when a target is created.

  CMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY

Where to put all the LIBRARY target files when built.

This variable is used to initialize the LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_<CONFIG>

Added in version 3.3.

Where to put all the LIBRARY target files when built for a specific configuration.

This variable is used to initialize the LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_<CONFIG> property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH_FLAG

The flag to be used to add a library search path to a compiler.

The flag will be used to specify a library directory to the compiler. On most compilers this is -L.

  CMAKE_LINK_DEF_FILE_FLAG

Linker flag to be used to specify a .def file for dll creation.

The flag will be used to add a .def file when creating a dll on Windows; this is only defined on Windows.

CMake sets this variable automatically during toolchain inspection by calls to the project() or enable_language() commands.

If the per-language CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_DEF_FILE_FLAG variable is defined, it takes precedence over CMAKE_LINK_DEF_FILE_FLAG.

  CMAKE_LINK_DEPENDS_NO_SHARED

Whether to skip link dependencies on shared library files.

This variable initializes the LINK_DEPENDS_NO_SHARED property on targets when they are created. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_LINK_DEPENDS_USE_LINKER

Added in version 3.27.

For the Makefile and Ninja generators, link dependencies are now, for a selection of linkers, generated by the linker itself. By defining this variable with value FALSE, you can deactivate this feature.

This feature is also deactivated if the LINK_DEPENDS_NO_SHARED target property is true.

NOTE: CMake version 4.3.0 defaults this variable to FALSE if the linker is one from the GNU binutils linkers (ld and ld.bfd for version less than 2.41 or ld.gold for any version) because it generate spurious dependencies on temporary files when LTO is enabled. See GNU bug 30568.

  CMAKE_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>

Added in version 3.24.

This variable defines how to link a group of libraries for the specified <FEATURE> when a LINK_GROUP generator expression is used. Both of the following conditions must be met for this variable to have any effect:

•   The associated CMAKE_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED variable must be set to true.

•   There is no language-specific definition for the same <FEATURE>. This means CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED cannot be true for the link language used by the target for which the LINK_GROUP generator expression is evaluated.

    The CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE> variable should be defined instead for features that are dependent on the link language.

    Feature names are case-sensitive and may only contain letters, numbers and underscores. Feature names defined in all uppercase are reserved for CMake's own built-in features (see Predefined Features further below).

  Feature Definitions

A group feature definition is a list that contains exactly two elements:

    <PREFIX> <SUFFIX>

On the linker command line, <PREFIX> will precede the list of libraries in the group and <SUFFIX> will follow after.

For the elements of this variable, the LINKER: prefix can be used.

To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

The LINKER: prefix can be specified as part of a SHELL: prefix expression.

The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

  Examples

  Solving cross-references between two static libraries

A project may define two or more static libraries which have circular dependencies between them. In order for the linker to resolve all symbols at link time, it may need to search repeatedly among the libraries until no new undefined references are created. Different linkers use different syntax for achieving this. The following example shows how this may be implemented for some linkers. Note that this is for illustration purposes only. Projects should use the built-in RESCAN group feature instead (see Predefined Features), which provides a more complete and more robust implementation of this functionality.

    set(CMAKE_C_LINK_GROUP_USING_cross_refs_SUPPORTED TRUE)
    if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU" AND CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Linux")
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_GROUP_USING_cross_refs
        "LINKER:--start-group"
        "LINKER:--end-group"
      )
    elseif(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "SunPro" AND CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "SunOS")
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_GROUP_USING_cross_refs
        "LINKER:-z,rescan-start"
        "LINKER:-z,rescan-end"
      )
    else()
      # feature not yet supported for the other environments
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_GROUP_USING_cross_refs_SUPPORTED FALSE)
    endif()
    add_library(lib1 STATIC ...)
    add_library(lib2 SHARED ...)
    if(CMAKE_C_LINK_GROUP_USING_cross_refs_SUPPORTED)
      target_link_libraries(lib2 PRIVATE "$<LINK_GROUP:cross_refs,lib1,external>")
    else()
      target_link_libraries(lib2 PRIVATE lib1 external)
    endif()

CMake will generate the following linker command line fragments when linking lib2:

•   GNU: -Wl,--start-group /path/to/lib1.a -lexternal -Wl,--end-group

•   SunPro: -Wl,-z,rescan-start /path/to/lib1.a -lexternal -Wl,-z,rescan-end

  Predefined Features

The following built-in group features are pre-defined by CMake:

RESCAN
    Some linkers are single-pass only. For such linkers, circular references between libraries typically result in unresolved symbols. This feature instructs the linker to search the specified static libraries repeatedly until no new undefined references are created.

    Normally, a static library is searched only once in the order that it is specified on the command line. If a symbol in that library is needed to resolve an undefined symbol referred to by an object in a library that appears later on the command line, the linker would not be able to resolve that reference. By grouping the static libraries with the RESCAN feature, they will all be searched repeatedly until all possible references are resolved. This will use linker options like --start-group and --end-group, or on SunOS, -z rescan-start and -z rescan-end.

    Using this feature has a significant performance cost. It is best to use it only when there are unavoidable circular references between two or more static libraries.

    This feature is available when using toolchains that target Linux, BSD, and SunOS. It can also be used when targeting Windows platforms if the GNU toolchain is used.

  CMAKE_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED

Added in version 3.24.

This variable specifies whether the <FEATURE> is supported regardless of the link language. If this variable is true, then the <FEATURE> must be defined by CMAKE_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>.

Note that this variable has no effect if CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_GROUP_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED is true for the link language of the target.

  CMAKE_LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES

Default value for LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARIES_STRATEGY

Added in version 3.31.

Specify a strategy for ordering targets' direct link dependencies on linker command lines.

If set, this variable acts as the default value for the LINK_LIBRARIES_STRATEGY target property when a target is created. Set that property directly to specify a strategy for a single target.

  CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES

Added in version 3.30.

This variable defines the behavior of the specified link library <FEATURE>. It specifies how the <FEATURE> interacts with other features, when the <FEATURE> should be applied, and aspects of how the <FEATURE> should be handled when CMake assembles the final linker command line (e.g. de-duplication).

The syntax of the linker flags for the <FEATURE> are controlled by the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE> and CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE> variables. The CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED and CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED variables control whether the <FEATURE> is available at all.

When linking for a particular language <LANG>, CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES is ignored if the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES variable is also defined for the same <FEATURE>.

The value of CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES at the end of the directory scope in which a target is defined is what matters.

  Feature Attributes Definition

A feature attributes definition is a semicolon-separated list of attribute=value(s) items. If an attribute has multiple values, those values must be comma-separated.

The following attributes are supported:

LIBRARY_TYPE=<library-type-list>
    Specify the library types supported by the feature. Supported values are: STATIC, SHARED, MODULE, and EXECUTABLE.

    If this attribute is not specified, the default is LIBRARY_TYPE=STATIC,SHARED,MODULE,EXECUTABLE.

    If the feature is used with an unsupported library type, CMake will emit a developer warning and the feature will be ignored.

OVERRIDE=<feature-list>
    Specify which features this one replaces in the event of a conflict. This override mechanism is superseded by LINK_LIBRARY_OVERRIDE or LINK_LIBRARY_OVERRIDE_<LIBRARY> target property definitions, if defined.

    If this attribute is not specified, the default is an empty list.

DEDUPLICATION=YES|NO|DEFAULT
    Specify the de-duplication strategy for a library using this feature.

YES The library is always de-duplicated. The default strategy CMake would normally apply is ignored.

NO  The library is never de-duplicated. The default strategy CMake would normally apply is ignored.

DEFAULT
    Let CMake determine a de-duplication strategy automatically.

    If this attribute is not specified, DEFAULT will be used.

  Example

A common need is the loading of a full archive as part of the creation of a shared library. The built-in WHOLE_ARCHIVE feature can be used for that purpose. The implementation of that built-in feature sets the following link library feature attributes:

    set(CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_WHOLE_ARCHIVE_ATTRIBUTES
      LIBRARY_TYPE=STATIC
      OVERRIDE=DEFAULT
      DEDUPLICATION=YES
    )

LIBRARY_TYPE=STATIC
    This feature is only meaningful for static libraries.

OVERRIDE=DEFAULT
    The DEFAULT feature will be overridden by the WHOLE_ARCHIVE feature because they are compatible and enhance the user's experience: standard library specification and $<LINK_LIBRARY:WHOLE_ARCHIVE> can be used freely.

DEDUPLICATION=YES
    When this feature is used, the linker loads all symbols from the static library, so there is no need to repeat the library on the linker command line.

    The WHOLE_ARCHIVE feature can be used like so:

        add_library(A STATIC ...)
        add_library(B STATIC ...)
        target_link_libraries(B PUBLIC A)
        target_link_libraries(A PUBLIC B)
        add_library(global SHARED ...)
        target_link_libraries(global PRIVATE $<LINK_LIBRARY:WHOLE_ARCHIVE,A>)

    The resulting link command will only have one instance of the A library specified, and the linker flags will ensure that all symbols are loaded from the A library.

  CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_FILE_FLAG

Flag to be used to link a library specified by a path to its file.

The flag will be used before a library file path is given to the linker. This is needed only on very few platforms.

  CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_FLAG

Flag to be used to link a library into an executable.

The flag will be used to specify a library to link to an executable. On most compilers this is -l.

  CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>

Added in version 3.24.

This variable defines how to link a library or framework for the specified <FEATURE> when a LINK_LIBRARY generator expression is used. Both of the following conditions must be met for this variable to have any effect:

•   The associated CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED variable must be set to true.

•   There is no language-specific definition for the same <FEATURE>. This means CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED cannot be true for the link language used by the target for which the LINK_LIBRARY generator expression is evaluated.

    Feature names are case-sensitive and may only contain letters, numbers and underscores. Feature names defined in all uppercase are reserved for CMake's own built-in features (see Predefined Features further below).

    Some aspects of feature behavior can be defined by the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES and CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_<FEATURE>_ATTRIBUTES variables.

  Feature Definitions

A library feature definition is a list that contains one or three elements:

    [<PREFIX>] <LIBRARY_EXPRESSION> [<SUFFIX>]

When <PREFIX> and <SUFFIX> are specified, they precede and follow respectively the whole list of libraries specified in the LINK_LIBRARY expression, not each library item individually. There is no guarantee that the list of specified libraries will be kept grouped together though, so the <PREFIX> and <SUFFIX> may appear more than once if the library list is reorganized by CMake to satisfy other constraints. This means constructs like --start-group and --end-group, as supported by the GNU ld linker, cannot be used in this way. The LINK_GROUP generator expression should be used instead for such constructs.

<LIBRARY_EXPRESSION> is used to specify the pattern for constructing the corresponding fragment on the linker command line for each library. The following placeholders can be used in the expression:

•   <LIBRARY> is expanded to the full path to the library for CMake targets, or to a platform-specific value based on the item otherwise (the same as <LINK_ITEM> on Windows, or the library base name for other platforms).

•   <LINK_ITEM> is expanded to how the library would normally be linked on the linker command line.

•   <LIB_ITEM> is expanded to the full path to the library for CMake targets, or the item itself exactly as specified in the <LIBRARY_EXPRESSION> otherwise.

    In addition to the above, it is possible to have one pattern for paths (CMake targets and external libraries specified with file paths) and another for other items specified by name only. The PATH{} and NAME{} wrappers can be used to provide the expansion for those two cases, respectively. When wrappers are used, both must be present. For example:

        set(CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_weak_library
            "PATH{-weak_library <LIBRARY>}NAME{LINKER:-weak-l<LIB_ITEM>}"
        )

    For all three elements of this variable (<PREFIX>, <LIBRARY_EXPRESSION>, and <SUFFIX>), the LINKER: prefix can be used.

    To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

    For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

    The LINKER: prefix can be specified as part of a SHELL: prefix expression.

    The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

    NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

  Examples

  Loading a whole static library

A common need is to prevent the linker from discarding any symbols from a static library. Different linkers use different syntax for achieving this. The following example shows how this may be implemented for some linkers. Note that this is for illustration purposes only. Projects should use the built-in WHOLE_ARCHIVE feature instead (see Predefined Features), which provides a more complete and more robust implementation of this functionality.

    set(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive_SUPPORTED TRUE)
    if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "AppleClang")
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive "-force_load <LIB_ITEM>")
    elseif(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU" AND CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Linux")
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive
        "LINKER:--push-state,--whole-archive"
        "<LINK_ITEM>"
        "LINKER:--pop-state"
      )
    elseif(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "MSVC")
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive "/WHOLEARCHIVE:<LIBRARY>")
    else()
      # feature not yet supported for the other environments
      set(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive_SUPPORTED FALSE)
    endif()
    add_library(lib1 STATIC ...)
    add_library(lib2 SHARED ...)
    if(CMAKE_C_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_load_archive_SUPPORTED)
      # The -force_load Apple linker option requires a file name
      set(external_lib
        "$<IF:$<LINK_LANG_AND_ID:C,AppleClang>,libexternal.a,external>"
      )
      target_link_libraries(lib2 PRIVATE
        "$<LINK_LIBRARY:load_archive,lib1,${external_lib}>"
      )
    else()
      target_link_libraries(lib2 PRIVATE lib1 external)
    endif()

CMake will generate the following link expressions:

•   AppleClang: -force_load /path/to/lib1.a -force_load libexternal.a

•   GNU: -Wl,--push-state,--whole-archive /path/to/lib1.a -lexternal -Wl,--pop-state

•   MSVC: /WHOLEARCHIVE:/path/to/lib1.lib /WHOLEARCHIVE:external.lib

  Linking a library as weak

On macOS, it is possible to link a library in weak mode (the library and all references are marked as weak imports). Different flags must be used for a library specified by file path compared to one specified by name. This constraint can be solved using PATH{} and NAME{} wrappers. Again, the following example shows how this may be implemented for some linkers, but it is for illustration purposes only. Projects should use the built-in WEAK_FRAMEWORK or WEAK_LIBRARY features instead (see Predefined Features), which provide more complete and more robust implementations of this functionality.

    if (CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "AppleClang")
      set(CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_weak_library
          "PATH{-weak_library <LIBRARY>}NAME{LINKER:-weak-l<LIB_ITEM>}"
      )
      set(CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_weak_library_SUPPORTED TRUE)
    endif()
    add_library(lib SHARED ...)
    add_executable(main ...)
    if(CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_weak_library_SUPPORTED)
      target_link_libraries(main PRIVATE "$<LINK_LIBRARY:weak_library,lib,external>")
    else()
      target_link_libraries(main PRIVATE lib external)
    endif()

CMake will generate the following linker command line fragment when linking main using the AppleClang toolchain:

-weak_library /path/to/lib -Xlinker -weak-lexternal.

