Use namespaces for exported targets. #278
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There is a major GOTCHA for exported targets. If an imported library is namespaced (eg `HSPlasma::HSPlasma`), CMake will ensure that the library exists when it is used in a call to `target_link_libraries()`. If an imported library is *not* namespaced (eg `HSPlasma`), then, if the target doesn't exist, CMake will simply pass that library name to the linker and hope for the best. This can lead to confusing errors where, when a non-namespaced imported target is used, configuration can "succeed" but HSPlasma is not actually found correctly. The error doesn't actually emerge until the downstream project attempts to link against the nonexistent HSPlasma. This change allows downstream users to link against `HSPlasma::HSPlasma` and get a free configure-time check that libHSPlasma has been properly found. An `ALIAS` has been added for the old exported target names to ensure backwards compatibility.
zrax
approved these changes
Oct 3, 2023
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There is a major GOTCHA for exported targets. If an imported library is namespaced (eg
HSPlasma::HSPlasma), CMake will ensure that the library exists when it is used in a call totarget_link_libraries(). If an imported library is not namespaced (egHSPlasma), then, if the target doesn't exist, CMake will simply pass that library name to the linker and hope for the best. This can lead to confusing errors where, when a non-namespaced imported target is used, configuration can "succeed" but HSPlasma is not actually found correctly. The error doesn't actually emerge until the downstream project attempts to link against the nonexistent HSPlasma.This change allows downstream users to link against
HSPlasma::HSPlasmaand get a free configure-time check that libHSPlasma has been properly found. AnALIAShas been added for the old exported target names to ensure backwards compatibility.