CMake:ExportInterface

Export Interface for CMake Projects

This page documents a prototype design Alex and Brad created for exporting project information from a CMake project for use by outside projects.

The EXPORT command is used to export information from a project build tree:

EXPORT([export-name]
  [FILE somefile.cmake]
  [PREFIX someprefix-]
  [TARGETS <target>...]
  )

The EXPORT mode of the INSTALL command is used to export information from an install tree:

INSTALL(
  EXPORT <export-name>
  DESTINATION lib/myproj-1.2
  FILE <file-for-install>.cmake
  [PREFIX someprefix-]
  )
INSTALL(
  TARGETS ...
  EXPORT <export-name> # attach these installed targest to the named export
  ...)

Here is an example for exporing a simple project from the build tree and install tree:

EXPORT( # anonymous export must be fully specified here
  FILE myproj-build.cmake
  PREFIX myproj-1.2-
  TARGETS mylibA mylibB mygen
  )
INSTALL(
  TARGETS mylibA mylibB mygen
  EXPORT  myproj-install
  RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
  ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib
  LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
  )
INSTALL(
  EXPORT myproj-install
  DESTINATION lib/myproj-1.2
  FILE myproj-install.cmake
  PREFIX myproj-1.2-
  )

A more complicated project may be organized this way:

# CMakeLists.txt
EXPORT(myproj-build # named export allows more rules later
  FILE myproj-build.cmake
  PREFIX myproj-1.2-
  )
INSTALL(
  EXPORT myproj-install
  DESTINATION lib/myproj-1.2
  FILE myproj-install.cmake
  PREFIX myproj-1.2-
  )

# lib/CMakeLists.txt
EXPORT(myproj-build
  TARGETS mylibA mylibB
  )
INSTALL(TARGETS mylibA mylibB
  EXPORT myproj-install
  RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
  ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib
  LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
  )

# exe/CMakeLists.txt
EXPORT(myproj-build
  TARGETS mygen
  )
INSTALL(TARGETS mygen
  EXPORT myproj-install
  DESTINATION bin
  )

The generated export .cmake files will have content such as

add_library(myproj-1.2-mylibA IMPORT)
set_target_properties(mylibA PROPERTIES
  LOCATION /path/to/libmylibA.a)

add_library(myproj-1.2-mylibB IMPORT)
set_target_properties(mylibB PROPERTIES
  LOCATION /path/to/libmylibB.a
  INTERFACE_LIBRARIES myproj-1.2-mylibA
  )

add_executable(myproj-1.2-mygen IMPORT)
set_target_properties(mylibB PROPERTIES
  LOCATION /path/to/mygen)