  Predefined Features

The following built-in library features are pre-defined by CMake:

DEFAULT
    This feature corresponds to standard linking, essentially equivalent to using no feature at all. It is typically only used with the LINK_LIBRARY_OVERRIDE and LINK_LIBRARY_OVERRIDE_<LIBRARY> target properties.

WHOLE_ARCHIVE
    Force inclusion of all members of a static library when linked as a dependency of consuming Executables, Shared Libraries, and Module Libraries. This feature is only supported for the following platforms, with limitations as noted:

•   Linux.

•   All BSD variants.

•   SunOS.

•   All Apple variants. The library must be specified as a CMake target name, a library file name (such as libfoo.a), or a library file path (such as /path/to/libfoo.a). Due to a limitation of the Apple linker, it cannot be specified as a plain library name like foo, where foo is not a CMake target.

•   Windows. When using a MSVC or MSVC-like toolchain, the MSVC version must be greater than 1900.

•   Cygwin.

•   MSYS.

    NOTE: Since Static Libraries are archives and not linked binaries, CMake records their link dependencies for transitive use when linking consuming binaries. Therefore WHOLE_ARCHIVE does not cause a static library's objects to be included in other static libraries. Use Object Libraries for that.

FRAMEWORK
    This option tells the linker to search for the specified framework using the -framework linker option. It can only be used on Apple platforms, and only with a linker that understands the option used (i.e. the linker provided with Xcode, or one compatible with it).

    The framework can be specified as a CMake framework target, a bare framework name, or a file path. If a target is given, that target must have the FRAMEWORK target property set to true. For a file path, if it contains a directory part, that directory will be added as a framework search path.

        add_library(lib SHARED ...)
        target_link_libraries(lib PRIVATE "$<LINK_LIBRARY:FRAMEWORK,/path/to/my_framework>")
        # The constructed linker command line will contain:
        #   -F/path/to -framework my_framework

    File paths must conform to one of the following patterns (* is a wildcard, and optional parts are shown as [...]):

•   [/path/to/]FwName[.framework]

•   [/path/to/]FwName.framework/FwName[suffix]

•   [/path/to/]FwName.framework/Versions/*/FwName[suffix]

    Note that CMake recognizes and automatically handles framework targets, even without using the $<LINK_LIBRARY:FRAMEWORK,...> expression. The generator expression can still be used with a CMake target if the project wants to be explicit about it, but it is not required to do so. The linker command line may have some differences between using the generator expression or not, but the final result should be the same. On the other hand, if a file path is given, CMake will recognize some paths automatically, but not all cases. The project may want to use $<LINK_LIBRARY:FRAMEWORK,...> for file paths so that the expected behavior is clear.

    Added in version 3.25: The FRAMEWORK_MULTI_CONFIG_POSTFIX_<CONFIG> target property as well as the suffix of the framework library name are now supported by the FRAMEWORK features.

NEEDED_FRAMEWORK
    This is similar to the FRAMEWORK feature, except it forces the linker to link with the framework even if no symbols are used from it. It uses the -needed_framework option and has the same linker constraints as FRAMEWORK.

REEXPORT_FRAMEWORK
    This is similar to the FRAMEWORK feature, except it tells the linker that the framework should be available to clients linking to the library being created. It uses the -reexport_framework option and has the same linker constraints as FRAMEWORK.

WEAK_FRAMEWORK
    This is similar to the FRAMEWORK feature, except it forces the linker to mark the framework and all references to it as weak imports. It uses the -weak_framework option and has the same linker constraints as FRAMEWORK.

NEEDED_LIBRARY
    This is similar to the NEEDED_FRAMEWORK feature, except it is for use with non-framework targets or libraries (Apple platforms only). It uses the -needed_library or -needed-l option as appropriate, and has the same linker constraints as NEEDED_FRAMEWORK.

REEXPORT_LIBRARY
    This is similar to the REEXPORT_FRAMEWORK feature, except it is for use with non-framework targets or libraries (Apple platforms only). It uses the -reexport_library or -reexport-l option as appropriate, and has the same linker constraints as REEXPORT_FRAMEWORK.

WEAK_LIBRARY
    This is similar to the WEAK_FRAMEWORK feature, except it is for use with non-framework targets or libraries (Apple platforms only). It uses the -weak_library or -weak-l option as appropriate, and has the same linker constraints as WEAK_FRAMEWORK.

  CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED

Added in version 3.24.

Set to TRUE if the <FEATURE>, as defined by variable CMAKE_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>, is supported regardless the linker language.

NOTE: This variable is evaluated if, and only if, the variable CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_LIBRARY_USING_<FEATURE>_SUPPORTED is not defined.

  CMAKE_LINK_WARNING_AS_ERROR

Added in version 4.0.

Specify whether to treat warnings on link as errors.

This variable is used to initialize the LINK_WARNING_AS_ERROR property on all the targets.

  CMAKE_LINK_WHAT_YOU_USE

Added in version 3.7.

Default value for LINK_WHAT_YOU_USE target property. This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created.

  CMAKE_LINK_WHAT_YOU_USE_CHECK

Added in version 3.22.

Command executed by LINK_WHAT_YOU_USE after the linker to check for unnecessarily-linked shared libraries. This check is currently only defined on ELF platforms with value ldd -u -r.

See also CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_WHAT_YOU_USE_FLAG variables.

  CMAKE_LINKER_TYPE

Added in version 3.29.

Specify which linker will be used for the link step.

This variable is used to initialize the LINKER_TYPE property on each target created by a call to add_library() or add_executable(). It is meaningful only for targets having a link step. If set, its value is also used by the try_compile() command.

NOTE: It is assumed that the linker specified is fully compatible with the default one the compiler would normally invoke. CMake will not do any option translation.

Linker types are case-sensitive and may only contain letters, numbers and underscores. Linker types defined in all uppercase are reserved for CMake's own built-in types. The pre-defined linker types are:

DEFAULT
    This type corresponds to standard linking, essentially equivalent to the LINKER_TYPE target property not being set at all.

SYSTEM
    Use the standard linker provided by the platform or toolchain. For example, this implies the Microsoft linker for all MSVC-compatible compilers. This type is supported for the following platform-compiler combinations:

•   Linux: GNU, Clang, LLVMFlang, NVIDIA, and Swift compilers.

•   Apple platforms: AppleClang, Clang, GNU, and Swift compilers.

•   Windows: MSVC, GNU, Clang, NVIDIA, and Swift compilers.

LLD Use the LLVM linker. This type is supported for the following platform-compiler combinations:

•   Linux: GNU, Clang, LLVMFlang, NVIDIA, and Swift compilers.

•   Apple platforms: Clang, AppleClang, and Swift compilers.

•   Windows: GNU, Clang with MSVC-like front-end, Clang with GNU-like front-end, MSVC, NVIDIA with MSVC-like front-end, and Swift.

BFD Use the GNU linker. This type is supported for the following platform-compiler combinations:

•   Linux: GNU, Clang, LLVMFlang, and NVIDIA compilers.

•   Windows: GNU, Clang with GNU-like front-end.

GOLD
    Supported on Linux platform with GNU, Clang, LLVMFlang, NVIDIA, and Swift compilers.

MOLD
    Use the mold linker. This type is supported on the following platform-compiler combinations:

•   Linux: GNU, Clang, LLVMFlang, and NVIDIA compilers.

•   Apple platforms: Clang and AppleClang compilers (acts as an alias to the sold linker).

SOLD
    Use the sold linker. This type is only supported on Apple platforms with Clang and AppleClang compilers.

APPLE_CLASSIC
    Use the Apple linker in the classic behavior (i.e. before Xcode 15.0). This type is only supported on Apple platforms with GNU, Clang, AppleClang, and Swift compilers.

MSVC
    Use the Microsoft linker. This type is only supported on the Windows platform with MSVC, Clang with MSVC-like front-end, and Swift compilers.

  CMAKE_MACOSX_BUNDLE

Default value for MACOSX_BUNDLE of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the MACOSX_BUNDLE property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

This variable is set to ON by default if CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME equals to iOS, tvOS, visionOS or watchOS.

  CMAKE_MACOSX_RPATH

Whether to use rpaths on macOS and iOS.

This variable is used to initialize the MACOSX_RPATH property on all targets.

  CMAKE_MAP_IMPORTED_CONFIG_<CONFIG>

Default value for MAP_IMPORTED_CONFIG_<CONFIG> of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the MAP_IMPORTED_CONFIG_<CONFIG> property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS

Linker flags to be used to create modules.

These flags will be used by the linker when creating a module for all build configurations.

  Handling Compiler Driver Differences

Added in version 4.0.

To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

This support implies to parse and re-quote the content of the variable. See policy CMP0181.

  See Also

•   CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

  CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

Flags to be used when linking a module.

These flags will be used by the linker when creating a module for the <CONFIG> configuration.

  Handling Compiler Driver Differences

Added in version 4.0.

To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

This support implies to parse and re-quote the content of the variable. See policy CMP0181.

  See Also

•   CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS

  CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

Value used to initialize the CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG> cache entry the first time a build tree is configured. This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file. CMake may prepend or append content to the value based on the environment and target platform.

See also CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT.

  CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

Value used to initialize the CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS cache entry the first time a build tree is configured. This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file. CMake may prepend or append content to the value based on the environment and target platform.

See also the configuration-specific variable CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT.

  CMAKE_MSVC_DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT

Added in version 3.25.

Select the MSVC debug information format targeting the MSVC ABI. This variable is used to initialize the MSVC_DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT property on all targets as they are created. It is also propagated by calls to the try_compile() command into the test project.

The allowed values are:

Embedded
    Compile with -Z7 or equivalent flag(s) to produce object files with full symbolic debugging information.

ProgramDatabase
    Compile with -Zi or equivalent flag(s) to produce a program database that contains all the symbolic debugging information.

EditAndContinue
    Compile with -ZI or equivalent flag(s) to produce a program database that supports the Edit and Continue feature.

    The value is ignored on compilers not targeting the MSVC ABI, but an unsupported value will be rejected as an error when using a compiler targeting the MSVC ABI.

    The value may also be the empty string (""), in which case no debug information format flag will be added explicitly by CMake.

    Use generator expressions to support per-configuration specification. For example, the code:

        set(CMAKE_MSVC_DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT "$<$<CONFIG:Debug,RelWithDebInfo>:ProgramDatabase>")

    selects for all following targets the program database debug information format for the Debug and RelWithDebInfo configurations.

    If this variable is not set, the MSVC_DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT target property will not be set automatically. If that property is not set, CMake selects a debug information format using the default value $<$<CONFIG:Debug,RelWithDebInfo>:ProgramDatabase>, if supported by the compiler, and otherwise $<$<CONFIG:Debug,RelWithDebInfo>:Embedded>.

    NOTE: This variable has effect only when policy CMP0141 is set to NEW prior to the first project() or enable_language() command that enables a language using a compiler targeting the MSVC ABI.

  CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_CHECKS

Added in version 4.0.

Select the list of enabled runtime checks when targeting the MSVC ABI. This variable is used to initialize the MSVC_RUNTIME_CHECKS property on all targets as they are created. It is also propagated by calls to the try_compile() command into the test project.

The allowed values are:

PossibleDataLoss
    Compile with -RTCc or equivalent flag(s) to enable possible data loss checks.

StackFrameErrorCheck
    Compile with -RTCs or equivalent flag(s) to enable stack frame error checks.

UninitializedVariable
    Compile with -RTCu or equivalent flag(s) to enable uninitialized variables checks.

    The value is ignored on compilers not targeting the MSVC ABI, but an unsupported value will be rejected as an error when using a compiler targeting the MSVC ABI.

    The value may also be the empty string (""), in which case no runtime error check flags will be added explicitly by CMake.

    Use generator expressions to support per-configuration specification. For example, the code:

        set(CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_CHECKS "$<$<CONFIG:Debug,RelWithDebInfo>:PossibleDataLoss;UninitializedVariable>")

    enables for the target foo the possible data loss and uninitialized variables checks for the Debug and RelWithDebInfo configurations.

    If this variable is not set, the MSVC_RUNTIME_CHECKS target property will not be set automatically. If that property is not set, CMake selects runtime checks using the default value $<$<CONFIG:Debug>:StackFrameErrorCheck;UninitializedVariable>, if supported by the compiler, or empty value otherwise.

    NOTE: This variable has effect only when policy CMP0184 is set to NEW prior to the first project() or enable_language() command that enables a language using a compiler targeting the MSVC ABI.

  CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY

Added in version 3.15.

Select the MSVC runtime library for use by compilers targeting the MSVC ABI. This variable is used to initialize the MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY property on all targets as they are created. It is also propagated by calls to the try_compile() command into the test project.

The allowed values are:

MultiThreaded
    Compile with -MT or equivalent flag(s) to use a multi-threaded statically-linked runtime library.

MultiThreadedDLL
    Compile with -MD or equivalent flag(s) to use a multi-threaded dynamically-linked runtime library.

MultiThreadedDebug
    Compile with -MTd or equivalent flag(s) to use a multi-threaded statically-linked runtime library.

MultiThreadedDebugDLL
    Compile with -MDd or equivalent flag(s) to use a multi-threaded dynamically-linked runtime library.

    The value is ignored on compilers not targeting the MSVC ABI, but an unsupported value will be rejected as an error when using a compiler targeting the MSVC ABI.

    The value may also be the empty string ("") in which case no runtime library selection flag will be added explicitly by CMake. Note that with Visual Studio Generators the native build system may choose to add its own default runtime library selection flag.

    Use generator expressions to support per-configuration specification. For example, the code:

        set(CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY "MultiThreaded$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:Debug>")

    selects for all following targets a multi-threaded statically-linked runtime library with or without debug information depending on the configuration.

    If this variable is not set then the MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY target property will not be set automatically. If that property is not set then CMake uses the default value MultiThreaded$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:Debug>DLL to select a MSVC runtime library.

    NOTE: This variable has effect only when policy CMP0091 is set to NEW prior to the first project() or enable_language() command that enables a language using a compiler targeting the MSVC ABI.

  CMAKE_MSVCIDE_RUN_PATH

Added in version 3.10.

Extra PATH locations that should be used when executing add_custom_command() or add_custom_target() when using Visual Studio Generators. This allows for running commands and using dll's that the IDE environment is not aware of.

If not set explicitly the value is initialized by the CMAKE_MSVCIDE_RUN_PATH environment variable, if set, and otherwise left empty.

  CMAKE_NINJA_OUTPUT_PATH_PREFIX

Added in version 3.6.

Tell the Ninja Generators to add a prefix to every output path in build.ninja. A trailing slash is appended to the prefix, if missing.

