| target_link_directories |
| ----------------------- |
| |
| Add link directories to a target. |
| |
| .. code-block:: cmake |
| |
| target_link_directories(<target> [BEFORE] |
| <INTERFACE|PUBLIC|PRIVATE> [items1...] |
| [<INTERFACE|PUBLIC|PRIVATE> [items2...] ...]) |
| |
| Specifies the paths in which the linker should search for libraries when |
| linking a given target. Each item can be an absolute or relative path, |
| with the latter being interpreted as relative to the current source |
| directory. These items will be added to the link command. |
| |
| The named ``<target>`` must have been created by a command such as |
| :command:`add_executable` or :command:`add_library` and must not be an |
| :ref:`ALIAS target <Alias Targets>`. |
| |
| The ``INTERFACE``, ``PUBLIC`` and ``PRIVATE`` keywords are required to |
| specify the scope of the items that follow them. ``PRIVATE`` and |
| ``PUBLIC`` items will populate the :prop_tgt:`LINK_DIRECTORIES` property |
| of ``<target>``. ``PUBLIC`` and ``INTERFACE`` items will populate the |
| :prop_tgt:`INTERFACE_LINK_DIRECTORIES` property of ``<target>`` |
| (:ref:`IMPORTED targets <Imported Targets>` only support ``INTERFACE`` items). |
| Each item specifies a link directory and will be converted to an absolute |
| path if necessary before adding it to the relevant property. Repeated |
| calls for the same ``<target>`` append items in the order called. |
| |
| If ``BEFORE`` is specified, the content will be prepended to the relevant |
| property instead of being appended. |
| |
| Arguments to ``target_link_directories`` may use "generator expressions" |
| with the syntax ``$<...>``. See the :manual:`cmake-generator-expressions(7)` |
| manual for available expressions. See the :manual:`cmake-buildsystem(7)` |
| manual for more on defining buildsystem properties. |
| |
| .. note:: |
| |
| This command is rarely necessary and should be avoided where there are |
| other choices. Prefer to pass full absolute paths to libraries where |
| possible, since this ensures the correct library will always be linked. |
| The :command:`find_library` command provides the full path, which can |
| generally be used directly in calls to :command:`target_link_libraries`. |
| Situations where a library search path may be needed include: |
| |
| - Project generators like Xcode where the user can switch target |
| architecture at build time, but a full path to a library cannot |
| be used because it only provides one architecture (i.e. it is not |
| a universal binary). |
| - Libraries may themselves have other private library dependencies |
| that expect to be found via ``RPATH`` mechanisms, but some linkers |
| are not able to fully decode those paths (e.g. due to the presence |
| of things like ``$ORIGIN``). |