[CMake] Which to use: find_file and find_library; or check_include_file and check_library_exists

[Marcel Loose]

Hi Alex,

So if I understand it correctly:
The find_file() and find_library() commands should be used in
FindXXX.cmake files; the check_include_file() and check_library_exists()
command can in fact only be used in CMakeLists.txt files.
Right? Or am I seeing things too black-and-white?

Regards,
Marcel Loose.

On Tue, 2009-04-21 at 21:37 +0200, Alexander Neundorf wrote:
> On Tuesday 21 April 2009, Marcel Loose wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I was wondering what is the preferred way to look for a library and/or a
> > header file. I noticed that most (if not all) pre-packaged cmake modules
> > use find_file and find_library.
> >
> > Is there a reason that they do not use check_include_file and
> > check_library_exists?
> >
> > If writing my own cmake modules, should I use find_file and
> > find_library, or check_include_file and check_library_exists?
> 
> They do different things.
> FIND_XXX() returns the full path to the file, which is necessary for use with 
> cmake.
> check_include_file() tries to compile a small file with given 
> libraries/include dirs, and tests whether that succeeds. So you cannot use 
> that to find the location of a library or header.
> You can use check_library_exists() to check whether e.g. the C library 
> supports some functions, or whether a header exists in one of the standard 
> include directories.
> 
> Alex
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