This is useful when the generated ninja file is meant to be embedded as a subninja file into a super ninja project. For example, the command:

    cd super-build-dir &&
    cmake -G Ninja -S /path/to/src -B sub -DCMAKE_NINJA_OUTPUT_PATH_PREFIX=sub/
    #                                 ^^^---------- these match -----------^^^

generates a build directory with its top-level (CMAKE_BINARY_DIR) in super-build-dir/sub. The path to the build directory ends in the output path prefix. This makes it suitable for use in a separately-written super-build-dir/build.ninja file with a directive like this:

    subninja sub/build.ninja

The auto-regeneration rule in super-build-dir/build.ninja must have an order-only dependency on sub/build.ninja.

Added in version 3.27: The Ninja Multi-Config generator supports this variable.

NOTE: When CMAKE_NINJA_OUTPUT_PATH_PREFIX is set, the project generated by CMake cannot be used as a standalone project. No default targets are specified.

The value of CMAKE_NINJA_OUTPUT_PATH_PREFIX must match one or more path components at the end of CMAKE_BINARY_DIR, or the behavior is undefined. However, this requirement is not checked automatically.

  CMAKE_NO_BUILTIN_CHRPATH

Do not use the builtin binary editor to fix runtime library search paths on installation.

When an ELF or XCOFF binary needs to have a different runtime library search path after installation than it does in the build tree, CMake uses a builtin editor to change the runtime search path in the installed copy. If this variable is set to true then CMake will relink the binary before installation instead of using its builtin editor.

For more information on RPATH handling see the INSTALL_RPATH and BUILD_RPATH target properties.

Added in version 3.20: This variable also applies to XCOFF binaries' LIBPATH. Prior to the addition of the XCOFF editor in CMake 3.20, this variable applied only to ELF binaries' RPATH/RUNPATH.

  CMAKE_NO_SYSTEM_FROM_IMPORTED

Default value for NO_SYSTEM_FROM_IMPORTED of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the NO_SYSTEM_FROM_IMPORTED property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_OPTIMIZE_DEPENDENCIES

Added in version 3.19.

Initializes the OPTIMIZE_DEPENDENCIES target property.

  CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES

Target specific architectures for macOS and iOS.

This variable is used to initialize the OSX_ARCHITECTURES property on each target as it is created. See that target property for additional information.

If CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES is not set, the compiler's default target architecture is used. For compilers provided by Xcode, this is the host machine's architecture.

The value of this variable should be set prior to the first project() or enable_language() command invocation because it may influence configuration of the toolchain and flags. It is intended to be set locally by the user creating a build tree. This variable should be set as a CACHE entry (or else CMake may remove it while initializing a cache entry of the same name) unless policy CMP0126 is set to NEW.

Despite the OSX part in the variable name(s) they apply also to other SDKs than macOS like iOS, tvOS, visionOS, or watchOS.

This variable is ignored on platforms other than Apple.

  CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET

Specify the minimum version of the target platform, e.g., macOS or iOS, on which the target binaries are to be deployed.

For builds targeting macOS (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME is Darwin), if CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET is not explicitly set, a default is set:

•   If the MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET environment variable is non-empty, its value is the default.

•   Otherwise, if using the Xcode generator, and the host's macOS version is older than the macOS SDK (CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT, if set, or Xcode's default SDK), the host's macOS version is the default.

    Changed in version 4.0: Previously this was done for all generators, not just Xcode.

•   Otherwise, the default is empty.

    The effects of CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET depend on the generator:

    Xcode If CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET is set to a non-empty value, it is added to the generated Xcode project as the MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET setting. Otherwise, no such setting is added, so Xcode's default deployed target is used, typically based on the SDK version.

    Other Generators If CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET is set to a non-empty value, it is passed to the compiler via the -mmacosx-version-min flag or equivalent. Otherwise, no such flag is added, so the compiler's default deployment target is used.

    The value of this variable should be set prior to the first project() or enable_language() command invocation because it may influence configuration of the toolchain and flags. It is intended to be set locally by the user creating a build tree. This variable should be set as a CACHE entry (or else CMake may remove it while initializing a cache entry of the same name) unless policy CMP0126 is set to NEW.

    Despite the OSX part in the variable name(s) they apply also to other SDKs than macOS like iOS, tvOS, visionOS, or watchOS.

    This variable is ignored on platforms other than Apple.

  CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT

Specify the location or name of the macOS platform SDK to be used.

If not set explicitly, the value is initialized by the SDKROOT environment variable, if set. Otherwise, the value defaults to empty, and the compiler is expected to choose a default macOS SDK on its own.

Changed in version 4.0: The default is now empty. Previously a default was computed based on the CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET or the host platform.

In order to pass an explicit macOS SDK via the compiler's -isysroot flag, users may configure their build tree with -DCMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT=macosx, or export SDKROOT="$(xcrun --sdk macosx --show-sdk-path)" in their environment.

Notes:

•   macOS compilers in /usr/bin, when not invoked with -isysroot, search for headers in /usr/local/include before system SDK paths, matching the convention on many platforms. Users on macOS-x86_64 hosts with Homebrew installed in /usr/local should pass an explicit SDK, as described above, when not building with Homebrew tools.

•   Some Clang compilers have no default macOS SDK selection. For these, if CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT is empty, CMake will automatically pass -isysroot with the macOS SDK printed by xcrun --show-sdk-path.

    The value of this variable should be set prior to the first project() or enable_language() command invocation because it may influence configuration of the toolchain and flags. It is intended to be set locally by the user creating a build tree. This variable should be set as a CACHE entry (or else CMake may remove it while initializing a cache entry of the same name) unless policy CMP0126 is set to NEW.

    Despite the OSX part in the variable name(s) they apply also to other SDKs than macOS like iOS, tvOS, visionOS, or watchOS.

    This variable is ignored on platforms other than Apple.

  CMAKE_PCH_INSTANTIATE_TEMPLATES

Added in version 3.19.

This variable is used to initialize the PCH_INSTANTIATE_TEMPLATES property of targets when they are created.

  CMAKE_PCH_WARN_INVALID

Added in version 3.18.

This variable is used to initialize the PCH_WARN_INVALID property of targets when they are created.

  CMAKE_PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY

Output directory for MS debug symbol .pdb files generated by the linker for executable and shared library targets.

This variable is used to initialize the PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_<CONFIG>

Per-configuration output directory for MS debug symbol .pdb files generated by the linker for executable and shared library targets.

This is a per-configuration version of CMAKE_PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY. This variable is used to initialize the PDB_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_<CONFIG> property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_PLATFORM_NO_VERSIONED_SONAME

Added in version 3.1.

This variable is used to globally control whether the VERSION and SOVERSION target properties should be used for shared libraries. When set to true, adding version information to each shared library target is disabled.

By default this variable is set only on platforms where CMake knows it is needed. On other platforms, the specified properties will be used for shared libraries.

  CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE

Default value for the POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE target property.

This variable is used to initialize the POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE property on targets that are not SHARED or MODULE library targets. If set, its value is also used by the try_compile() command.

The SHARED and MODULE library targets have by default position independent code enabled regardless of this variable. To disable PIC on these library types, only manually setting the target property disables it.

  See Also

•   The CheckPIESupported module to pass PIE-related options to the linker for executables.

  CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY

Where to put all the RUNTIME target files when built.

This variable is used to initialize the RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_<CONFIG>

Added in version 3.3.

Where to put all the RUNTIME target files when built for a specific configuration.

This variable is used to initialize the RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_<CONFIG> property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_ENABLE_EXPORTS

Added in version 3.27.

Specify whether shared library generates an import file.

This variable is used to initialize the ENABLE_EXPORTS target property for shared library targets when they are created by calls to the add_library() command. See the property documentation for details.

  See Also

•   The CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_ENABLE_EXPORTS variable.

  CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS

Linker flags to be used to create shared libraries.

These flags will be used by the linker when creating a shared library for all build configurations.

  Handling Compiler Driver Differences

Added in version 4.0.

To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

This support implies to parse and re-quote the content of the variable. See policy CMP0181.

  See Also

•   CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

  CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

Flags to be used when linking a shared library.

These flags will be used by the linker when creating a shared library for the <CONFIG> configuration.

  Handling Compiler Driver Differences

Added in version 4.0.

To pass options to the linker tool, each compiler driver has its own syntax. The LINKER: prefix and , separator can be used to specify, in a portable way, options to pass to the linker tool. LINKER: is replaced by the appropriate driver option and , by the appropriate driver separator. The driver prefix and driver separator are given by the values of the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG and CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variables.

For example, "LINKER:-z,defs" becomes -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs for Clang and -Wl,-z,defs for GNU GCC.

The LINKER: prefix supports, as an alternative syntax, specification of arguments using the SHELL: prefix and space as separator. The previous example then becomes "LINKER:SHELL:-z defs".

NOTE: Specifying the SHELL: prefix anywhere other than at the beginning of the LINKER: prefix is not supported.

This support implies to parse and re-quote the content of the variable. See policy CMP0181.

  See Also

•   CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS

  CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

Value used to initialize the CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG> cache entry the first time a build tree is configured. This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file. CMake may prepend or append content to the value based on the environment and target platform.

See also CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT.

  CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

Value used to initialize the CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS cache entry the first time a build tree is configured. This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file. CMake may prepend or append content to the value based on the environment and target platform.

See also the configuration-specific variable CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT.

  CMAKE_SKIP_BUILD_RPATH

Do not include RPATHs in the build tree.

Normally CMake uses the build tree for the RPATH when building executables etc on systems that use RPATH. When the software is installed the executables etc are relinked by CMake to have the install RPATH. If this variable is set to TRUE then the software is always built with no RPATH.

This is used to initialize the SKIP_BUILD_RPATH target property for all targets. For more information on RPATH handling see the INSTALL_RPATH and BUILD_RPATH target properties.

See also the CMAKE_SKIP_INSTALL_RPATH variable. To omit RPATH in both the build and install steps, use CMAKE_SKIP_RPATH instead.

  CMAKE_SKIP_INSTALL_RPATH

Do not include RPATHs in the install tree.

Normally CMake uses the build tree for the RPATH when building executables etc on systems that use RPATH. When the software is installed the executables etc are relinked by CMake to have the install RPATH. If this variable is set to true then the software is always installed without RPATH, even if RPATH is enabled when building. This can be useful for example to allow running tests from the build directory with RPATH enabled before the installation step.

See also the CMAKE_SKIP_BUILD_RPATH variable. To omit RPATH in both the build and install steps, use CMAKE_SKIP_RPATH instead.

For more information on RPATH handling see the INSTALL_RPATH and BUILD_RPATH target properties.

  CMAKE_SKIP_LINTING

Added in version 4.2.

Default value for the SKIP_LINTING target property.

This is used to initialize the SKIP_LINTING target property for all targets created afterward.

  CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS

Flags to be used to create static libraries. These flags will be passed to the archiver when creating a static library.

See also CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>.

NOTE: Static libraries do not actually link. They are essentially archives of object files. The use of the name "linker" in the name of this variable is kept for compatibility.

  CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

Flags to be used to create static libraries. These flags will be passed to the archiver when creating a static library in the <CONFIG> configuration.

See also CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS.

NOTE: Static libraries do not actually link. They are essentially archives of object files. The use of the name "linker" in the name of this variable is kept for compatibility.

  CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

Value used to initialize the CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG> cache entry the first time a build tree is configured. This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file. CMake may prepend or append content to the value based on the environment and target platform.

See also CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT.

  CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

Value used to initialize the CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS cache entry the first time a build tree is configured. This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file. CMake may prepend or append content to the value based on the environment and target platform.

See also the configuration-specific variable CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT.

  CMAKE_TASKING_TOOLSET

Added in version 3.25.

Select the Tasking toolset which provides the compiler

Architecture compilers are provided by different toolchains with incompatible versioning schemes. Set this variable in a toolchain file so CMake can detect the compiler features correctly. If no toolset is specified, Standalone is assumed.

Due to the different versioning schemes, the compiler version (CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_VERSION) depends on the toolset and architecture in use. If projects can be built with multiple toolsets or architectures, the specified CMAKE_TASKING_TOOLSET and the automatically determined CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ARCHITECTURE_ID must be taken into account when comparing against the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_VERSION.

TriCore
    Compilers are provided by the TriCore toolset.

SmartCode
    Compilers are provided by the SmartCode toolset.

Standalone
    Compilers are provided by the standalone toolsets.

    NOTE: For the TriCore architecture, the compiler from the TriCore toolset is selected as standalone compiler.

  CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_CONFIGURATION

Build configuration used for try_compile() and try_run() projects.

Projects built by try_compile() and try_run() are built synchronously during the CMake configuration step. Therefore a specific build configuration must be chosen even if the generated build system supports multiple configurations.

  CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_NO_PLATFORM_VARIABLES

Added in version 3.24.

Set to a true value to tell the try_compile() command not to propagate any platform variables into the test project.

The try_compile() command normally passes some CMake variables that configure the platform and toolchain behavior into test projects. See policy CMP0137. This variable may be set to disable that behavior.

  CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_PLATFORM_VARIABLES

Added in version 3.6.

List of variables that the try_compile() command source file signature must propagate into the test project in order to target the same platform as the host project.

This variable should not be set by project code. It is meant to be set by CMake's platform information modules for the current toolchain, or by a toolchain file when used with CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE.

Variables meaningful to CMake, such as CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS, are propagated automatically. The CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_PLATFORM_VARIABLES variable may be set to pass custom variables meaningful to a toolchain file. For example, a toolchain file may contain:

    set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME ...)
    set(CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_PLATFORM_VARIABLES MY_CUSTOM_VARIABLE)
    # ... use MY_CUSTOM_VARIABLE ...

If a user passes -DMY_CUSTOM_VARIABLE=SomeValue to CMake then this setting will be made visible to the toolchain file both for the main project and for test projects generated by the try_compile() command source file signature.

Changed in version 3.24: Listed variables are propagated to the try_compile() whole-project signature too. See CMP0137.

Added in version 3.24: The CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_NO_PLATFORM_VARIABLES variable may be set to disable passing platform variables into the test project.

  CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_TARGET_TYPE

Added in version 3.6.

Type of target generated for try_compile() calls using the source file signature. Valid values are:

EXECUTABLE
    Use add_executable() to name the source file in the generated project. This is the default if no value is given.

STATIC_LIBRARY
    Use add_library() with the STATIC option to name the source file in the generated project. This avoids running the linker and is intended for use with cross-compiling toolchains that cannot link without custom flags or linker scripts.

  CMAKE_UNITY_BUILD

Added in version 3.16.

This variable is used to initialize the UNITY_BUILD property of targets when they are created. Setting it to true enables batch compilation of multiple sources within each target. This feature is known as a Unity or Jumbo build.

