CMake/Help/command/project.rst

project
-------

Sets project details such as name, version, etc. and enables languages.

.. code-block:: cmake

 project(<PROJECT-NAME> [LANGUAGES] [<language-name>...])
 project(<PROJECT-NAME>
         [VERSION <major>[.<minor>[.<patch>[.<tweak>]]]]
         [DESCRIPTION <project-description-string>]
         [HOMEPAGE_URL <url-string>]
         [LANGUAGES <language-name>...])

Sets the name of the project and stores the name in the
:variable:`PROJECT_NAME` variable.  Additionally this sets variables

* :variable:`PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR`,
  :variable:`<PROJECT-NAME>_SOURCE_DIR`
* :variable:`PROJECT_BINARY_DIR`,
  :variable:`<PROJECT-NAME>_BINARY_DIR`

If ``VERSION`` is specified, given components must be non-negative integers.
If ``VERSION`` is not specified, the default version is the empty string.
The ``VERSION`` option may not be used unless policy :policy:`CMP0048` is
set to ``NEW``.

The :command:`project()` command stores the version number and its components
in variables

* :variable:`PROJECT_VERSION`,
  :variable:`<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION`
* :variable:`PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR`,
  :variable:`<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_MAJOR`
* :variable:`PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR`,
  :variable:`<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_MINOR`
* :variable:`PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH`,
  :variable:`<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_PATCH`
* :variable:`PROJECT_VERSION_TWEAK`,
  :variable:`<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_TWEAK`

Variables corresponding to unspecified versions are set to the empty string
(if policy :policy:`CMP0048` is set to ``NEW``).

If the optional ``DESCRIPTION`` is given, then :variable:`PROJECT_DESCRIPTION`
and :variable:`<PROJECT-NAME>_DESCRIPTION` will be set to its argument.
The description is expected to be a relatively short string, usually no more
than a few words.

The optional ``HOMEPAGE_URL`` sets the analogous variables
:variable:`PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL` and :variable:`<PROJECT-NAME>_HOMEPAGE_URL`.
When this option is given, the URL provided should be the canonical home for
the project.

Note that the description and homepage URL may be used as defaults for
things like packaging meta-data, documentation, etc.

Optionally you can specify which languages your project supports.
Example languages include ``C``, ``CXX`` (i.e.  C++), ``CUDA``,
``Fortran``, and ``ASM``.
By default ``C`` and ``CXX`` are enabled if no language options are
given.  Specify language ``NONE``, or use the ``LANGUAGES`` keyword
and list no languages, to skip enabling any languages.

If enabling ``ASM``, list it last so that CMake can check whether
compilers for other languages like ``C`` work for assembly too.

If a variable exists called :variable:`CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE`,
the file pointed to by that variable will be included as the last step of the
project command.

The top-level ``CMakeLists.txt`` file for a project must contain a
literal, direct call to the :command:`project` command; loading one
through the :command:`include` command is not sufficient.  If no such
call exists CMake will implicitly add one to the top that enables the
default languages (``C`` and ``CXX``).  The name of the project set in
the top level ``CMakeLists.txt`` file is available from the
:variable:`CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME` variable, its description from
:variable:`CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION` and its homepage URL from
:variable:`CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL`.

.. note::
  Call the :command:`cmake_minimum_required` command at the beginning
  of the top-level ``CMakeLists.txt`` file even before calling the
  ``project()`` command.  It is important to establish version and
  policy settings before invoking other commands whose behavior they
  may affect.  See also policy :policy:`CMP0000`.