Help/command/add_dependencies.rst

add_dependencies
----------------

Add a dependency between top-level targets.

.. code-block:: cmake

  add_dependencies(<target> [<target-dependency>]...)

Makes a top-level ``<target>`` depend on other top-level targets to
ensure that they build before ``<target>`` does.  A top-level target
is one created by one of the :command:`add_executable`,
:command:`add_library`, or :command:`add_custom_target` commands
(but not targets generated by CMake like ``install``).

Dependencies added to an :ref:`imported target <Imported Targets>`
or an :ref:`interface library <Interface Libraries>` are followed
transitively in its place since the target itself does not build.

.. versionadded:: 3.3
  Allow adding dependencies to interface libraries.

See the ``DEPENDS`` option of :command:`add_custom_target` and
:command:`add_custom_command` commands for adding file-level
dependencies in custom rules.  See the :prop_sf:`OBJECT_DEPENDS`
source file property to add file-level dependencies to object files.