Projects should not set this variable, it is intended as a developer control to be set on the cmake(1) command line or other equivalent methods. The developer must have the ability to enable or disable unity builds according to the capabilities of their own machine and compiler.

By default, this variable is not set, which will result in unity builds being disabled.

NOTE: This option currently does not work well in combination with the CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS variable.

  CMAKE_UNITY_BUILD_BATCH_SIZE

Added in version 3.16.

This variable is used to initialize the UNITY_BUILD_BATCH_SIZE property of targets when they are created. It specifies the default upper limit on the number of source files that may be combined in any one unity source file when unity builds are enabled for a target.

  CMAKE_UNITY_BUILD_RELOCATABLE

Added in version 4.0.

This variable is used to initialize the UNITY_BUILD_RELOCATABLE property of targets when they are created. Setting it to true causes sources generated for CMAKE_UNITY_BUILD to #include the original source files using relative paths where possible.

  CMAKE_UNITY_BUILD_UNIQUE_ID

Added in version 3.20.

This variable is used to initialize the UNITY_BUILD_UNIQUE_ID property of targets when they are created. It specifies the name of the unique identifier generated per file in a unity build.

  CMAKE_VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS

Added in version 3.24.

This variable is used to initialize the VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS property of targets when they are created. Setting it to true enables interface header set verification.

Projects should not normally set this variable, it is intended as a developer control to be set on the cmake(1) command line or other equivalent methods. The developer must have the ability to enable or disable header set verification according to the capabilities of their own machine and compiler.

Verification of a dependency's header sets is not typically of interest to developers. Therefore, FetchContent_MakeAvailable() explicitly sets CMAKE_VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS and CMAKE_VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS to false for the duration of its call, but restores their original values before returning. If a project brings a dependency directly into the main build (e.g. calling add_subdirectory() on a vendored project from a git submodule), it should also do likewise. For example:

    # Save original setting so we can restore it later
    set(want_interface_header_set_verification ${CMAKE_VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS})
    set(want_private_header_set_verification ${CMAKE_VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS})
    # Include the vendored dependency with header set verification disabled
    set(CMAKE_VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS OFF)
    set(CMAKE_VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS OFF)
    add_subdirectory(...)   # Vendored sources, e.g. from git submodules
    # Add the project's own sources. Restore the developer's original choice
    # for whether to enable header set verification.
    set(CMAKE_VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS ${want_interface_header_set_verification})
    set(CMAKE_VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS ${want_private_header_set_verification})
    add_subdirectory(src)

By default, this variable is not set, which will result in interface header set verification being disabled.

See also CMAKE_VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS.

  CMAKE_VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS

Added in version 4.3.

This variable is used to initialize the VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS property of targets when they are created. Setting it to true enables private header set verification.

Projects should not normally set this variable, it is intended as a developer control to be set on the cmake(1) command line or other equivalent methods. The developer must have the ability to enable or disable header set verification according to the capabilities of their own machine and compiler.

Verification of a dependency's header sets is not typically of interest to developers. Therefore, FetchContent_MakeAvailable() explicitly sets CMAKE_VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS and CMAKE_VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS to false for the duration of its call, but restores their original values before returning. If a project brings a dependency directly into the main build (e.g. calling add_subdirectory() on a vendored project from a git submodule), it should also do likewise. For example:

    # Save original setting so we can restore it later
    set(want_interface_header_set_verification ${CMAKE_VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS})
    set(want_private_header_set_verification ${CMAKE_VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS})
    # Include the vendored dependency with header set verification disabled
    set(CMAKE_VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS OFF)
    set(CMAKE_VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS OFF)
    add_subdirectory(...)   # Vendored sources, e.g. from git submodules
    # Add the project's own sources. Restore the developer's original choice
    # for whether to enable header set verification.
    set(CMAKE_VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS ${want_interface_header_set_verification})
    set(CMAKE_VERIFY_PRIVATE_HEADER_SETS ${want_private_header_set_verification})
    add_subdirectory(src)

By default, this variable is not set, which will result in private header set verification being disabled.

See also CMAKE_VERIFY_INTERFACE_HEADER_SETS.

  CMAKE_VISIBILITY_INLINES_HIDDEN

Default value for the VISIBILITY_INLINES_HIDDEN target property when a target is created.

  CMAKE_VS_DEBUGGER_COMMAND

Added in version 3.27.

This variable is used to initialize the VS_DEBUGGER_COMMAND property on each target as it is created. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_VS_DEBUGGER_COMMAND_ARGUMENTS

Added in version 3.27.

This variable is used to initialize the VS_DEBUGGER_COMMAND_ARGUMENTS property on each target as it is created. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_VS_DEBUGGER_ENVIRONMENT

Added in version 3.27.

This variable is used to initialize the VS_DEBUGGER_ENVIRONMENT property on each target as it is created. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_VS_DEBUGGER_WORKING_DIRECTORY

Added in version 3.27.

This variable is used to initialize the VS_DEBUGGER_WORKING_DIRECTORY property on each target as it is created. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_VS_GLOBALS

Added in version 3.13.

List of Key=Value records to be set per target as target properties VS_GLOBAL_<variable> with variable=Key and value Value.

For example:

    set(CMAKE_VS_GLOBALS
      "DefaultLanguage=en-US"
      "MinimumVisualStudioVersion=14.0"
      )

will set properties VS_GLOBAL_DefaultLanguage to en-US and VS_GLOBAL_MinimumVisualStudioVersion to 14.0 for all targets (except for INTERFACE libraries).

This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file.

  CMAKE_VS_INCLUDE_INSTALL_TO_DEFAULT_BUILD

Added in version 3.3.

Include INSTALL target to default build.

In Visual Studio solution, by default the INSTALL target will not be part of the default build. Setting this variable will enable the INSTALL target to be part of the default build.

  CMAKE_VS_INCLUDE_PACKAGE_TO_DEFAULT_BUILD

Added in version 3.8.

Include PACKAGE target to default build.

In Visual Studio solution, by default the PACKAGE target will not be part of the default build. Setting this variable will enable the PACKAGE target to be part of the default build.

  CMAKE_VS_JUST_MY_CODE_DEBUGGING

Added in version 3.15.

Enable Just My Code with Visual Studio debugger.

This variable is used to initialize the VS_JUST_MY_CODE_DEBUGGING property on all targets when they are created. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_VS_NO_COMPILE_BATCHING

Added in version 3.24.

Turn off compile batching when using Visual Studio Generators.

This variable is used to initialize the VS_NO_COMPILE_BATCHING property on all targets when they are created. See that target property for additional information.

  Example

This shows setting the property for the target foo using the variable.

    set(CMAKE_VS_NO_COMPILE_BATCHING ON)
    add_library(foo SHARED foo.cpp)

  CMAKE_VS_SDK_EXCLUDE_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.12.

This variable allows to override Visual Studio default Exclude Directories.

  CMAKE_VS_SDK_EXECUTABLE_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.12.

This variable allows to override Visual Studio default Executable Directories.

  CMAKE_VS_SDK_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.12.

This variable allows to override Visual Studio default Include Directories.

  CMAKE_VS_SDK_LIBRARY_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.12.

This variable allows to override Visual Studio default Library Directories.

  CMAKE_VS_SDK_LIBRARY_WINRT_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.12.

This variable allows to override Visual Studio default Library WinRT Directories.

  CMAKE_VS_SDK_REFERENCE_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.12.

This variable allows to override Visual Studio default Reference Directories.

  CMAKE_VS_SDK_SOURCE_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.12.

This variable allows to override Visual Studio default Source Directories.

  CMAKE_VS_WINRT_BY_DEFAULT

Added in version 3.13.

Inform Visual Studio Generators for VS 2010 and above that the target platform enables WinRT compilation by default and it needs to be explicitly disabled if /ZW or VS_WINRT_COMPONENT is omitted (as opposed to enabling it when either of those options is present)

This makes cmake configuration consistent in terms of WinRT among platforms - if you did not enable the WinRT compilation explicitly, it will be disabled (by either not enabling it or explicitly disabling it)

Note: WinRT compilation is always explicitly disabled for C language source files, even if it is expliclty enabled for a project

This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file for such platforms.

  CMAKE_WATCOM_RUNTIME_LIBRARY

Added in version 3.24.

Select the Watcom runtime library for use by compilers targeting the Watcom ABI. This variable is used to initialize the WATCOM_RUNTIME_LIBRARY property on all targets as they are created. It is also propagated by calls to the try_compile() command into the test project.

The allowed values are:

SingleThreaded
    Compile without additional flags to use a single-threaded statically-linked runtime library.

SingleThreadedDLL
    Compile with -br or equivalent flag(s) to use a single-threaded dynamically-linked runtime library. This is not available for Linux targets.

MultiThreaded
    Compile with -bm or equivalent flag(s) to use a multi-threaded statically-linked runtime library.

MultiThreadedDLL
    Compile with -bm -br or equivalent flag(s) to use a multi-threaded dynamically-linked runtime library. This is not available for Linux targets.

    The value is ignored on non-Watcom compilers but an unsupported value will be rejected as an error when using a compiler targeting the Watcom ABI.

    The value may also be the empty string ("") in which case no runtime library selection flag will be added explicitly by CMake.

    Use generator expressions to support per-configuration specification.

    For example, the code:

        set(CMAKE_WATCOM_RUNTIME_LIBRARY "MultiThreaded")

    selects for all following targets a multi-threaded statically-linked runtime library.

    If this variable is not set then the WATCOM_RUNTIME_LIBRARY target property will not be set automatically. If that property is not set then CMake uses the default value MultiThreadedDLL on Windows and SingleThreaded on other platforms to select a Watcom runtime library.

    NOTE: This variable has effect only when policy CMP0136 is set to NEW prior to the first project() or enable_language() command that enables a language using a compiler targeting the Watcom ABI.

  CMAKE_WIN32_EXECUTABLE

Default value for WIN32_EXECUTABLE of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the WIN32_EXECUTABLE property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_WINDOWS_EXPORT_ALL_SYMBOLS

Added in version 3.4.

Default value for WINDOWS_EXPORT_ALL_SYMBOLS target property. This variable is used to initialize the property on each target as it is created.

  CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_<an-attribute>

Added in version 3.1.

Set Xcode target attributes directly.

Tell the Xcode generator to set <an-attribute> to a given value in the generated Xcode project. Ignored on other generators.

This offers low-level control over the generated Xcode project file. It is meant as a last resort for specifying settings that CMake does not otherwise have a way to control. Although this can override a setting CMake normally produces on its own, doing so bypasses CMake's model of the project and can break things.

See the XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_<an-attribute> target property to set attributes on a specific target.

Contents of CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_<an-attribute> may use "generator expressions" with the syntax $<...>. See the cmake-generator-expressions(7) manual for available expressions. See the cmake-buildsystem(7) manual for more on defining buildsystem properties.

  EXECUTABLE_OUTPUT_PATH

Old executable location variable.

The target property RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY supersedes this variable for a target if it is set. Executable targets are otherwise placed in this directory.

  LIBRARY_OUTPUT_PATH

Old library location variable.

The target properties ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY, LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY, and RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY supersede this variable for a target if they are set. Library targets are otherwise placed in this directory.

VARIABLES FOR LANGUAGES

  CMAKE_C_COMPILE_FEATURES

Added in version 3.1.

List of features known to the C compiler

These features are known to be available for use with the C compiler. This list is a subset of the features listed in the CMAKE_C_KNOWN_FEATURES global property.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_C_EXTENSIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Default value for C_EXTENSIONS target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_C_STANDARD

Added in version 3.1.

Default value for C_STANDARD target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_C_STANDARD_REQUIRED

Added in version 3.1.

Default value for C_STANDARD_REQUIRED target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_CUDA_ARCHITECTURES

Added in version 3.18.

Default value for CUDA_ARCHITECTURES property of targets.

Initialized by the CUDAARCHS environment variable if set. Otherwise as follows depending on CMAKE_CUDA_COMPILER_ID:

•   For Clang: the oldest architecture that works.

•   For NVIDIA: the default architecture chosen by the compiler. See policy CMP0104.

    Users are encouraged to override this, as the default varies across compilers and compiler versions.

    This variable is used to initialize the CUDA_ARCHITECTURES property on all targets. See the target property for additional information.

  Examples

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION)
    if(NOT DEFINED CMAKE_CUDA_ARCHITECTURES)
      set(CMAKE_CUDA_ARCHITECTURES 75)
    endif()
    project(example LANGUAGES CUDA)

CMAKE_CUDA_ARCHITECTURES will default to 75 unless overridden by the user.

  CMAKE_CUDA_COMPILE_FEATURES

Added in version 3.17.

List of features known to the CUDA compiler

These features are known to be available for use with the CUDA compiler. This list is a subset of the features listed in the CMAKE_CUDA_KNOWN_FEATURES global property.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_CUDA_EXTENSIONS

Added in version 3.8.

Default value for CUDA_EXTENSIONS target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_CUDA_HOST_COMPILER

Added in version 3.10.

This is the original CUDA-specific name for the more general CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER variable. See the latter for details.

  CMAKE_CUDA_STANDARD

Added in version 3.8.

Default value for CUDA_STANDARD target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_CUDA_STANDARD_REQUIRED

Added in version 3.8.

Default value for CUDA_STANDARD_REQUIRED target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_CUDA_TOOLKIT_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.8.

When the CUDA language has been enabled, this provides a semicolon-separated list of include directories provided by the CUDA Toolkit. The value may be useful for C++ source files to include CUDA headers.

  CMAKE_CXX_COMPILE_FEATURES

Added in version 3.1.

List of features known to the C++ compiler

These features are known to be available for use with the C++ compiler. This list is a subset of the features listed in the CMAKE_CXX_KNOWN_FEATURES global property.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_IMPORT_STD

Added in version 3.30.

A list of C++ standard levels for which import std support exists for the current C++ toolchain. Support for C++<NN> may be detected using a <NN> IN_LIST CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_IMPORT_STD predicate with the if() command.

NOTE: This variable is meaningful only when experimental support for import std; has been enabled by the CMAKE_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX_IMPORT_STD gate.

  CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Default value for CXX_EXTENSIONS target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD

Added in version 3.1.

Default value for CXX_STANDARD target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED

Added in version 3.1.

Default value for CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_Fortran_MODDIR_DEFAULT

Fortran default module output directory.

Most Fortran compilers write .mod files to the current working directory. For those that do not, this is set to . and used when the Fortran_MODULE_DIRECTORY target property is not set.

  CMAKE_Fortran_MODDIR_FLAG

Fortran flag for module output directory.

This stores the flag needed to pass the value of the Fortran_MODULE_DIRECTORY target property to the compiler.

  CMAKE_Fortran_MODOUT_FLAG

Fortran flag to enable module output.

Most Fortran compilers write .mod files out by default. For others, this stores the flag needed to enable module output.

