[cmake-developers] Shared library under Windows and CMake: DLL not found before installation

[Joachim Wuttke]

The library `mylib` consists of the library proper, in directory `lib/`, and a
test suite, in directory `test/`. It is completely under CMake control:

     mylib/CMakeLists.txt:
     ...
     add_subdirectory(lib)
     add_subdirectory(test)
     ...


     mylib/lib/CMakeLists.txt:
     ...
     add_library(my_lib ${src_files})
     ...


     mylib/test/CMakeLists.txt:
     ...
     add_executable(mytest mytest.c)
     target_link_libraries(mytest mylib)

Build steps are:

     mkdir build
     cd build
     cmake ..
     make
     ctest         # or make test
     make install

Works under Linux, stable since many years. Under Windows10 though, a message window
pops up, entitled "mytest.exe - System error": "The code execution cannot proceed
because mylib.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem."

No, installing (rather than reinstalling) would not be a good solution: I need to
first test the library before I install it (btw: this excludes most solutions
proposed in response to somewhat similar questions).

Isn't CMake supposed to work cross-platform? What is the minimally invasive adjustment
to make the above build steps work under Windows?

Disclosure: this is a cross-posting from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/54560434.

Thanks for any help - Joachim

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