# Do I need to quote list value for set(PARENT\_SCOPE)?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cmake.org/t/do-i-need-to-quote-list-value-for-set-parent-scope/13043>\
**Category:** Code\
**Created:** [November 22, 2024, 12:47pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/do-i-need-to-quote-list-value-for-set-parent-scope/13043 "2024-11-22T12:47:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![silverqx](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/silverqx/32/2353_2.png) [@silverqx](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/silverqx)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 12:47pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/do-i-need-to-quote-list-value-for-set-parent-scope/13043/1 "2024-11-22T12:47:12Z")

</div>

Do I need to quote that `${l1}` value? I tested it and it works as expected without quotes.

```cmake
function(f1)
    list(APPEND l1 "v1")
    set(l1 ${l1} PARENT_SCOPE)
endfunction()

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![silverqx](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/silverqx/32/2353_2.png) [@silverqx](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/silverqx)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 1:11pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/do-i-need-to-quote-list-value-for-set-parent-scope/13043/2 "2024-11-22T13:11:35Z")

</div>

It’s needed when escaping comes into the game like:

```cmake
function(f1)
    list(APPEND l1 "v1" "v2")
    list(JOIN l1 "\;" l1)
    set(l1 "${l1}" PARENT_SCOPE)
endfunction()

```

I don’t fully understand the consequences but everything is described at [cmake-language](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/manual/cmake-language.7.html)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![silverqx](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/silverqx/32/2353_2.png) [@silverqx](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/silverqx)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 12:57pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/do-i-need-to-quote-list-value-for-set-parent-scope/13043/3 "2024-11-24T12:57:06Z")

</div>

I also have found a nice sum-up [here](https://crascit.com/2022/01/25/quoting-in-cmake/#h-passing-lists-as-command-arguments)