  CMAKE_HIP_ARCHITECTURES

Added in version 3.21.

List of GPU architectures to for which to generate device code. Architecture names are interpreted based on CMAKE_HIP_PLATFORM.

This is initialized based on the value of CMAKE_HIP_PLATFORM:

amd Uses architectures reported by rocm_agent_enumerator, if available, and otherwise to a default chosen by the compiler.

spirv
    Defaults to OFF. The HIP package (e.g., chipStar) handles targeting via its own configuration.

    This variable is used to initialize the HIP_ARCHITECTURES property on all targets. See the target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_HIP_COMPILE_FEATURES

Added in version 3.21.

List of features known to the HIP compiler

These features are known to be available for use with the HIP compiler. This list is a subset of the features listed in the CMAKE_HIP_KNOWN_FEATURES global property.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_HIP_EXTENSIONS

Added in version 3.21.

Default value for HIP_EXTENSIONS target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_HIP_PLATFORM

Added in version 3.28.

GPU platform for which HIP language sources are to be compiled.

The value must be one of:

amd AMD GPUs

nvidia
    NVIDIA GPUs

spirv
    Added in version 4.3.

    SPIR-V target (e.g., chipStar)

    If not specified, a default is computed via hipconfig --platform.

    CMAKE_HIP_ARCHITECTURES entries are interpreted with as architectures of the GPU platform.

    CMAKE_HIP_COMPILER must target the same GPU platform.

  CMAKE_HIP_STANDARD

Added in version 3.21.

Default value for HIP_STANDARD target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_HIP_STANDARD_REQUIRED

Added in version 3.21.

Default value for HIP_STANDARD_REQUIRED target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_ISPC_HEADER_DIRECTORY

Added in version 3.19.

ISPC generated header output directory.

This variable is used to initialize the ISPC_HEADER_DIRECTORY property on all the targets. See the target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ISPC_HEADER_SUFFIX

Added in version 3.19.2.

Output suffix to be used for ISPC generated headers.

This variable is used to initialize the ISPC_HEADER_SUFFIX property on all the targets. See the target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_ISPC_INSTRUCTION_SETS

Added in version 3.19.

Default value for ISPC_INSTRUCTION_SETS property of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the ISPC_INSTRUCTION_SETS property on all targets. See the target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_MACHINE

Added in version 3.7.1.

When Cross Compiling for Android this variable contains the toolchain binutils machine name (e.g. gcc -dumpmachine). The binutils typically have a <machine>- prefix on their name.

See also CMAKE_<LANG>_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX and CMAKE_<LANG>_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_SUFFIX.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX

Added in version 3.7.

When Cross Compiling for Android this variable contains the absolute path prefixing the toolchain GNU compiler and its binutils.

See also CMAKE_<LANG>_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_SUFFIX and CMAKE_<LANG>_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_MACHINE.

For example, the path to the linker is:

    ${CMAKE_CXX_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX}ld${CMAKE_CXX_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_SUFFIX}

  CMAKE_<LANG>_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_SUFFIX

Added in version 3.7.

When Cross Compiling for Android this variable contains the host platform suffix of the toolchain GNU compiler and its binutils.

See also CMAKE_<LANG>_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX and CMAKE_<LANG>_ANDROID_TOOLCHAIN_MACHINE.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVE_APPEND

Rule variable to append to a static archive.

This is a rule variable that tells CMake how to append to a static archive. It is used in place of CMAKE_<LANG>_CREATE_STATIC_LIBRARY on some platforms in order to support large object counts. See also CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVE_CREATE and CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVE_FINISH.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVE_CREATE

Rule variable to create a new static archive.

This is a rule variable that tells CMake how to create a static archive. It is used in place of CMAKE_<LANG>_CREATE_STATIC_LIBRARY on some platforms in order to support large object counts. See also CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVE_APPEND and CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVE_FINISH.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVE_FINISH

Rule variable to finish an existing static archive.

This is a rule variable that tells CMake how to finish a static archive. It is used in place of CMAKE_<LANG>_CREATE_STATIC_LIBRARY on some platforms in order to support large object counts. See also CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVE_CREATE and CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVE_APPEND.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVER_WRAPPER_FLAG

Added in version 4.0.

Defines the syntax of compiler driver option to pass options to the archiver tool. It will be used to translate the ARCHIVER: prefix in the static library options (see STATIC_LIBRARY_OPTIONS).

This variable holds a semicolon-separated list of tokens. If a space (i.e. " ") is specified as last token, flag and ARCHIVER: arguments will be specified as separate arguments to the compiler driver. The CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variable can be specified to manage concatenation of arguments.

See CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG variable for examples of definitions because CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVER_WRAPPER_FLAG use the same syntax.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP

Added in version 4.0.

This variable is used with CMAKE_<LANG>_ARCHIVER_WRAPPER_FLAG variable to format ARCHIVER: prefix in the static library options (see STATIC_LIBRARY_OPTIONS).

When specified, arguments of the ARCHIVER: prefix will be concatenated using this value as separator.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_BYTE_ORDER

Added in version 3.20.

Byte order of <LANG> compiler target architecture, if known. If defined and not empty, the value is one of:

BIG_ENDIAN
    The target architecture is Big Endian.

LITTLE_ENDIAN
    The target architecture is Little Endian.

    This is defined for languages C, CXX, OBJC, OBJCXX, and CUDA.

    If CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES specifies multiple architectures, the value of CMAKE_<LANG>_BYTE_ORDER is non-empty only if all architectures share the same byte order.

  Examples

  Example: Checking Endianness

Checking endianness (byte order) of the target architecture in a CMake project, where C language is one of the enabled languages, and storing the result in a variable WORDS_BIGENDIAN:

    if(CMAKE_C_BYTE_ORDER STREQUAL "BIG_ENDIAN")
      set(WORDS_BIGENDIAN TRUE)
    elseif(CMAKE_C_BYTE_ORDER STREQUAL "LITTLE_ENDIAN")
      set(WORDS_BIGENDIAN FALSE)
    else()
      set(WORDS_BIGENDIAN FALSE)
      message(WARNING "Endianness could not be determined.")
    endif()

Or, if the project doesn't have C language enabled, it can be replaced with some other enabled language. For example, if CXX is enabled:

    if(CMAKE_CXX_BYTE_ORDER STREQUAL "BIG_ENDIAN")
      set(WORDS_BIGENDIAN TRUE)
    elseif(CMAKE_CXX_BYTE_ORDER STREQUAL "LITTLE_ENDIAN")
      set(WORDS_BIGENDIAN FALSE)
    else()
      set(WORDS_BIGENDIAN FALSE)
      message(WARNING "Endianness could not be determined.")
    endif()

Note, that in most cases this can be simplified by only checking for a big-endian target:

    if(CMAKE_C_BYTE_ORDER STREQUAL "BIG_ENDIAN")
      set(WORDS_BIGENDIAN TRUE)
    else()
      set(WORDS_BIGENDIAN FALSE)
    endif()

  Example: Per-language Endianness Check

Most of the time, architectures used today are consistent in endianness across compilers. But here's when per-language endianness check can matter:

•   Cross-compilation to different architectures (e.g., big-endian embedded system).

•   Heterogeneous toolchains where one target architecture is for C language and another target is for different language.

•   Static libraries or binaries reused across platforms (e.g., distributing precompiled CUDA kernels).

        if(CMAKE_C_BYTE_ORDER)
          message(STATUS "C byte order: ${CMAKE_C_BYTE_ORDER}")
        endif()
        if(CMAKE_CXX_BYTE_ORDER)
          message(STATUS "C++ byte order: ${CMAKE_CXX_BYTE_ORDER}")
        endif()
        if(CMAKE_CUDA_BYTE_ORDER)
          message(STATUS "CUDA byte order: ${CMAKE_CUDA_BYTE_ORDER}")
        endif()

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILE_OBJECT

Rule variable to compile a single object file.

This is a rule variable that tells CMake how to compile a single object file for the language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER

The full path to the compiler for LANG.

This is the command that will be used as the <LANG> compiler. Once set, you can not change this variable.

  Usage

This variable can be set by the user during the first time a build tree is configured.

If a non-full path value is supplied then CMake will resolve the full path of the compiler.

The variable could be set in a user supplied toolchain file or via -D on the command line.

NOTE: Options that are required to make the compiler work correctly can be included as items in a list; they can not be changed.

    #set within user supplied toolchain file
    set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER /full/path/to/qcc --arg1 --arg2)

or

    $ cmake ... -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER='qcc;--arg1;--arg2'

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN

The external toolchain for cross-compiling, if supported.

Some compiler toolchains do not ship their own auxiliary utilities such as archivers and linkers. The compiler driver may support a command-line argument to specify the location of such tools. CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN may be set to a path to the external toolchain and will be passed to the compiler driver if supported.

This variable may only be set in a toolchain file specified by the CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID

Compiler identification string.

A short string unique to the compiler vendor. Possible values include:
Value | Name
Absoft | Absoft Fortran
ADSP | Analog VisualDSP++
AppleClang | Apple Clang
ARMCC | ARM Compiler
ARMClang | ARM Compiler based on Clang
Bruce | Bruce C Compiler
CCur | Concurrent Fortran
Clang | LLVM Clang
Cray | Cray Compiler
CrayClang | Cray Clang-based Compiler
Diab | Wind River Systems Diab Compiler
Embarcadero, Borland | Embarcadero
Flang | Classic Flang Fortran Compiler
LLVMFlang | LLVM Flang Fortran Compiler
Fujitsu | Fujitsu HPC compiler (Trad mode)
FujitsuClang | Fujitsu HPC compiler (Clang mode)
G95 | G95 Fortran
GNU | GNU Compiler Collection
GHS | Green Hills Software
HP | Hewlett-Packard Compiler
IAR | IAR Systems
Intel | Intel Classic Compiler
IntelLLVM | Intel LLVM-Based Compiler
LCC | MCST Elbrus C/C++/Fortran Compiler
LFortran | LFortran Fortran Compiler
MSVC | Microsoft Visual Studio
NVHPC | NVIDIA HPC Compiler
NVIDIA | NVIDIA CUDA Compiler
OrangeC | OrangeC Compiler
OpenWatcom | Open Watcom
PGI | The Portland Group
PathScale | PathScale
QCC | QNX C/C++ compiler
Renesas | Renesas Compiler
SCO | SCO OpenServer/UnixWare C/C++ Compiler
SDCC | Small Device C Compiler
SunPro | Oracle Developer Studio
Tasking | Tasking Compiler Toolsets
TI | Texas Instruments
TIClang | Texas Instruments Clang-based Compilers
TinyCC | Tiny C Compiler
XL, VisualAge, zOS | IBM XL
XLClang | IBM Clang-based XL
IBMClang | IBM LLVM-based Compiler

This variable is not guaranteed to be defined for all compilers or languages.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LOADED

Defined to true if the language is enabled.

When language <LANG> is enabled by project() or enable_language() this variable is defined to 1.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_PREDEFINES_COMMAND

Added in version 3.10.

Command that outputs the compiler pre definitions.

See AUTOMOC which uses CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_PREDEFINES_COMMAND to generate the AUTOMOC_COMPILER_PREDEFINES.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_TARGET

The target for cross-compiling, if supported.

Some compiler drivers are inherently cross-compilers, such as clang and QNX qcc. These compiler drivers support a command-line argument to specify the target to cross-compile for.

This variable may only be set in a toolchain file specified by the CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_VERSION

Compiler version string.

Compiler version in major[.minor[.patch[.tweak]]] format. This variable is not guaranteed to be defined for all compilers or languages.

For example CMAKE_C_COMPILER_VERSION and CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION might indicate the respective C and C++ compiler version.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY

Rule variable to create a shared library.

This is a rule variable that tells CMake how to create a shared library for the language <LANG>. This rule variable is a ; delimited list of commands to run to perform the linking step.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY_ARCHIVE

Added in version 3.31.

Rule variable to create a shared library with archive.

This is a rule variable that tells CMake how to create a shared library with an archive for the language <LANG>. This rule variable is a ; delimited list of commands to run to perform the linking step.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_CREATE_SHARED_MODULE

Rule variable to create a shared module.

This is a rule variable that tells CMake how to create a shared library for the language <LANG>. This rule variable is a ; delimited list of commands to run.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_CREATE_STATIC_LIBRARY

Rule variable to create a static library.

This is a rule variable that tells CMake how to create a static library for the language <LANG>.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_EXTENSIONS

The variations are:

•   CMAKE_C_EXTENSIONS

•   CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS

•   CMAKE_CUDA_EXTENSIONS

•   CMAKE_HIP_EXTENSIONS

•   CMAKE_OBJC_EXTENSIONS

•   CMAKE_OBJCXX_EXTENSIONS

    Default values for <LANG>_EXTENSIONS target properties if set when a target is created. For the compiler's default setting see CMAKE_<LANG>_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT.

    For supported CMake versions see the respective pages.

    See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT

Added in version 3.22.

Compiler's default extensions mode. Used as the default for the <LANG>_EXTENSIONS target property when CMAKE_<LANG>_EXTENSIONS is not set (see CMP0128).

This variable is read-only. Modifying it is undefined behavior.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS

Language-wide flags for language <LANG> used when building for all configurations. These flags will be passed to all invocations of the compiler. This includes invocations that drive compiling and those that drive linking.

For each language, if this variable is not defined, it is initialized and stored in the cache using values from environment variables in combination with CMake's builtin defaults for the toolchain:

•   CMAKE_C_FLAGS: Initialized by the CFLAGS environment variable.

•   CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS: Initialized by the CXXFLAGS environment variable.

•   CMAKE_CUDA_FLAGS: Initialized by the CUDAFLAGS environment variable.

•   CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS: Initialized by the FFLAGS environment variable.

•   CMAKE_CSharp_FLAGS: Initialized by the CSFLAGS environment variable.

•   CMAKE_HIP_FLAGS: Initialized by the HIPFLAGS environment variable.

•   CMAKE_ISPC_FLAGS: Initialized by the ISPCFLAGS environment variable.

•   CMAKE_OBJC_FLAGS: Initialized by the OBJCFLAGS environment variable.

•   CMAKE_OBJCXX_FLAGS: Initialized by the OBJCXXFLAGS environment variable.

    This value is a command-line string fragment. Therefore, multiple options should be separated by spaces, and options with spaces should be quoted.

    The flags in this variable will be passed before those in the per-configuration CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG> variable. On invocations driving compiling, flags from both variables will be passed before flags added by commands such as add_compile_options() and target_compile_options(). On invocations driving linking, they will be passed before flags added by commands such as add_link_options() and target_link_options().

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG>

Language-wide flags for language <LANG> used when building for the <CONFIG> configuration. These flags will be passed to all invocations of the compiler in the corresponding configuration. This includes invocations that drive compiling and those that drive linking.

