[CMake] Difference between PRIVATE and PUBLIC with target_link_libraries

[Patrick Boettcher]

On Wed, 11 May 2016 21:58:34 +1000
Craig Scott <craig.scott at crascit.com> wrote:

[..] 
> If you were paying careful attention, you would have noticed that
> when A links in B as PRIVATE, the include directories of B never
> propagate to something linking to A, but if A is a static library,
> then the *linking* of B behaves as though the relationship was
> PUBLIC. This PRIVATE-becomes-PUBLIC behaviour for static libraries
> only applies to the *linking*, not to the other dependencies
> (compiler options/flags and include search paths). The upshot of all
> this is that if you select PRIVATE, PUBLIC or INTERFACE based on the
> explanations in the dot points above, then CMake will ensure
> dependencies propagate through to where they are required, regardless
> of whether libraries are static or shared. This does, of course, rely
> on you the developer not missing any dependencies or specifying the
> wrong PRIVATE/PUBLIC/INTERFACE relationship.

Thank you for you long explanation. It was exactly my understanding. 

So cmake 3.5.0 has a bug then because I don't see the behavior you
describe. Have you seen my example I sent in my first mail? 

http://public.kitware.com/pipermail/cmake/2016-May/063382.html

Include-dirs from B are propagated to C which links to A which itself
linked privately to B.

Should I file a bug?

regards,
--
Patrick.