How to install dependent libraries with CMake?

Question

I want to install all dependent libraries.

To do that I do

install(FILES "path/external.dll" DESTINATION lib)

However, I have already configured the path(and the lib) with target_link_libraries:

target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC "path/external.dll")

So, I think that I might not need again telling install FILES

I would be able to do this with install TARGETS, would not I?

However,

install(TARGETS ${PROJECT_NAME} RUNTIME DESTINATION bin LIBRARY DESTINATION lib)

does not install dependent libraries.

How could I do that without repeating it?

Answer 1

CMake 3.21 added an argument to install(TARGETS) for this: RUNTIME_DEPENDENCIES. Try this:

include(GNUInstallDirs)
install(
    TARGETS my_target
    RUNTIME_DEPENDENCIES
        [DIRECTORIES ...]
)

Where DIRECTORIES marks the beginning of an optional list of search paths. Also note that including GNUInstallDirs sets up the default destinations correctly.

See the docs: https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/command/install.html#targets