target_compile_definitions — CMake 4.2.6 Documentation

# target_compile_definitions

Add compile definitions to a target.

    target_compile_definitions(<target>
      <INTERFACE|PUBLIC|PRIVATE> [items1...]
      [<INTERFACE|PUBLIC|PRIVATE> [items2...] ...])

Specifies compile definitions to use when compiling a given `<target>`. The named `<target>` must have been created by a command such as `add_executable()` or `add_library()` and must not be an ALIAS target.

The `INTERFACE`, `PUBLIC` and `PRIVATE` keywords are required to specify the scope of the following arguments. `PRIVATE` and `PUBLIC` items will populate the `COMPILE_DEFINITIONS` property of `<target>`. `PUBLIC` and `INTERFACE` items will populate the `INTERFACE_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS` property of `<target>`. The following arguments specify compile definitions. Repeated calls for the same `<target>` append items in the order called.

Added in version 3.11: Allow setting `INTERFACE` items on IMPORTED targets.

Arguments to `target_compile_definitions` may use generator expressions with the syntax `$<...>`. See the `cmake-generator-expressions(7)` manual for available expressions. See the `cmake-buildsystem(7)` manual for more on defining buildsystem properties.

Any leading `-D` on an item will be removed. Empty items are ignored. For example, the following are all equivalent:

    target_compile_definitions(foo PUBLIC FOO)
    target_compile_definitions(foo PUBLIC -DFOO)  # -D removed
    target_compile_definitions(foo PUBLIC "" FOO) # "" ignored
    target_compile_definitions(foo PUBLIC -D FOO) # -D becomes "", then ignored

Definitions may optionally have values:

    target_compile_definitions(foo PUBLIC FOO=1)

Note that many compilers treat `-DFOO` as equivalent to `-DFOO=1`, but other tools may not recognize this in all circumstances (e.g. IntelliSense).

## See Also

- `add_compile_definitions()`

- `target_compile_features()`

- `target_compile_options()`

- `target_include_directories()`

- `target_link_libraries()`

- `target_link_directories()`

- `target_link_options()`

- `target_precompile_headers()`

- `target_sources()`