CMakeFindDependencyMacro

find_dependency

The find_dependency() macro wraps a find_package() call for a package dependency:

find_dependency(<dep> [...])

It is designed to be used in a Package Configuration File (<PackageName>Config.cmake). find_dependency forwards the correct parameters for QUIET and REQUIRED which were passed to the original find_package() call. Any additional arguments specified are forwarded to find_package().

If the dependency could not be found it sets an informative diagnostic message and calls return() to end processing of the calling package configuration file and return to the find_package() command that loaded it.

Note

The call to return() makes this macro unsuitable to call from Find Modules.

Package Dependency Search Optimizations

If find_dependency is called with arguments identical to a previous call in the same directory, perhaps due to diamond-shaped package dependencies, the underlying call to find_package() is optimized out. This optimization is important to support large package dependency graphs while avoiding a combinatorial explosion of repeated searches. However, the heuristic cannot account for ambient variables that affect package behavior, such as <PackageName>_USE_STATIC_LIBS, offered by some packages. Therefore package configuration files should avoid setting such variables before their calls to find_dependency.

Changed in version 3.15: Previously, the underlying call to find_package() was always optimized out if the package had already been found. CMake 3.15 removed the optimization to support cases in which find_dependency call arguments request different components.

Changed in version 3.26: The pre-3.15 optimization was restored, but with the above-described heuristic to account for varying find_dependency call arguments.