diff --git a/Help/include/INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_WARNING.txt b/Help/include/INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_WARNING.txt index 33f71837e..a54d7280d 100644 --- a/Help/include/INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_WARNING.txt +++ b/Help/include/INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_WARNING.txt @@ -1,30 +1,18 @@ Note that it is not advisable to populate the ``INSTALL_INTERFACE`` of the -|INTERFACE_PROPERTY_LINK| of a target with paths for dependencies. -That would hard-code into installed packages the include directory paths -for dependencies **as found on the machine the package was made on**. +|INTERFACE_PROPERTY_LINK| of a target with absolute paths to the include +directories of dependencies. That would hard-code into installed packages +the include directory paths for dependencies +**as found on the machine the package was made on**. The ``INSTALL_INTERFACE`` of the |INTERFACE_PROPERTY_LINK| is only -suitable for specifying the required include directories of the target itself, -not its dependencies. +suitable for specifying the required include directories for headers +provided with the target itself, not those provided by the transitive +dependencies listed in its :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES` target +property. Those dependencies should themselves be targets that specify +their own header locations in |INTERFACE_PROPERTY_LINK|. -That is, code like this is incorrect for targets which will be used to -generate :manual:`cmake-packages(7)`: - -.. code-block:: cmake - - target_include_directories(mylib INTERFACE - $ - ) - -Dependencies must provide their own :ref:`IMPORTED targets ` -which have their own |INTERFACE_PROPERTY_LINK| populated -appropriately. Those :ref:`IMPORTED targets ` may then be -used with the :command:`target_link_libraries` command for ``mylib``. - -That way, when a consumer uses the installed package, the -consumer will run the appropriate :command:`find_package` command to find -the dependencies on their own machine and populate the -:ref:`IMPORTED targets ` with appropriate paths. See -:ref:`Creating Packages` for more. Note that many modules currently shipped -with CMake do not currently provide :ref:`IMPORTED targets `. +See the :ref:`Creating Relocatable Packages` section of the +:manual:`cmake-packages(7)` manual for discussion of additional care +that must be taken when specifying usage requirements while creating +packages for redistribution. diff --git a/Help/include/INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES_WARNING.txt b/Help/include/INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES_WARNING.txt index ceefa4d2b..46e84ac22 100644 --- a/Help/include/INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES_WARNING.txt +++ b/Help/include/INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES_WARNING.txt @@ -1,23 +1,10 @@ Note that it is not advisable to populate the -|INTERFACE_PROPERTY_LINK| of a target with paths for dependencies. -That would hard-code into installed packages the include directory paths +|INTERFACE_PROPERTY_LINK| of a target with absolute paths to dependencies. +That would hard-code into installed packages the library file paths for dependencies **as found on the machine the package was made on**. -That is, code like this is incorrect for targets which will be used to -generate :manual:`cmake-packages(7)`: - -.. code-block:: cmake - - target_link_libraries(mylib INTERFACE - ${Boost_LIBRARIES};${OtherDep_LIBRARIES} - ) - -Dependencies must provide their own :ref:`IMPORTED targets ` -which have their own :prop_tgt:`IMPORTED_LOCATION` populated -appropriately. That way, when a consumer uses the installed package, the -consumer will run the appropriate :command:`find_package` command to find -the dependencies on their own machine and populate the -:ref:`IMPORTED targets ` with appropriate paths. See -:ref:`Creating Packages` for more. Note that many modules currently shipped -with CMake do not currently provide :ref:`IMPORTED targets `. +See the :ref:`Creating Relocatable Packages` section of the +:manual:`cmake-packages(7)` manual for discussion of additional care +that must be taken when specifying usage requirements while creating +packages for redistribution. diff --git a/Help/manual/cmake-buildsystem.7.rst b/Help/manual/cmake-buildsystem.7.rst index 002f2c2e8..ae5e58e15 100644 --- a/Help/manual/cmake-buildsystem.7.rst +++ b/Help/manual/cmake-buildsystem.7.rst @@ -143,6 +143,11 @@ use particular :prop_tgt:`COMPILE_OPTIONS` or the properties must be **requirements**, not merely recommendations or convenience. +See the :ref:`Creating Relocatable Packages` section of the +:manual:`cmake-packages(7)` manual for discussion of additional care +that must be taken when specifying usage requirements while creating +packages for redistribution. + Target Properties ----------------- diff --git a/Help/manual/cmake-packages.7.rst b/Help/manual/cmake-packages.7.rst index 6ee9df9a6..28c0798e4 100644 --- a/Help/manual/cmake-packages.7.rst +++ b/Help/manual/cmake-packages.7.rst @@ -373,38 +373,6 @@ attempt to use version 3 together with version 4. Packages can choose to employ such a pattern if different major versions of the package are designed to be incompatible. -Note that it is not advisable to populate any properties which may contain -paths, such as :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES` and -:prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES`, with paths relevant to dependencies. -That would hard-code into installed packages the include directory or library -paths for dependencies **as found on the machine the package was made on**. - -That is, code like this is incorrect for targets which will be used to -generate config file packages: - -.. code-block:: cmake - - target_link_libraries(ClimbingStats INTERFACE - ${Boost_LIBRARIES} ${OtherDep_LIBRARIES} - ) - target_include_directories(ClimbingStats INTERFACE - "$" - ) - -Dependencies must provide their own :ref:`IMPORTED targets ` -which have their own :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES` and -:prop_tgt:`IMPORTED_LOCATION` populated appropriately. Those -:ref:`IMPORTED targets ` may then be -used with the :command:`target_link_libraries` command for ``ClimbingStats``. - -That way, when a consumer uses the installed package, the -consumer will run the appropriate :command:`find_package` command (via the -find_dependency macro described below) to find -the dependencies on their own machine and populate the -:ref:`IMPORTED targets ` with appropriate paths. Note that -many modules currently shipped with CMake do not currently provide -:ref:`IMPORTED targets `. - A ``NAMESPACE`` with double-colons is specified when exporting the targets for installation. This convention of double-colons gives CMake a hint that the name is an :prop_tgt:`IMPORTED` target when it is used by downstreams @@ -418,6 +386,9 @@ directory in the :variable:`CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX`. When the ``IMPORTED`` target is used by downsteam, it automatically consumes the entries from that property. +Creating a Package Configuration File +------------------------------------- + In this case, the ``ClimbingStatsConfig.cmake`` file could be as simple as: .. code-block:: cmake @@ -429,44 +400,6 @@ should be provided by the ``ClimbingStats`` package, they should be in a separate file which is installed to the same location as the ``ClimbingStatsConfig.cmake`` file, and included from there. -Packages created by :command:`install(EXPORT)` are designed to be relocatable, -using paths relative to the location of the package itself. When defining -the interface of a target for ``EXPORT``, keep in mind that the include -directories should be specified as relative paths which are relative to the -:variable:`CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX`: - -.. code-block:: cmake - - target_include_directories(tgt INTERFACE - # Wrong, not relocatable: - $ - ) - - target_include_directories(tgt INTERFACE - # Ok, relocatable: - $ - ) - -The ``$`` -:manual:`generator expression ` may be used as -a placeholder for the install prefix without resulting in a non-relocatable -package. This is necessary if complex generator expressions are used: - -.. code-block:: cmake - - target_include_directories(tgt INTERFACE - # Ok, relocatable: - $:$/include/TgtName>> - ) - -The :command:`export(EXPORT)` command creates an :prop_tgt:`IMPORTED` targets -definition file which is specific to the build-tree, and is not relocatable. -This can similiarly be used with a suitable package configuration file and -package version file to define a package for the build tree which may be used -without installation. Consumers of the build tree can simply ensure that the -:variable:`CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH` contains the build directory, or set the -``ClimbingStats_DIR`` to ``/ClimbingStats`` in the cache. - This can also be extended to cover dependencies: .. code-block:: cmake @@ -526,6 +459,85 @@ could not be found because an invalid component was specified. This message variable can be set for any case where the ``_FOUND`` variable is set to ``False``, and will be displayed to the user. +Creating a Package Configuration File for the Build Tree +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +The :command:`export(EXPORT)` command creates an :prop_tgt:`IMPORTED` targets +definition file which is specific to the build-tree, and is not relocatable. +This can similiarly be used with a suitable package configuration file and +package version file to define a package for the build tree which may be used +without installation. Consumers of the build tree can simply ensure that the +:variable:`CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH` contains the build directory, or set the +``ClimbingStats_DIR`` to ``/ClimbingStats`` in the cache. + +.. _`Creating Relocatable Packages`: + +Creating Relocatable Packages +----------------------------- + +Packages created by :command:`install(EXPORT)` are designed to be relocatable, +using paths relative to the location of the package itself. When defining +the interface of a target for ``EXPORT``, keep in mind that the include +directories should be specified as relative paths which are relative to the +:variable:`CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX`: + +.. code-block:: cmake + + target_include_directories(tgt INTERFACE + # Wrong, not relocatable: + $ + ) + + target_include_directories(tgt INTERFACE + # Ok, relocatable: + $ + ) + +The ``$`` +:manual:`generator expression ` may be used as +a placeholder for the install prefix without resulting in a non-relocatable +package. This is necessary if complex generator expressions are used: + +.. code-block:: cmake + + target_include_directories(tgt INTERFACE + # Ok, relocatable: + $:$/include/TgtName>> + ) + +This also applies to paths referencing external dependencies. +It is not advisable to populate any properties which may contain +paths, such as :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES` and +:prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES`, with paths relevant to dependencies. +That would hard-code into installed packages the include directory or library +paths for dependencies **as found on the machine the package was made on**. + +That is, code like this is incorrect for targets which will be used to +generate config file packages: + +.. code-block:: cmake + + target_link_libraries(ClimbingStats INTERFACE + ${Boost_LIBRARIES} ${OtherDep_LIBRARIES} + ) + target_include_directories(ClimbingStats INTERFACE + "$" + ) + +Dependencies must provide their own :ref:`IMPORTED targets ` +which have their own :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES` and +:prop_tgt:`IMPORTED_LOCATION` populated appropriately. Those +:ref:`IMPORTED targets ` may then be +used with the :command:`target_link_libraries` command for ``ClimbingStats``. + +That way, when a consumer uses the installed package, the +consumer will run the appropriate :command:`find_package` command (via the +find_dependency macro described below) to find +the dependencies on their own machine and populate the +:ref:`IMPORTED targets ` with appropriate paths. Note that +many modules currently shipped with CMake do not currently provide +:ref:`IMPORTED targets `. + .. _`Package Registry`: Package Registry