target_compile_definitions

Add compile definitions to a target.

.. code-block:: cmake

target_compile_definitions(<target> <INTERFACE|PUBLIC|PRIVATE> <definition>... [<INTERFACE|PUBLIC|PRIVATE> <definition>... ...])

Specifies compile definitions to use when compiling a given <target>. The named <target> must have been created by a command such as :command:add_executable or :command:add_library and must not be an :ref:ALIAS target <Alias Targets>.

The INTERFACE, PUBLIC and PRIVATE keywords are required to specify the :ref:scope <Target Command Scope> of the following arguments. PRIVATE and PUBLIC items will populate the :prop_tgt:COMPILE_DEFINITIONS property of <target>. PUBLIC and INTERFACE items will populate the :prop_tgt:INTERFACE_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS property of <target>. The following arguments specify compile definitions. Repeated calls for the same <target> append items in the order called.

.. versionadded:: 3.11 Allow setting INTERFACE items on :ref:IMPORTED targets <Imported Targets>.

.. |command_name| replace:: target_compile_definitions .. include:: include/GENEX_NOTE.rst

Any leading -D on an item will be removed. Empty items are ignored. For example, the following are all equivalent:

.. code-block:: cmake

target_compile_definitions(foo PUBLIC FOO) target_compile_definitions(foo PUBLIC -DFOO) # -D removed target_compile_definitions(foo PUBLIC "" FOO) # "" ignored target_compile_definitions(foo PUBLIC -D FOO) # -D becomes "", then ignored

Definitions may optionally have values:

.. code-block:: cmake

target_compile_definitions(foo PUBLIC FOO=1)

Note that many compilers treat -DFOO as equivalent to -DFOO=1, but other tools may not recognize this in all circumstances (e.g. IntelliSense).