cmake_find_package

This is the reference page for cmake_find_package generator. Go to Integrations/CMake if you want to learn how to integrate your project or recipes with CMake.

The cmake_find_package generator creates a file for each requirement specified in the conanfile.

The name of the files follow the pattern Find<PKG-NAME>.cmake. So for the zlib/1.2.11@conan/stable package, a Findzlib.cmake file will be generated.

Variables in Find<PKG-NAME>.cmake

Being <PKG-NAME> the package name used in the reference (by default) or the one declared in cpp_info.name or in cpp_info.names["cmake_find_package"] if specified:

NAME

VALUE

<PKG-NAME>_FOUND

Set to 1

<PKG-NAME>_VERSION

Package version

<PKG-NAME>_INCLUDE_DIRS

Containing all the include directories of the package

<PKG-NAME>_INCLUDES

Same as the XXX_INCLUDE_DIRS

<PKG-NAME>_DEFINITIONS

Definitions of the library

<PKG-NAME>_LIBS

Library paths to link

<PKG-NAME>_LIBRARIES

Same as <PKG-NAME>_LIBS

<PKG-NAME>_BUILD_MODULES

List of CMake module files with functionalities for consumers

<PKG-NAME>_SYSTEM_LIBS

System libraries to link

<PKG-NAME>_FRAMEWORKS

Framework names to do a find_library()

<PKG-NAME>_FRAMEWORKS_FOUND

Found frameworks to link with after find_library()

<PKG-NAME>_FRAMEWORK_DIRS

Framework directories to perform the find_library() of <PKG-NAME>_FRAMEWORKS

This file uses <PKG-NAME>_BUILD_MODULES values to include the files using the include(…) CMake directive. This makes functions or utilities exported by the package available for consumers just by setting find_package(<PKG-NAME>) in the CMakeLists.txt.

Moreover, this also adjusts CMAKE_MODULE_PATH and CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH to the values declared by the package in cpp_info.buildirs, so modules in those directories can be found.

Target in Find<PKG-NAME>.cmake

A target named <PKG-NAME>::<PKG-NAME> target is generated with the following properties adjusted:

  • INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES: Containing all the include directories of the package.

  • INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES: Library paths to link.

  • INTERFACE_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS: Definitions of the library.

The targets are transitive. So, if your project depends on a packages A and B, and at the same time A depends on C, the A target will contain automatically the properties of the C dependency, so in your CMakeLists.txt file you only need to find_package(A) and find_package(B).