CMake/Help/command/get_source_file_property.rst

get_source_file_property
------------------------

Get a property for a source file.

.. code-block:: cmake

  get_source_file_property(<variable> <file>
                           [DIRECTORY <dir> | TARGET_DIRECTORY <target>]
                           <property>)

Gets a property from a source file.  The value of the property is
stored in the specified ``<variable>``.  If the source property is not found,
the behavior depends on whether it has been defined to be an ``INHERITED``
property or not (see :command:`define_property`).  Non-inherited properties
will set ``variable`` to ``NOTFOUND``, whereas inherited properties will search
the relevant parent scope as described for the :command:`define_property`
command and if still unable to find the property, ``variable`` will be set to
an empty string.

By default, the source file's property will be read from the current source
directory's scope, but this can be overridden with one of the following
sub-options:

``DIRECTORY <dir>``
  The source file property will be read from the ``<dir>`` directory's
  scope.  CMake must already know about that source directory, either by
  having added it through a call to :command:`add_subdirectory` or ``<dir>``
  being the top level source directory.  Relative paths are treated as
  relative to the current source directory.

``TARGET_DIRECTORY <target>``
  The source file property will be read from the directory scope in which
  ``<target>`` was created (``<target>`` must therefore already exist).

Use :command:`set_source_files_properties` to set property values.  Source
file properties usually control how the file is built. One property that is
always there is :prop_sf:`LOCATION`.

See also the more general :command:`get_property` command.