How to Change Cmake Linking Order?

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When linking libraries in a CMake project, the order in which the libraries are listed can be important. By default, CMake will link libraries in the order they are listed in the target_link_libraries() command. However, if you need to change the linking order, you can do so by specifying the libraries in the order you want them to be linked.


To change the linking order, simply rearrange the library names in the target_link_libraries() command. For example, if you have two libraries A and B, and you want library B to be linked before library A, you would write:


target_link_libraries(my_target B A)


This will ensure that library B is linked before library A when building your project.


It's important to note that changing the linking order can have implications for the build process, so make sure to test your project thoroughly after making any changes.

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How to change cmake linking order for a specific source file?

To change the linking order for a specific source file in a CMake project, you can use the target_link_libraries command in the CMakeLists.txt file.


Here's an example of how you can change the linking order for a specific source file named my_source.cpp:

  1. Find the CMakeLists.txt file in your project directory.
  2. Locate the add_executable or add_library command that adds the my_source.cpp file to the target.
  3. Add the target_link_libraries command below the add_executable or add_library command to specify the desired linking order. For example:
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add_executable(my_target my_source.cpp)
target_link_libraries(my_target PUBLIC library1 library2)


In this example, the library1 will be linked before library2 for the my_source.cpp file.

  1. Save the changes to the CMakeLists.txt file.
  2. Rebuild your CMake project to apply the new linking order for the specific source file.


By following these steps, you can change the linking order for a specific source file in your CMake project.


How to change cmake linking order in Visual Studio?

To change cmake linking order in Visual Studio, you can modify the CMakeLists.txt file in your project. Here's how you can do it:

  1. Open the CMakeLists.txt file in your project.
  2. Find the target_link_libraries command that specifies the libraries to link with your project.
  3. Rearrange the order of the libraries in the target_link_libraries command to change the linking order. Libraries listed earlier in the command will be linked first.


For example, if you have the following target_link_libraries command:

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target_link_libraries(my_project_library library1 library2 library3)


and you want to change the linking order to link library3 first, you can rearrange the libraries like this:

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target_link_libraries(my_project_library library3 library1 library2)


Save the CMakeLists.txt file and regenerate the Visual Studio project files using the cmake command. The linking order should now be updated according to the changes you made in the CMakeLists.txt file.


How to change cmake linking order for a specific system library?

To change the linking order for a specific system library in CMake, you can use the target_link_libraries command along with the LINK_OPTIONS parameter. Here's an example on how to change the linking order for the system library libm:

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target_link_libraries(your_target_name PRIVATE LINK_OPTIONS "-lm")


This will add -lm to the linker flags for the target your_target_name, which will change the linking order for the libm library.


Alternatively, you can also use the LINK_DIRECTORIES command to specify the directory where the library is located and control the linking order. Here's an example:

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link_directories(/usr/lib) # Assuming libm is located in /usr/lib
target_link_libraries(your_target_name PRIVATE m)


This will add the -L/usr/lib flag to the linker command and then link against the libm library when building the target your_target_name.

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