CMake/Help/command/export.rst

export
------

Export targets from the build tree for use by outside projects.

::

  export(EXPORT <export-name> [NAMESPACE <namespace>] [FILE <filename>])

Create a file ``<filename>`` that may be included by outside projects to
import targets from the current project's build tree.  This is useful
during cross-compiling to build utility executables that can run on
the host platform in one project and then import them into another
project being compiled for the target platform.  If the ``NAMESPACE``
option is given the ``<namespace>`` string will be prepended to all target
names written to the file.

Target installations are associated with the export ``<export-name>``
using the ``EXPORT`` option of the :command:`install(TARGETS)` command.

The file created by this command is specific to the build tree and
should never be installed.  See the :command:`install(EXPORT)` command to
export targets from an installation tree.

The properties set on the generated IMPORTED targets will have the
same values as the final values of the input TARGETS.

::

  export(TARGETS [target1 [target2 [...]]] [NAMESPACE <namespace>]
         [APPEND] FILE <filename> [EXPORT_LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES])

This signature is similar to the ``EXPORT`` signature, but targets are listed
explicitly rather than specified as an export-name.  If the APPEND option is
given the generated code will be appended to the file instead of overwriting it.
The EXPORT_LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES keyword, if present, causes the
contents of the properties matching
``(IMPORTED_)?LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES(_<CONFIG>)?`` to be exported, when
policy CMP0022 is NEW.  If a library target is included in the export
but a target to which it links is not included the behavior is
unspecified.

::

  export(PACKAGE <name>)

Store the current build directory in the CMake user package registry
for package ``<name>``.  The find_package command may consider the
directory while searching for package ``<name>``.  This helps dependent
projects find and use a package from the current project's build tree
without help from the user.  Note that the entry in the package
registry that this command creates works only in conjunction with a
package configuration file (``<name>Config.cmake``) that works with the
build tree. In some cases, for example for packaging and for system
wide installations, it is not desirable to write the user package
registry. If the :variable:`CMAKE_EXPORT_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY` variable
is enabled, the ``export(PACKAGE)`` command will do nothing.