[CMake] What is a utility target ?

[Azharuddin Mohammed]

Thanks for the explanation, Craig. Is there a way to detect if the target was a physical file created using add_library/add_executable, or a utility target created using add_custom_target  in order to conditionally call the target_link_libraries command ? There is the condition if(TARGET target-name) , but according to the documentation it returns true for any existing logical target name such as those created by the  <https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.0/command/add_executable.html#command:add_executable> add_executable(),  <https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.0/command/add_library.html#command:add_library> add_library(), or  <https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.0/command/add_custom_target.html#command:add_custom_target> add_custom_target() commands. 

 

From: Craig Scott [mailto:craig.scott at crascit.com] 
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2016 1:52 PM
To: Azharuddin Mohammed <azharudd at codeaurora.org>
Cc: CMake <cmake at cmake.org>
Subject: Re: [CMake] What is a utility target ?

 

In the context of that particular part of the CMake documentation, it is referring to targets that are not created by add_library() or add_executable(). Targets created by add_custom_target() are not something CMake knows what to do with if you give them to the target_link_libraries() command, since these custom targets may not (and typically won't) correspond to a physical file being created (that's what add_custom_command() is for). So the term utility target can be thought of as being a custom target you create for convenience, but not something which actually corresponds to a library or executable. Examples of utility targets that CMake will automatically create for you include things like all, test, package, etc.

 

 

On Tue, Jul 26, 2016 at 6:39 AM, Azharuddin Mohammed <azharudd at codeaurora.org <mailto:azharudd at codeaurora.org> > wrote:

Hi

 

CMake Policy CMP0039 (https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.0/policy/CMP0039.html) mentions that “Utility targets may not have link dependencies” . Can someone please explain what does “utility targets” mean ? 

 

Thanks

 

-

Azhar


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Craig Scott

Melbourne, Australia

http://crascit.com

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