[cmake-developers] [CMake 0013363]: target_link_libraries does not sets target's include and link paths according to li

[Mantis Bug Tracker]

The following issue has been SUBMITTED. 
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http://public.kitware.com/Bug/view.php?id=13363 
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Reported By:                Orçun Gökbulut
Assigned To:                
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Project:                    CMake
Issue ID:                   13363
Category:                   CMake
Reproducibility:            always
Severity:                   feature
Priority:                   normal
Status:                     new
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Date Submitted:             2012-06-30 11:50 WAT
Last Modified:              2012-06-30 11:50 WAT
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Summary:                    target_link_libraries does not sets target's include
and link paths according to li
Description: 
When target_link_libraries used with a cmake static library target as a link
library, CMake does not combine linked static library targets include and linker
directory paths to target's include and linker directory paths.

Suppose that there is a directory like this;
+ Project
| + Sub Project
| | +-Dependencies
| | |-Library.h
| | |-Library.lib
| |-CMakeLists.txt
| |-SubProject.cpp
|-Main.cpp
|-CMakeLists.txt

Content of SubProject/CMakeLists.txt;
  link_directories(Dependencies)
  include_directories(Dependencies)
  add_library(SubProject SubProject.cpp)
  target_link_library(SubProject Library.lib)

Content of /CMakeLists.txt
  add_executable(Main)
  target_link_libraries(Main SubProject)

This setup causes linker and include problems in visual studio becouse linker or
compiler can not find Library.lib or Library.h while compiling Main target. 

In order to work around this problem we have to move link_directories and
include_directories SubProject/CMakeLists.txt to /CMakeLists.txt.
This work around causes problems in big projects which uses different libraries
on different project configurations. In this kind of project, when a new sub
project/module added to the project it's library and include directories should
be added to /CMakeLists.txt. 
If a sub project's/module's dependent library has some constrains like platform
dependency (like external library is a windows library and does not work on
linux but we have a linux alternative which is implamented on an other sub
project/module) we have to use many if clauses on include_directories and
library_directory.
In summary, missing of this feature prevents more moduler and non-centered
project structures becouse we have to modify or maintain when a new module with
non-shared library dependency added to project instead of just a simple
add_subdirectory command.

Steps to Reproduce: 
Create a project structure like this one;
+ Project
| + Sub Project
| | +-Dependencies
| | |-Library.h
| | |-Library.lib
| |-CMakeLists.txt
| |-SubProject.cpp
|-Main.cpp
|-CMakeLists.txt

Content of SubProject/CMakeLists.txt;
  link_directories(Dependencies)
  include_directories(Dependencies)
  add_library(SubProject SubProject.cpp)
  target_link_library(SubProject Library.lib)

Content of /CMakeLists.txt
  add_executable(Main)
  target_link_libraries(Main SubProject)

Compiler can not find Library.lib when linking target named 'Main'.

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Issue History 
Date Modified    Username       Field                    Change               
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2012-06-30 11:50 Orçun Gökbulut New Issue                                    
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