export — CMake 3.27.7 Documentation

# export

Export targets or packages for outside projects to use them directly from the current project's build tree, without installation.

See the `install(EXPORT)` command to export targets from an install tree.

## Synopsis

    export(TARGETS <target>... [...])
    export(EXPORT <export-name> [...])
    export(PACKAGE <PackageName>)

## Exporting Targets

    export(TARGETS <target>... [NAMESPACE <namespace>]
           [APPEND] FILE <filename> [EXPORT_LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES]
           [CXX_MODULES_DIRECTORY <directory>])

Creates a file `<filename>` that may be included by outside projects to import targets named by `<target>...` from the current project's build tree. This is useful during cross-compiling to build utility executables that can run on the host platform in one project and then import them into another project being compiled for the target platform.

The file created by this command is specific to the build tree and should never be installed. See the `install(EXPORT)` command to export targets from an install tree.

The options are:

`NAMESPACE <namespace>`

  Prepend the `<namespace>` string to all target names written to the file.

`APPEND`

  Append to the file instead of overwriting it. This can be used to incrementally export multiple targets to the same file.

`EXPORT_LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES`

  Include the contents of the properties named with the pattern `(IMPORTED_)?LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES(_<CONFIG>)?` in the export, even when policy `CMP0022` is NEW. This is useful to support consumers using CMake versions older than 2.8.12.

`CXX_MODULES_DIRECTORY <directory>`

> Note

> Experimental. Gated by `CMAKE_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX_MODULE_CMAKE_API`

> Export C++ module properties to files under the given directory. Each file will be named according to the target's export name (without any namespace). These files will automatically be included from the export file.

This signature requires all targets to be listed explicitly. If a library target is included in the export, but a target to which it links is not included, the behavior is unspecified. See the export(EXPORT) signature to automatically export the same targets from the build tree as `install(EXPORT)` would from an install tree.

Note

Object Libraries under `Xcode` have special handling if multiple architectures are listed in `CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES`. In this case they will be exported as Interface Libraries with no object files available to clients. This is sufficient to satisfy transitive usage requirements of other targets that link to the object libraries in their implementation.

This command exports all Build Configurations from the build tree. See the `CMAKE_MAP_IMPORTED_CONFIG_<CONFIG>` variable to map configurations of dependent projects to the exported configurations.

### Exporting Targets to Android.mk

    export(TARGETS <target>... ANDROID_MK <filename>)

New in version 3.7.

This signature exports cmake built targets to the android ndk build system by creating an `Android.mk` file that references the prebuilt targets. The Android NDK supports the use of prebuilt libraries, both static and shared. This allows cmake to build the libraries of a project and make them available to an ndk build system complete with transitive dependencies, include flags and defines required to use the libraries. The signature takes a list of targets and puts them in the `Android.mk` file specified by the `<filename>` given. This signature can only be used if policy `CMP0022` is NEW for all targets given. A error will be issued if that policy is set to OLD for one of the targets.

## Exporting Targets matching install(EXPORT)

    export(EXPORT <export-name> [NAMESPACE <namespace>] [FILE <filename>]
           [CXX_MODULES_DIRECTORY <directory>])

Creates a file `<filename>` that may be included by outside projects to import targets from the current project's build tree. This is the same as the export(TARGETS) signature, except that the targets are not explicitly listed. Instead, it exports the targets associated with the installation export `<export-name>`. Target installations may be associated with the export `<export-name>` using the `EXPORT` option of the `install(TARGETS)` command.

## Exporting Packages

    export(PACKAGE <PackageName>)

Store the current build directory in the CMake user package registry for package `<PackageName>`. The `find_package()` command may consider the directory while searching for package `<PackageName>`. This helps dependent projects find and use a package from the current project's build tree without help from the user. Note that the entry in the package registry that this command creates works only in conjunction with a package configuration file (`<PackageName>Config.cmake`) that works with the build tree. In some cases, for example for packaging and for system wide installations, it is not desirable to write the user package registry.

Changed in version 3.1: If the `CMAKE_EXPORT_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY` variable is enabled, the `export(PACKAGE)` command will do nothing.

Changed in version 3.15: By default the `export(PACKAGE)` command does nothing (see policy `CMP0090`) because populating the user package registry has effects outside the source and build trees. Set the `CMAKE_EXPORT_PACKAGE_REGISTRY` variable to add build directories to the CMake user package registry.