The flags in this variable will be passed after those in the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS variable. On invocations driving compiling, flags from both variables will be passed before flags added by commands such as add_compile_options() and target_compile_options(). On invocations driving linking, they will be passed before flags added by commands such as add_link_options() and target_link_options().

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT

Added in version 3.11.

Value used to initialize the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG> cache entry the first time a build tree is configured for language <LANG>. This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file. CMake may prepend or append content to the value based on the environment and target platform.

See also CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_INIT.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_DEBUG

This variable is the Debug variant of the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG> variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_DEBUG_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

This variable is the Debug variant of the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

Value used to initialize the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS cache entry the first time a build tree is configured for language <LANG>. This variable is meant to be set by a toolchain file. CMake may prepend or append content to the value based on the environment and target platform. For example, the contents of a xxxFLAGS environment variable will be prepended, where xxx will be language-specific but not necessarily the same as <LANG> (e.g. CXXFLAGS for CXX, FFLAGS for Fortran, and so on). This value is a command-line string fragment. Therefore, multiple options should be separated by spaces, and options with spaces should be quoted.

See also the configuration-specific CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL

This variable is the MinSizeRel variant of the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG> variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

This variable is the MinSizeRel variant of the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_RELEASE

This variable is the Release variant of the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG> variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_RELEASE_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

This variable is the Release variant of the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO

This variable is the RelWithDebInfo variant of the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG> variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO_INIT

Added in version 3.7.

This variable is the RelWithDebInfo variant of the CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG>_INIT variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER

Added in version 3.10: CMAKE_CUDA_HOST_COMPILER

Added in version 3.28: CMAKE_HIP_HOST_COMPILER

This variable is available when <LANG> is CUDA or HIP.

When CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID is NVIDIA, CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER selects the compiler executable to use when compiling host code for CUDA or HIP language files. This maps to the nvcc -ccbin option.

The CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER variable may be set explicitly before CUDA or HIP is first enabled by a project() or enable_language() command. This can be done via -DCMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER=... on the command line or in a toolchain file. Or, one may set the CUDAHOSTCXX or HIPHOSTCXX environment variable to provide a default value.

Once the CUDA or HIP language is enabled, the CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER variable is read-only and changes to it are undefined behavior.

NOTE: Since CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER is meaningful only when the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID is NVIDIA, it does not make sense to set CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER without also setting CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER to NVCC.

NOTE: Projects should not try to set CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER to match CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER themselves. It is the end-user's responsibility, not the project's, to ensure that NVCC targets the same ABI as the C++ compiler.

NOTE: Ignored when using Visual Studio Generators.

See the CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER_ID and CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER_VERSION variables for information about the host compiler used by nvcc, whether by default or specified by CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER_ID

Added in version 3.31.

This variable is available when <LANG> is CUDA or HIP and CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID is NVIDIA. It contains the identity of the host compiler invoked by nvcc, either by default or as specified by CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER, among possibilities documented by CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER_VERSION

Added in version 3.31.

This variable is available when <LANG> is CUDA or HIP and CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID is NVIDIA. It contains the version of the host compiler invoked by nvcc, either by default or as specified by CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER, in the same format as CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_VERSION.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_IGNORE_EXTENSIONS

File extensions that should be ignored by the build.

This is a list of file extensions that may be part of a project for a given language but are not compiled.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_IMPLICIT_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES

Directories implicitly searched by the compiler for header files.

CMake does not explicitly specify these directories on compiler command lines for language <LANG>. This prevents system include directories from being treated as user include directories on some compilers, which is important for C, CXX, and CUDA to avoid overriding standard library headers.

This value is not used for Fortran because it has no standard library headers and some compilers do not search their implicit include directories for module .mod files.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_IMPLICIT_LINK_DIRECTORIES

Implicit linker search path detected for language <LANG>.

Compilers typically pass directories containing language runtime libraries and default library search paths when they invoke a linker. These paths are implicit linker search directories for the compiler's language.

For each language enabled by the project() or enable_language() command, CMake automatically detects these directories and reports the results in this variable. The CMAKE_<LANG>_IMPLICIT_LINK_DIRECTORIES_EXCLUDE environment variable may be set to exclude specific directories from the automatically detected results.

When linking to a static library, CMake adds the implicit link directories from this variable for each language used in the static library (except the language whose compiler is used to drive linking). In the case of an imported static library, the IMPORTED_LINK_INTERFACE_LANGUAGES target property lists the languages whose implicit link information is needed. If any of the languages is not enabled, its value for the CMAKE_<LANG>_IMPLICIT_LINK_DIRECTORIES variable may instead be provided by the project. Or, a toolchain file may set the variable to a value known for the specified toolchain. It will either be overridden when the language is enabled, or used as a fallback.

Some toolchains read implicit directories from an environment variable such as LIBRARY_PATH. If using such an environment variable, keep its value consistent when operating in a given build tree because CMake saves the value detected when first creating a build tree.

In CMake versions prior to 4.0, if policy CMP0060 is not set to NEW, then when a library in one of these directories is given by full path to target_link_libraries() CMake will generate the -l<name> form on link lines for historical purposes.

See also the CMAKE_<LANG>_IMPLICIT_LINK_LIBRARIES variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_IMPLICIT_LINK_FRAMEWORK_DIRECTORIES

Implicit linker framework search path detected for language <LANG>.

These paths are implicit linker framework search directories for the compiler's language. CMake automatically detects these directories for each language and reports the results in this variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_IMPLICIT_LINK_LIBRARIES

Implicit link libraries and flags detected for language <LANG>.

Compilers typically pass language runtime library names and other flags when they invoke a linker. These flags are implicit link options for the compiler's language.

For each language enabled by the project() or enable_language() command, CMake automatically detects these libraries and flags and reports the results in this variable. The CMAKE_<LANG>_IMPLICIT_LINK_LIBRARIES_EXCLUDE environment variable may be set to exclude specific libraries from the automatically detected results.

When linking to a static library, CMake adds the implicit link libraries and flags from this variable for each language used in the static library (except the language whose compiler is used to drive linking). In the case of an imported static library, the IMPORTED_LINK_INTERFACE_LANGUAGES target property lists the languages whose implicit link information is needed. If any of the languages is not enabled, its value for the CMAKE_<LANG>_IMPLICIT_LINK_LIBRARIES variable may instead be provided by the project. Or, a toolchain file may set the variable to a value known for the specified toolchain. It will either be overridden when the language is enabled, or used as a fallback.

See also the CMAKE_<LANG>_IMPLICIT_LINK_DIRECTORIES variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LIBRARY_ARCHITECTURE

Target architecture library directory name detected for <LANG>.

If the <LANG> compiler passes to the linker an architecture-specific system library search directory such as <prefix>/lib/<arch> this variable contains the <arch> name if/as detected by CMake.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_EXECUTABLE

Rule variable to link an executable.

Rule variable to link an executable for the given language.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG

Added in version 3.13.

Defines the syntax of compiler driver option to pass options to the linker tool. It will be used to translate the LINKER: prefix in the link options (see add_link_options() and target_link_options()).

This variable holds a semicolon-separated list of tokens. If a space (i.e. " ") is specified as last token, flag and LINKER: arguments will be specified as separate arguments to the compiler driver. The CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP variable can be specified to manage concatenation of arguments.

For example, for Clang we have:

    set (CMAKE_C_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG "-Xlinker" " ")

Specifying "LINKER:-z,defs" will be transformed in -Xlinker -z -Xlinker defs.

For GNU GCC:

    set (CMAKE_C_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG "-Wl,")
    set (CMAKE_C_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP ",")

Specifying "LINKER:-z,defs" will be transformed in -Wl,-z,defs.

And for SunPro:

    set (CMAKE_C_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG "-Qoption" "ld" " ")
    set (CMAKE_C_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP ",")

Specifying "LINKER:-z,defs" will be transformed in -Qoption ld -z,defs.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG_SEP

Added in version 3.13.

This variable is used with CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_WRAPPER_FLAG variable to format LINKER: prefix in the link options (see add_link_options() and target_link_options()).

When specified, arguments of the LINKER: prefix will be concatenated using this value as separator.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_OUTPUT_EXTENSION

Extension for the output of a compile for a single file.

This is the extension for an object file for the given <LANG>. For example .obj for C on Windows.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_SIMULATE_ID

Identification string of the "simulated" compiler.

Some compilers simulate other compilers to serve as drop-in replacements. When CMake detects such a compiler it sets this variable to what would have been the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID for the simulated compiler.

NOTE: In other words, this variable describes the ABI compatibility of the generated code.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_SIMULATE_VERSION

Version string of "simulated" compiler.

Some compilers simulate other compilers to serve as drop-in replacements. When CMake detects such a compiler it sets this variable to what would have been the CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_VERSION for the simulated compiler.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_SIZEOF_DATA_PTR

Size of pointer-to-data types for language <LANG>.

This holds the size (in bytes) of pointer-to-data types in the target platform ABI. It is defined for languages C and CXX (C++).

  CMAKE_<LANG>_SOURCE_FILE_EXTENSIONS

Extensions of source files for the given language.

This is the list of extensions for a given language's source files.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD

The variations are:

•   CMAKE_C_STANDARD

•   CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD

•   CMAKE_CUDA_STANDARD

•   CMAKE_HIP_STANDARD

•   CMAKE_OBJC_STANDARD

•   CMAKE_OBJCXX_STANDARD

    Default values for <LANG>_STANDARD target properties if set when a target is created.

    For supported CMake versions see the respective pages.

    See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_DEFAULT

Added in version 3.9.

The compiler's default standard for the language <LANG>. Empty if the compiler has no conception of standard levels.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.6.

Include directories to be used for every source file compiled with the <LANG> compiler. This is meant for specification of system include directories needed by the language for the current platform. The directories always appear at the end of the include path passed to the compiler.

This variable should not be set by project code. It is meant to be set by CMake's platform information modules for the current toolchain, or by a toolchain file when used with CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE.

See also CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_LIBRARIES.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_LATEST

Added in version 3.30.

This variable represents the minimum between the latest version of the standard for language <LANG> which is supported by the current compiler and the latest version which is supported by CMake. Its value will be set to one of the supported values of the corresponding <LANG>_STANDARD target property; see the documentation of that property for a list of supported languages.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

NOTE: CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_LATEST will never be set to a language standard which CMake recognizes but provides no support for. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, every value which is supported by the corresponding <LANG>_STANDARD target property represents a standard of language <LANG> which is both recognized and supported by CMake.

  Checking for Language Standard Support

It is possible to use the value of the CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_LATEST variable to check for language standard support. This can be used to, e.g., conditionally enable optional features for a distributed library.

When doing so, one should be careful to not rely on integer value comparisons between standard levels. This is because some older standards of a given language which are supported by CMake (e.g., C++98, represented as 98) will have a higher numerical value than newer standards of that same language.

The following code sample demonstrates how one might correctly check for C++17 support:

    # Careful! We cannot do direct integer comparisons with
    # CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_LATEST because some earlier C++ standards (e.g.,
    # C++98) will have a higher numerical value than our requirement (C++17).
    #
    # Instead, we keep a list of unsupported C++ standards and check if
    # CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_LATEST appears in that list.
    set(UNSUPPORTED_CXX_STANDARDS
      98
      11
      14
    )
    list(FIND UNSUPPORTED_CXX_STANDARDS ${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_LATEST} UNSUPPORTED_CXX_STANDARDS_INDEX)
    if(UNSUPPORTED_CXX_STANDARDS_INDEX EQUAL -1)
      # We know that the current compiler supports at least C++17. Enabling
      # some optional feature...
    else()
      message(STATUS
        "Feature X is disabled because it requires C++17, but the current "
        "compiler only supports C++${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_LATEST}."
      )
    endif()

  CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_LIBRARIES

Added in version 3.6.

Libraries linked into every executable and shared library linked for language <LANG>. This is meant for specification of system libraries needed by the language for the current platform.

This variable should not be set by project code. It is meant to be set by CMake's platform information modules for the current toolchain, or by a toolchain file when used with CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE.

See also CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_LINK_DIRECTORIES

Added in version 3.31.

Link directories specified for every executable and library linked for language <LANG>. This is meant for specification of system link directories needed by the language for the current platform.

This variable should not be set by project code. It is meant to be set by CMake's platform information modules for the current toolchain, or by a toolchain file when used with CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE.

See also CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_LIBRARIES.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD_REQUIRED

The variations are:

•   CMAKE_C_STANDARD_REQUIRED

•   CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED

•   CMAKE_CUDA_STANDARD_REQUIRED

•   CMAKE_HIP_STANDARD_REQUIRED

•   CMAKE_OBJC_STANDARD_REQUIRED

•   CMAKE_OBJCXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED

    Default values for <LANG>_STANDARD_REQUIRED target properties if set when a target is created.

    For supported CMake versions see the respective pages.

    See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_OBJC_EXTENSIONS

Added in version 3.16.

Default value for OBJC_EXTENSIONS target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_OBJC_STANDARD

Added in version 3.16.

Default value for OBJC_STANDARD target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_OBJC_STANDARD_REQUIRED

Added in version 3.16.

Default value for OBJC_STANDARD_REQUIRED target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_OBJCXX_EXTENSIONS

Added in version 3.16.

Default value for OBJCXX_EXTENSIONS target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_OBJCXX_STANDARD

Added in version 3.16.

Default value for OBJCXX_STANDARD target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_OBJCXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED

Added in version 3.16.

Default value for OBJCXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED target property if set when a target is created.

See the cmake-compile-features(7) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers.

  CMAKE_Swift_LANGUAGE_VERSION

Added in version 3.7.

Set to the Swift language version number. If not set, the oldest legacy version known to be available in the host Xcode version is assumed:

•   Swift 4.0 for Xcode 10.2 and above.

•   Swift 3.0 for Xcode 8.3 and above.

•   Swift 2.3 for Xcode 8.2 and below.

  CMAKE_USER_MAKE_RULES_OVERRIDE_<LANG>

Specify a CMake file that overrides platform information for <LANG>.

This is a language-specific version of CMAKE_USER_MAKE_RULES_OVERRIDE loaded only when enabling language <LANG>.

VARIABLES FOR CTEST

  CTEST_BINARY_DIRECTORY

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest BuildDirectory setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_BUILD_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest MakeCommand setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_BUILD_NAME

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest BuildName setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_BZR_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest BZRCommand setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_BZR_UPDATE_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest BZRUpdateOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_CHANGE_ID

Added in version 3.4.

Specify the CTest ChangeId setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

This setting allows CTest to pass arbitrary information about this build up to CDash. One use of this feature is to allow CDash to post comments on your pull request if anything goes wrong with your build.

