Help/policy/CMP0077.rst

CMP0077
-------

.. versionadded:: 3.13

:command:`option` honors normal variables.

The :command:`option` command is typically used to create a cache entry
to allow users to set the option.  However, there are cases in which a
normal (non-cached) variable of the same name as the option may be
defined by the project prior to calling the :command:`option` command.
For example, a project that embeds another project as a subdirectory
may want to hard-code options of the subproject to build the way it needs.

For historical reasons in CMake 3.12 and below the :command:`option`
command *removes* a normal (non-cached) variable of the same name when:

* a cache entry of the specified name does not exist at all, or
* a cache entry of the specified name exists but has not been given
  a type (e.g. via ``-D<name>=ON`` on the command line).

In both of these cases (typically on the first run in a new build tree),
the :command:`option` command gives the cache entry type ``BOOL`` and
removes any normal (non-cached) variable of the same name.  In the
remaining case that the cache entry of the specified name already
exists and has a type (typically on later runs in a build tree), the
:command:`option` command changes nothing and any normal variable of
the same name remains set.

In CMake 3.13 and above the :command:`option` command prefers to
do nothing when a normal variable of the given name already exists.
It does not create or update a cache entry or remove the normal variable.
The new behavior is consistent between the first and later runs in a
build tree.  This policy provides compatibility with projects that have
not been updated to expect the new behavior.

When the :command:`option` command sees a normal variable of the given
name:

* The ``OLD`` behavior for this policy is to proceed even when a normal
  variable of the same name exists.  If the cache entry does not already
  exist and have a type then it is created and/or given a type and the
  normal variable is removed.

* The ``NEW`` behavior for this policy is to do nothing when a normal
  variable of the same name exists.  The normal variable is not removed.
  The cache entry is not created or updated and is ignored if it exists.

See :policy:`CMP0126` for a similar policy for the :command:`set(CACHE)`
command, but note that there are some differences in ``NEW`` behavior
between the two policies.

.. |INTRODUCED_IN_CMAKE_VERSION| replace:: 3.13
.. |WARNS_OR_DOES_NOT_WARN| replace:: warns
.. include:: include/STANDARD_ADVICE.rst

Use the :variable:`CMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0077
<CMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP\<NNNN\>>` variable to set the policy for
a third-party project in a subdirectory without modifying it.

.. include:: include/DEPRECATED.rst