CMake library dependencies

This educational repository contains a collection of examples showing how to use CMake for creating, building, installing, managing dependencies, and using libraries with CMake and C++. Additionally, the dependency chain between the libraries is represented by the following topics:

• headerOnlyLib is a header-only library
• headerOnlyLib/example demonstrate how to use the headerOnlyLib
• someLibA is a static library
• someLibA/example demonstrate how to use the someLibA
• someLibB is a static library, but it also depends on someLibA and therefore it's propagated when someLibB is consumed.
• someLibB/example demonstrate how to use the someLibB and its dependency someLibA.
• someLibC is a static library, but it depends on someLibB, which already has a dependecy on the someLibA.
• someLibC/example demonstrate how to use the someLibC and its dependency someLibB and headerOnlyLib.
• App depends on the someLibA, someLibB and someLibC

NOTE: Tested on macOS/Ubuntu, this may not work on Windows

Project Structure

├── App                    # Application example
│   ├── CMakeLists.txt
│   └── src
├── README.md
├── LICENSE
├── headerOnlyLib          # Header only library
│   ├── CMakeLists.txt
│   ├── cmake
│   ├── example
│   └── include
├── someLibA               # Static library A
│   ├── CMakeLists.txt
│   ├── cmake
│   ├── example
│   ├── include
│   └── src
├── someLibB               # Static library B which depends on A
│   ├── CMakeLists.txt
│   ├── cmake
│   ├── example
│   ├── include
│   └── src
└── someLibC               # Static library C which depends on B and headerOnlyLib
    ├── CMakeLists.txt
    ├── cmake
    ├── example
    ├── include
    └── src

Requirements

• CMake 3.20 or higher
• C++11 compatible compiler

Building the Project

Building and installing someLib's A,B,C and headerOnlyLib individually

1. Navigate to the library directory:

   cd someLibA

2. Create and navigate to the build directory:

   mkdir -p build
   cd build

3. Configure, build and install the library:

   cmake ..
   cmake --build . --target install

Building and installing all the libraries

1. Execute all the commands above with one command

   make

Building and running the Application

1. Navigate to the App directory:

   cd App

2. Create and navigate to the build directory:

   mkdir -p build
   cd build

3. Configure and build the application (make sure someLibA and someLibB are installed and found by CMake):

   cmake ..
   cmake --build .
   ./app

Extra

Example for someLib's A,B,C and headerOnlyLib

You can find example usage of the library in the example folder.