  CTEST_CHECKOUT_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Tell the ctest_start() command how to checkout or initialize the source directory in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_CONFIGURATION_TYPE

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest DefaultCTestConfigurationType setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

If the configuration type is set via -C <cfg> from the command line then this variable is populated accordingly.

  CTEST_CONFIGURE_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest ConfigureCommand setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_COVERAGE_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest CoverageCommand setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  Cobertura

Using Cobertura as the coverage generation within your multi-module Java project can generate a series of XML files.

The Cobertura Coverage parser expects to read the coverage data from a single XML file which contains the coverage data for all modules. Cobertura has a program with the ability to merge given cobertura.ser files and then another program to generate a combined XML file from the previous merged file. For command line testing, this can be done by hand prior to CTest looking for the coverage files. For script builds, set the CTEST_COVERAGE_COMMAND variable to point to a file which will perform these same steps, such as a .sh or .bat file.

    set(CTEST_COVERAGE_COMMAND .../run-coverage-and-consolidate.sh)

where the run-coverage-and-consolidate.sh script is perhaps created by the configure_file() command and might contain the following code:

    #!/usr/bin/env bash
    CoberturaFiles="$(find "/path/to/source" -name "cobertura.ser")"
    SourceDirs="$(find "/path/to/source" -name "java" -type d)"
    cobertura-merge --datafile coberturamerge.ser $CoberturaFiles
    cobertura-report --datafile coberturamerge.ser --destination . \
                     --format xml $SourceDirs

The script uses find to capture the paths to all of the cobertura.ser files found below the project's source directory. It keeps the list of files and supplies it as an argument to the cobertura-merge program. The --datafile argument signifies where the result of the merge will be kept.

The combined coberturamerge.ser file is then used to generate the XML report using the cobertura-report program. The call to the cobertura-report program requires some named arguments.

--datafila
    path to the merged .ser file

--destination
    path to put the output files(s)

--format
    file format to write output in: xml or html

    The rest of the supplied arguments consist of the full paths to the /src/main/java directories of each module within the source tree. These directories are needed and should not be forgotten.

  CTEST_COVERAGE_EXTRA_FLAGS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest CoverageExtraFlags setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_COVERAGE_EXCLUDE

A list of regular expressions which will be used to exclude files by their path from coverage output by the ctest_coverage() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_ERROR_EXCEPTION

A list of regular expressions which will be used to exclude when detecting error messages in build outputs by the ctest_build() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_ERROR_MATCH

A list of regular expressions which will be used to detect error messages in build outputs by the ctest_build() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_ERROR_POST_CONTEXT

The number of lines to include as context which follow an error message by the ctest_build() command. The default is 10.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_ERROR_PRE_CONTEXT

The number of lines to include as context which precede an error message by the ctest_build() command. The default is 10.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_MAXIMUM_FAILED_TEST_OUTPUT_SIZE

When saving a failing test's output, this is the maximum size, in bytes, that will be collected by the ctest_test() command. Defaults to 307200 (300 KiB). See CTEST_CUSTOM_TEST_OUTPUT_TRUNCATION for possible truncation modes.

If a test's output contains the literal string "CTEST_FULL_OUTPUT", the output will not be truncated and may exceed the maximum size.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

For controlling the output collection of passing tests, see CTEST_CUSTOM_MAXIMUM_PASSED_TEST_OUTPUT_SIZE.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_MAXIMUM_NUMBER_OF_ERRORS

The maximum number of errors in a single build step which will be detected. After this, the ctest_test() command will truncate the output. Defaults to 50.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_MAXIMUM_NUMBER_OF_WARNINGS

The maximum number of warnings in a single build step which will be detected. After this, the ctest_test() command will truncate the output. Defaults to 50.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_MAXIMUM_PASSED_TEST_OUTPUT_SIZE

When saving a passing test's output, this is the maximum size, in bytes, that will be collected by the ctest_test() command. Defaults to 1024 (1 KiB). See CTEST_CUSTOM_TEST_OUTPUT_TRUNCATION for possible truncation modes.

If a test's output contains the literal string "CTEST_FULL_OUTPUT", the output will not be truncated and may exceed the maximum size.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

For controlling the output collection of failing tests, see CTEST_CUSTOM_MAXIMUM_FAILED_TEST_OUTPUT_SIZE.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_MEMCHECK_IGNORE

A list of regular expressions to use to exclude tests during the ctest_memcheck() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_POST_MEMCHECK

A list of commands to run at the end of the ctest_memcheck() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_POST_TEST

A list of commands to run at the end of the ctest_test() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_PRE_MEMCHECK

A list of commands to run at the start of the ctest_memcheck() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_PRE_TEST

A list of commands to run at the start of the ctest_test() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_TEST_OUTPUT_TRUNCATION

Added in version 3.24.

Set the test output truncation mode in case a maximum size is configured via the CTEST_CUSTOM_MAXIMUM_PASSED_TEST_OUTPUT_SIZE or CTEST_CUSTOM_MAXIMUM_FAILED_TEST_OUTPUT_SIZE variables. By default the tail of the output will be truncated. Other possible values are middle and head.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_TESTS_IGNORE

A list of test names to be excluded from the set of tests run by the ctest_test() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_WARNING_EXCEPTION

A list of regular expressions which will be used to exclude when detecting warning messages in build outputs by the ctest_build() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CUSTOM_WARNING_MATCH

A list of regular expressions which will be used to detect warning messages in build outputs by the ctest_build() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_CVS_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest CVSCommand setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_CVS_UPDATE_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest CVSUpdateOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_DROP_LOCATION

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest DropLocation setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_DROP_METHOD

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest DropMethod setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_DROP_SITE

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest DropSite setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_DROP_SITE_CDASH

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest IsCDash setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_DROP_SITE_PASSWORD

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest DropSitePassword setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_DROP_SITE_USER

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest DropSiteUser setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_EXTRA_COVERAGE_GLOB

Added in version 3.4.

A list of regular expressions which will be used to find files which should be covered by the ctest_coverage() command.

It is initialized by ctest(1), but may be edited in a CTestCustom file. See ctest_read_custom_files() documentation.

  CTEST_EXTRA_SUBMIT_FILES

Specify files for ctest_submit(PARTS ExtraFiles) to submit in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_GIT_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest GITCommand setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_GIT_INIT_SUBMODULES

Added in version 3.6.

Specify the CTest GITInitSubmodules setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_GIT_UPDATE_CUSTOM

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest GITUpdateCustom setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_GIT_UPDATE_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest GITUpdateOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_HG_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest HGCommand setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_HG_UPDATE_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest HGUpdateOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_LABELS_FOR_SUBPROJECTS

Added in version 3.10.

Specify the CTest LabelsForSubprojects setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_MEMORYCHECK_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest MemoryCheckCommand setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_MEMORYCHECK_COMMAND_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest MemoryCheckCommandOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_MEMORYCHECK_SANITIZER_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest MemoryCheckSanitizerOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

CTest prepends correct sanitizer options *_OPTIONS environment variable to executed command. CTests adds its own log_path to sanitizer options, don't provide your own log_path.

  CTEST_MEMORYCHECK_SUPPRESSIONS_FILE

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest MemoryCheckSuppressionFile setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_MEMORYCHECK_TYPE

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest MemoryCheckType setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script. Valid values are Valgrind, Purify, BoundsChecker, DrMemory, CudaSanitizer, ThreadSanitizer, AddressSanitizer, LeakSanitizer, MemorySanitizer and UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer.

  CTEST_NIGHTLY_START_TIME

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest NightlyStartTime setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

Note that this variable must always be set for a nightly build in a dashboard script. It is needed so that nightly builds can be properly grouped together in CDash.

  CTEST_NOTES_FILES

Specify files for ctest_submit(PARTS Notes) to submit in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_P4_CLIENT

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest P4Client setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_P4_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest P4Command setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_P4_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest P4Options setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_P4_UPDATE_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest P4UpdateOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_RESOURCE_SPEC_FILE

Added in version 3.18.

Specify the CTest ResourceSpecFile setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

This can also be used to specify the resource spec file from a CMake build. If no RESOURCE_SPEC_FILE is passed to ctest_test(), and CTEST_RESOURCE_SPEC_FILE is not specified in the dashboard script, the value of this variable from the build is used.

  CTEST_RUN_CURRENT_SCRIPT

Removed. This variable once supported an undocumented feature that has since been removed.

  CTEST_SCRIPT_DIRECTORY

The directory containing the top-level CTest script. The concept is similar to CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR.

  CTEST_SITE

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest Site setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_SOURCE_DIRECTORY

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest SourceDirectory setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_SUBMIT_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT

Added in version 3.23.

Specify the CTest SubmitInactivityTimeout setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_SUBMIT_URL

Added in version 3.14.

Specify the CTest SubmitURL setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_SVN_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest SVNCommand setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_SVN_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest SVNOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_SVN_UPDATE_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest SVNUpdateOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_TEST_LOAD

Added in version 3.4.

Specify the TestLoad setting in the CTest Test Step of a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script. This sets the default value for the TEST_LOAD option of the ctest_test() command.

  CTEST_TEST_TIMEOUT

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest TimeOut setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_TLS_VERIFY

Added in version 3.30.

Specify the CTest TLSVerify setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script or in project CMakeLists.txt code before including the CTest module. The value is a boolean indicating whether to verify the server certificate when submitting to a dashboard via https:// URLs.

If CTEST_TLS_VERIFY is not set, the CMAKE_TLS_VERIFY variable or CMAKE_TLS_VERIFY environment variable is used instead. If neither is set, the default is on.

Changed in version 3.31: The default is on. Previously, the default was off. Users may set the CMAKE_TLS_VERIFY environment variable to 0 to restore the old default.

  CTEST_TLS_VERSION

Added in version 3.30.

Specify the CTest TLSVersion setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script or in project CMakeLists.txt code before including the CTest module. The value is a minimum TLS version allowed when submitting to a dashboard via https:// URLs.

The value may be one of:

•   1.0

•   1.1

•   1.2

•   1.3

    If CTEST_TLS_VERSION is not set, the CMAKE_TLS_VERSION variable or CMAKE_TLS_VERSION environment variable is used instead.

  CTEST_UPDATE_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest UpdateCommand setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_UPDATE_OPTIONS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest UpdateOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_UPDATE_VERSION_ONLY

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest UpdateVersionOnly setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_UPDATE_VERSION_OVERRIDE

Added in version 3.15.

Specify the CTest UpdateVersionOverride setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_USE_LAUNCHERS

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest UseLaunchers setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

VARIABLES FOR CPACK

  CPACK_ABSOLUTE_DESTINATION_FILES

List of files which have been installed using an ABSOLUTE DESTINATION path.

This variable is a Read-Only variable which is set internally by CPack during installation and before packaging using CMAKE_ABSOLUTE_DESTINATION_FILES defined in cmake_install.cmake scripts. The value can be used within CPack project configuration file and/or CPack<GEN>.cmake file of <GEN> generator.

  CPACK_COMPONENT_INCLUDE_TOPLEVEL_DIRECTORY

Boolean toggle to include/exclude top level directory (component case).

Similar usage as CPACK_INCLUDE_TOPLEVEL_DIRECTORY but for the component case. See CPACK_INCLUDE_TOPLEVEL_DIRECTORY documentation for the detail.

  CPACK_CUSTOM_INSTALL_VARIABLES

Added in version 3.21.

CPack variables (set via e.g. cpack -D, CPackConfig.cmake or CPACK_PROJECT_CONFIG_FILE scripts) are not directly visible in installation scripts. Instead, one can pass a list of varName=value pairs in the CPACK_CUSTOM_INSTALL_VARIABLES variable. At install time, each list item will result in a variable of the specified name (varName) being set to the given value. The = can be omitted for an empty value.

CPACK_CUSTOM_INSTALL_VARIABLES allows the packaging installation to be influenced by the user or driving script at CPack runtime without having to regenerate the install scripts.

  Example

    install(FILES large.txt DESTINATION data)
    install(CODE [[
      if(ENABLE_COMPRESSION)
        # "run-compressor" is a fictional tool that produces
        # large.txt.xz from large.txt and then removes the input file
        execute_process(COMMAND run-compressor $ENV{DESTDIR}${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/large.txt)
      endif()
    ]])

With the above example snippet, cpack will by default run the installation script with ENABLE_COMPRESSION unset, resulting in a package containing the uncompressed large.txt. This can be overridden when invoking cpack like so:

    cpack -D "CPACK_CUSTOM_INSTALL_VARIABLES=ENABLE_COMPRESSION=TRUE"

The installation script will then run with ENABLE_COMPRESSION set to TRUE, resulting in a package containing the compressed large.txt.xz instead.

  CPACK_ERROR_ON_ABSOLUTE_INSTALL_DESTINATION

Ask CPack to error out as soon as a file with absolute INSTALL DESTINATION is encountered.

The fatal error is emitted before the installation of the offending file takes place. Some CPack generators, like NSIS, enforce this internally. This variable triggers the definition of CMAKE_ERROR_ON_ABSOLUTE_INSTALL_DESTINATION when CPack runs.

  CPACK_INCLUDE_TOPLEVEL_DIRECTORY

Boolean toggle to include/exclude top level directory.

When preparing a package CPack installs the item under the so-called top level directory. The purpose of is to include (set to 1 or ON or TRUE) the top level directory in the package or not (set to 0 or OFF or FALSE).

Each CPack generator has a built-in default value for this variable. E.g. Archive generators (ZIP, TGZ, ...) includes the top level whereas RPM or DEB don't. The user may override the default value by setting this variable.

There is a similar variable CPACK_COMPONENT_INCLUDE_TOPLEVEL_DIRECTORY which may be used to override the behavior for the component packaging case which may have different default value for historical (now backward compatibility) reason.

  CPACK_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS

Added in version 3.11.

Default permissions for implicitly created directories during packaging.

This variable serves the same purpose during packaging as the CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS variable serves during installation (e.g. make install).

If include(CPack) is used then by default this variable is set to the content of CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS.

  CPACK_PACKAGING_INSTALL_PREFIX

The prefix used in the built package.

Each CPack generator has a default value (like /usr). This default value may be overwritten from the CMakeLists.txt or the cpack(1) command line by setting an alternative value. Example:

    set(CPACK_PACKAGING_INSTALL_PREFIX "/opt")

This is not the same purpose as CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX which is used when installing from the build tree without building a package.

  CPACK_SET_DESTDIR

Boolean toggle to make CPack use DESTDIR mechanism when packaging.

