# Get INSTALL\_INTERFACE in \`install(CODE)\`.
**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/get-install-interface-in-install-code/2308
**Category:** Code
**Created:** [December 7, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/get-install-interface-in-install-code/2308 "2020-12-07T05:36:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@alex](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/alex)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/get-install-interface-in-install-code/2308/1 "2020-12-07T05:36:03Z")
I think I have found a bug, or at the very least a vexing behavior. Here’s my minimal example:
```cmake
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.16)
project(example)
add_library(example INTERFACE)
target_compile_definitions(example INTERFACE $ $)
install(CODE [[
message(STATUS "$")
]])
```
Build with:
```auto
$ cmake -S . -B build
...
-- Configuring done
-- Generating done
-- Build files have been written to: /home/alex/test/build
$ cmake --build build
$ cmake --install build --prefix install
-- Install configuration: ""
-- BUILD
```
As you can see, `BUILD` is printed rather than `INSTALL`. I would understand this for `file(GENERATE)`, but for `install(CODE)`, this is rather surprising, since it’s the _install_ command I’m going through.
Is there any way to access the `INSTALL_INTERFACE` version of properties in a generator expression? If not, was this a deliberate design decision? I’d like to understand it, if so. Obviously to be changed at this point would require a policy.
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/get-install-interface-in-install-code/2308/2 "2020-12-07T15:04:07Z")
This is because the install scripts are written during the build, so they get the build’s view of the properties. We’d probably need a genex to force the install’s view of the properties. Perhaps `$>`?
Cc: @brad.king @craig.scott