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How to Import Library In Cmake?

5 minutes read

To import a library in CMake, you need to use the find_package command. This command searches for a package and sets up any necessary variables for including the package in your project. You also need to specify the required version of the package if necessary.


For example, if you wanted to import the Boost library, you would use the following code in your CMakeLists.txt file:

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find_package(Boost REQUIRED)


This command will search for the Boost package on your system and set up the necessary variables for including the Boost library in your project. You can then use the ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS} and ${Boost_LIBRARIES} variables in your project to include the Boost library.


After importing the library, you can link it to your project using the target_link_libraries command. This command specifies which libraries should be linked to your project executable.

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target_link_libraries(your_project_name ${Boost_LIBRARIES})


By following these steps, you can successfully import a library in CMake and link it to your project.


How to check if a library is successfully imported in CMake?

To check if a library is successfully imported in CMake, you can use the following steps:

  1. Include the library in your CMakeLists.txt file using the find_package() or find_library() command.
  2. Use the message() command to print a message indicating whether the library was found or not. For example:
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find_package(LibraryName REQUIRED)
if(LibraryName_FOUND)
    message("LibraryName found")
else()
    message(FATAL_ERROR "LibraryName not found")
endif()


  1. Run CMake to generate the build system files.
  2. Check the CMake output for the message indicating whether the library was successfully imported or not.
  3. If the library was not found, make sure that the library is installed on your system and that the CMake find_package() or find_library() command is correctly configured to find the library.


What is the best way to include a library in CMake?

The best way to include a library in CMake is to use the find_package() command, which searches for the library on the system and sets up the necessary include directories and linking flags.


For example, to include the Boost library in a CMake project, you can use the following code:

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find_package(Boost REQUIRED)
if(Boost_FOUND)
  include_directories(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})
  add_executable(MyProgram main.cpp)
  target_link_libraries(MyProgram ${Boost_LIBRARIES})
endif()


This code will search for the Boost library on the system, set up the necessary include directories, and link the library to the executable MyProgram.


Alternatively, you can also manually specify the include directories and linking flags using the include_directories() and target_link_libraries() commands, but using find_package() is generally considered the best practice as it simplifies the process and ensures portability across different systems.


How to link a library in CMake?

To link a library in CMake, you can use the target_link_libraries command in your CMakeLists.txt file.


Here is an example of how to link a library called mylib to your project:

  1. Add the library directory to the list of directories where CMake should look for libraries:
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link_directories(path/to/mylib)


  1. Add the library name to the target_link_libraries command for your executable or library target:
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target_link_libraries(my_target mylib)


Replace path/to/mylib with the actual path to the directory where your library is located. Replace mylib with the actual name of the library you want to link.


After making these changes, run the cmake command to regenerate the build files, and then build your project to link the library.


How to add an external library to a CMake project?

To add an external library to a CMake project, you can follow these steps:

  1. Download or obtain the external library that you want to include in your project. This library can be in the form of source code or precompiled binaries.
  2. Create a directory within your project where you will store the external library. This directory can be named "external" or "third-party", for example.
  3. Place the external library files in the directory you created in step 2.
  4. Modify your CMakeLists.txt file to include the external library in your project. You can use the add_subdirectory() function to specify the path to the directory containing the external library.
  5. In the CMakeLists.txt file, use the target_link_libraries() function to link the external library to your project target. Make sure to specify the name of the library and any additional dependencies that it may have.
  6. If the external library requires additional CMake configuration, you may need to create a CMakeLists.txt file within the external library directory.
  7. Finally, rebuild your project using CMake to ensure that the external library is properly integrated.


By following these steps, you should be able to successfully add an external library to your CMake project.


How to update an imported library in CMake?

To update an imported library in CMake, you can follow these steps:

  1. Determine the location of the imported library in your CMake project. This can usually be found in the CMakeLists.txt file where the library is imported using the find_package() or find_library() command.
  2. Check if a new version of the library is available for download from the library's official website or repository.
  3. Download the new version of the library and extract it to a specified location on your system.
  4. Make any necessary changes to your CMakeLists.txt file to update the location of the imported library to point to the new version. This may involve updating the find_package() or find_library() command with the new path to the library.
  5. If the library has any new dependencies or configuration options, make sure to update your CMakeLists.txt file accordingly.
  6. Rebuild your project using CMake to ensure that the new version of the imported library is successfully integrated into your project.
  7. Test your project to ensure that the updated library is functioning as expected.


By following these steps, you can easily update an imported library in CMake and ensure that your project is using the latest version of the library.


What is the recommended way to document imported libraries in CMake?

The recommended way to document imported libraries in CMake is to use the IMPORTED target properties. These properties provide information about the imported library such as its location, version, and usage requirements.


Some of the recommended properties to document for imported libraries in CMake include:

  • IMPORTED_LOCATION: Specifies the full path to the imported library file.
  • IMPORTED_TARGET: Specifies the name of the imported target.
  • IMPORTED_CONFIGURATIONS: Specifies the configurations for which the properties apply.
  • INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES: Specifies the include directories for the imported target.


By documenting these properties in the CMakeLists.txt file, developers can understand the requirements and usage of the imported library, making it easier to maintain and update the project in the future.

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