DESTDIR means DESTination DIRectory. It is commonly used by makefile users in order to install software at non-default location. It is a basic relocation mechanism that should not be used on Windows (see CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX documentation). It is usually invoked like this:

    make DESTDIR=/home/john install

which will install the concerned software using the installation prefix, e.g. /usr/local prepended with the DESTDIR value which finally gives /home/john/usr/local. When preparing a package, CPack first installs the items to be packaged in a local (to the build tree) directory by using the same DESTDIR mechanism. Nevertheless, if CPACK_SET_DESTDIR is set then CPack will set DESTDIR before doing the local install. The most noticeable difference is that without CPACK_SET_DESTDIR, CPack uses CPACK_PACKAGING_INSTALL_PREFIX as a prefix whereas with CPACK_SET_DESTDIR set, CPack will use CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX as a prefix.

Manually setting CPACK_SET_DESTDIR may help (or simply be necessary) if some install rules uses absolute DESTINATION (see CMake install() command). However, starting with CPack/CMake 2.8.3 RPM and DEB installers tries to handle DESTDIR automatically so that it is seldom necessary for the user to set it.

  CPACK_WARN_ON_ABSOLUTE_INSTALL_DESTINATION

Ask CPack to warn each time a file with absolute INSTALL DESTINATION is encountered.

This variable triggers the definition of CMAKE_WARN_ON_ABSOLUTE_INSTALL_DESTINATION when CPack runs cmake_install.cmake scripts.

VARIABLE EXPANSION OPERATORS

  CACHE

Added in version 3.13.

Operator to read cache variables.

Use the syntax $CACHE{VAR} to read cache entry VAR. See the cmake-language(7) variables documentation for more complete documentation of the interaction of normal variables and cache entries.

When evaluating Variable References of the form ${VAR}, CMake first searches for a normal variable with that name, and if not found CMake will search for a cache entry with that name. The $CACHE{VAR} syntax can be used to do direct cache lookup and ignore any existing normal variable.

See the set() and unset() commands to see how to write or remove cache variables.

  ENV

Operator to read environment variables.

Use the syntax $ENV{VAR} to read environment variable VAR.

To test whether an environment variable is defined, use the signature if(DEFINED ENV{<name>}) of the if() command.

NOTE: Environment variable names containing special characters like parentheses may need to be escaped. (Policy CMP0053 must also be enabled.) For example, to get the value of the Windows environment variable ProgramFiles(x86), use:

    set(ProgramFiles_x86 "$ENV{ProgramFiles\(x86\)}")

For general information on environment variables, see the Environment Variables section in the cmake-language(7) manual.

INTERNAL VARIABLES

CMake has many internal variables. Most of them are undocumented. Some of them, however, were at some point described as normal variables, and therefore may be encountered in legacy code. They are subject to change, and not recommended for use in project code.

  CMAKE_HOME_DIRECTORY

Path to top of source tree. Same as CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR.

This is an internal cache entry used to locate the source directory when loading a CMakeCache.txt from a build tree. It should not be used in project code. The variable CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR has the same value and should be preferred.

  CMAKE_INTERNAL_PLATFORM_ABI

An internal variable subject to change.

This is used in determining the compiler ABI and is subject to change.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ABI

An internal variable subject to change.

This is used in determining the compiler ABI and is subject to change.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_VERSION_INTERNAL

Added in version 3.10.

An internal variable subject to change.

This is used to identify the variant of a compiler based on an internal version number. For some compilers this is needed to determine the correct usage.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_PREFERENCE

An internal variable subject to change.

Preference value for linker language selection.

The "linker language" for executable, shared library, and module targets is the language whose compiler will invoke the linker. The LINKER_LANGUAGE target property sets the language explicitly. Otherwise, the linker language is that whose linker preference value is highest among languages compiled and linked into the target. See also the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_PREFERENCE_PROPAGATES variable.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_PREFERENCE_PROPAGATES

An internal variable subject to change.

True if CMAKE_<LANG>_LINKER_PREFERENCE propagates across targets.

This is used when CMake selects a linker language for a target. Languages compiled directly into the target are always considered. A language compiled into static libraries linked by the target is considered if this variable is true.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_PLATFORM_ID

An internal variable subject to change.

This is used in determining the platform and is subject to change.

  CMAKE_NOT_USING_CONFIG_FLAGS

Skip _BUILD_TYPE flags if true.

This is an internal flag used by the generators in CMake to tell CMake to skip the _BUILD_TYPE flags.

  CMAKE_VS_INTEL_Fortran_PROJECT_VERSION

When generating for Visual Studio 14 2015 or greater with the Intel Fortran plugin installed, this specifies the .vfproj project file format version. This is intended for internal use by CMake and should not be used by project code.

DEPRECATED VARIABLES THAT PROVIDE INFORMATION

  CMAKE_CFG_INTDIR

Deprecated since version 3.21: This variable has poor support on Ninja Multi-Config, and predates the existence of the $<CONFIG> generator expression. Use $<CONFIG> instead.

Build-time reference to per-configuration output subdirectory.

For native build systems supporting multiple configurations in the build tree (such as Visual Studio Generators and Xcode), the value is a reference to a build-time variable specifying the name of the per-configuration output subdirectory. On Makefile Generators this evaluates to . because there is only one configuration in a build tree. Example values:
$(Configuration) | Visual Studio
$(CONFIGURATION) | Xcode
. | Make-based tools
. | Ninja
${CONFIGURATION} | Ninja Multi-Config

Since these values are evaluated by the native build system, this variable is suitable only for use in command lines that will be evaluated at build time. Example of intended usage:

    add_executable(mytool mytool.c)
    add_custom_command(
      OUTPUT out.txt
      COMMAND ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_CFG_INTDIR}/mytool
              ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/in.txt out.txt
      DEPENDS mytool in.txt
      )
    add_custom_target(drive ALL DEPENDS out.txt)

Note that CMAKE_CFG_INTDIR is no longer necessary for this purpose but has been left for compatibility with existing projects. Instead add_custom_command() recognizes executable target names in its COMMAND option, so ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_CFG_INTDIR}/mytool can be replaced by just mytool.

This variable is read-only. Setting it is undefined behavior. In multi-configuration build systems the value of this variable is passed as the value of preprocessor symbol CMAKE_INTDIR to the compilation of all source files.

  CMAKE_EXTRA_GENERATOR

Deprecated since version 3.27: Support for Extra Generators is deprecated and will be removed from a future version of CMake. IDEs may use the cmake-file-api(7) to view CMake-generated project build trees.

The extra generator used to build the project. See cmake-generators(7).

When using the Eclipse, CodeBlocks, CodeLite, Kate or Sublime generators, CMake generates Makefiles (CMAKE_GENERATOR) and additionally project files for the respective IDE. This IDE project file generator is stored in CMAKE_EXTRA_GENERATOR (e.g. Eclipse CDT4).

DEPRECATED VARIABLES THAT CHANGE BEHAVIOR

  CMAKE_AUTOMOC_RELAXED_MODE

Deprecated since version 3.15.

Switch between strict and relaxed automoc mode.

By default, AUTOMOC behaves exactly as described in the documentation of the AUTOMOC target property. When set to TRUE, it accepts more input and tries to find the correct input file for moc even if it differs from the documented behavior. In this mode it e.g. also checks whether a header file is intended to be processed by moc when a "foo.moc" file has been included.

Relaxed mode has to be enabled for KDE4 compatibility.

  CMAKE_BACKWARDS_COMPATIBILITY

Removed. See policy CMP0001.

  CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY

Added in version 3.1.

Deprecated since version 3.16: Use the CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable instead.

By default this variable is not set. If neither CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY nor CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY is set, then find_package() will use the User Package Registry unless the NO_CMAKE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY option is provided.

CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY is ignored if CMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY is set.

In some cases, for example to locate only system wide installations, it is not desirable to use the User Package Registry when searching for packages. If the CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable is TRUE, all the find_package() commands will skip the User Package Registry as if they were called with the NO_CMAKE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY argument.

See also Disabling the Package Registry.

  CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY

Added in version 3.1.

Deprecated since version 3.16: Use the CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable instead.

By default this variable is not set. If neither CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY nor CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY is set, then find_package() will use the System Package Registry unless the NO_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY option is provided.

CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY is ignored if CMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY is set.

In some cases, it is not desirable to use the System Package Registry when searching for packages. If the CMAKE_FIND_PACKAGE_NO_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY variable is TRUE, all the find_package() commands will skip the System Package Registry as if they were called with the NO_CMAKE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY argument.

See also Disabling the Package Registry.

DEPRECATED VARIABLES THAT DESCRIBE THE SYSTEM

  MSVC10

Discouraged. Use the MSVC_VERSION variable instead.

True when using the Microsoft Visual Studio v100 toolset (cl version 16) or another compiler that simulates it.

  MSVC11

Discouraged. Use the MSVC_VERSION variable instead.

True when using the Microsoft Visual Studio v110 toolset (cl version 17) or another compiler that simulates it.

  MSVC12

Discouraged. Use the MSVC_VERSION variable instead.

True when using the Microsoft Visual Studio v120 toolset (cl version 18) or another compiler that simulates it.

  MSVC14

Added in version 3.1.

Discouraged. Use the MSVC_VERSION variable instead.

True when using the Microsoft Visual Studio v140 or v141 toolset (cl version 19) or another compiler that simulates it.

  MSVC60

Discouraged. Use the MSVC_VERSION variable instead.

True when using Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0.

Set to true when the compiler is version 6.0 of Microsoft Visual C++.

  MSVC70

Discouraged. Use the MSVC_VERSION variable instead.

True when using Microsoft Visual C++ 7.0.

Set to true when the compiler is version 7.0 of Microsoft Visual C++.

  MSVC71

Discouraged. Use the MSVC_VERSION variable instead.

True when using Microsoft Visual C++ 7.1.

Set to true when the compiler is version 7.1 of Microsoft Visual C++.

  MSVC80

Discouraged. Use the MSVC_VERSION variable instead.

True when using the Microsoft Visual Studio v80 toolset (cl version 14) or another compiler that simulates it.

  MSVC90

Discouraged. Use the MSVC_VERSION variable instead.

True when using the Microsoft Visual Studio v90 toolset (cl version 15) or another compiler that simulates it.

DEPRECATED VARIABLES THAT CONTROL THE BUILD

  CMAKE_ENABLE_EXPORTS

Added in version 3.4.

Deprecated since version 4.3: This variable has been deprecated in favor of the CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_ENABLE_EXPORTS and CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_ENABLE_EXPORTS variables, which have been available since CMake 3.27. It is provided for backward compatibility with older CMake code, but should not be used in new projects.

Specify whether executables export symbols for loadable modules.

This variable is used to initialize the ENABLE_EXPORTS target property for executable targets when they are created by calls to the add_executable() command. See the property documentation for details.

  CMAKE_IOS_INSTALL_COMBINED

Added in version 3.5.

Deprecated since version 3.28: This is deprecated because IOS_INSTALL_COMBINED is deprecated.

Default value for IOS_INSTALL_COMBINED of targets.

This variable is used to initialize the IOS_INSTALL_COMBINED property on all the targets. See that target property for additional information.

  CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_MODE

Deprecated since version 4.0: This variable is no longer used. The type of information stored in the CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_<TYPE> variable is determined by the CMAKE_<LANG>_LINK_MODE variable.

Added in version 3.29.

This variable controls how the value of the CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_<TYPE> variable should be interpreted. The supported linker mode values are:

FLAG
    CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_<TYPE> holds a semicolon-separated list of flags to be passed to the compiler frontend. This is also the default behavior if CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_MODE is not set.

TOOL
    CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_<TYPE> holds the path to the linker tool.

    WARNING: The variable must be set accordingly to how CMake manage the link step:

•   value TOOL is expected and required when the linker is used directly for the link step.

•   value FLAG is expected or the variable not set when the compiler is used as driver for the link step.

  CMAKE_USE_RELATIVE_PATHS

This variable has no effect. The partially implemented effect it had in previous releases was removed in CMake 3.4.

DEPRECATED VARIABLES FOR LANGUAGES

  CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC

Deprecated since version 3.24: Use the CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID variable instead.

The CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_* variables were used in early CMake versions before the introduction of CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID variables in CMake 2.6.

The CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC variable is set to boolean true if the C compiler is GNU.

  Examples

In earlier versions of CMake, the CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC variable was used to check if the C compiler was GNU:

    if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC)
      # GNU C compiler-specific logic.
    endif()

Starting with CMake 2.6, the CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID variable should be used instead:

    if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU")
      # GNU C compiler-specific logic.
    endif()

When upgrading code, consider whether additional C compilers should be targeted beyond just GNU. In the past, the LCC and QCC compilers also had this variable set (see CMP0047 and CMP0129 policies for details). To account for this, the following approach can be used:

    # Targeting GNU, LCC, and QCC compilers for C:
    if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "^(GNU|LCC|QCC)$")
      # ...
    endif()

  CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX

Deprecated since version 3.24: Use the CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID variable instead.

The CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_* variables were used in early CMake versions before the introduction of CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID variables in CMake 2.6.

The CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX variable is set to boolean true if the C++ (CXX) compiler is GNU.

  Examples

In earlier versions of CMake, the CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX variable was used to check if the CXX compiler was GNU:

    if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX)
      # GNU C++ compiler-specific logic.
    endif()

Starting with CMake 2.6, the CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID variable should be used instead:

    if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU")
      # GNU C++ compiler-specific logic.
    endif()

When upgrading code, consider whether additional CXX compilers should be targeted beyond just GNU. In the past, the LCC and QCC compilers also had this variable set (see CMP0047 and CMP0129 policies for details). To account for this, the following approach can be used:

    # Targeting GNU, LCC, and QCC compilers for CXX:
    if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "^(GNU|LCC|QCC)$")
      # ...
    endif()

  CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUG77

Deprecated since version 3.24: Use the CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID variable instead.

The CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_* variables were used in early CMake versions before the introduction of CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID variables in CMake 2.6.

The CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUG77 variable is set to boolean true if the Fortran compiler is GNU.

  Examples

In earlier versions of CMake, the CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUG77 variable was used to check if the Fortran compiler was GNU:

    if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUG77)
      # GNU Fortran compiler-specific logic.
    endif()

Starting with CMake 2.6, the CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID variable should be used instead:

    if(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU")
      # GNU Fortran compiler-specific logic.
    endif()

DEPRECATED VARIABLES FOR CTEST

  CTEST_CURL_OPTIONS

Deprecated since version 3.30: Use the CTEST_TLS_VERIFY variable instead.

Added in version 3.1.

Specify the CTest CurlOptions setting in a ctest(1) Dashboard Client script.

  CTEST_CVS_CHECKOUT

Deprecated since version 3.1: Use CTEST_CHECKOUT_COMMAND variable instead.

  CTEST_SCP_COMMAND

Added in version 3.1.

Legacy option. Not used.

  CTEST_TRIGGER_SITE

Added in version 3.1.

Legacy option. Not used.

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