https://github.com/Kitware/CMake
Tip revision: 6c120379dfe0db9446334c37c41ce63993371695 authored by Kitware Robot on 09 September 2024, 04:06:27 UTC
CMake Nightly Date Stamp
CMake Nightly Date Stamp
Tip revision: 6c12037
BUILD_SHARED_LIBS.rst
BUILD_SHARED_LIBS
-----------------
Tell :command:`add_library` to default to ``SHARED`` libraries,
instead of ``STATIC`` libraries, when called with no explicit library type.
Calls to :command:`add_library` without any explicit library type check
the current ``BUILD_SHARED_LIBS`` variable value. If it is true, then the
default library type is ``SHARED``. Otherwise, the default is ``STATIC``.
For example, the code:
.. code-block:: cmake
add_library(example ${sources})
behaves as if written
.. code-block:: cmake
if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
add_library(example SHARED ${sources})
else()
add_library(example STATIC ${sources})
endif()
CMake does not define ``BUILD_SHARED_LIBS`` by default, but projects
often create a cache entry for it using the :command:`option` command:
.. code-block:: cmake
option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build using shared libraries" ON)
This provides a switch that users can control, e.g., with :option:`cmake -D`.
If adding such an option to the project, do so in the top level
``CMakeLists.txt`` file, before any :command:`add_library` calls.
Note that if bringing external dependencies directly into the build, such as
with :module:`FetchContent` or a direct call to :command:`add_subdirectory`,
and one of those dependencies has such a call to
:command:`option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS ...) <option>`, the top level project must
also call :command:`option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS ...) <option>` before bringing in
its dependencies. Failure to do so can lead to different behavior between the
first and subsequent CMake runs.