# How to install multiple FILE\_SET for a library in a generic way?
**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/how-to-install-multiple-file-set-for-a-library-in-a-generic-way/15489
**Category:** Development
**Tags:** gen:ninja
**Created:** [January 31, 2026, 9:07pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/how-to-install-multiple-file-set-for-a-library-in-a-generic-way/15489 "2026-01-31T21:07:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 4:17pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/how-to-install-multiple-file-set-for-a-library-in-a-generic-way/15489/21 "2026-02-09T16:17:36Z")
Thanks, that helps.
Q 1: What COMPONENT names should be typically used for HEADERS and CXX\_MODULES?
Q 2: Would it be possible, that instead of sending an error message, `CMake install()` could install the FILE\_SET HEADERS itself to the default DESTINATION?
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 4:50pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/how-to-install-multiple-file-set-for-a-library-in-a-generic-way/15489/22 "2026-02-09T16:50:08Z")
> [@ClausKlein](#):
>
> Q 1: What COMPONENT names should be typically used for HEADERS and CXX\_MODULES?
`devel` or some variant thereof. They’re useful for development packages (sdks) of the project.
> [@ClausKlein](#):
>
> Q 2: Would it be possible, that instead of sending an error message, `CMake install()` could install the FILE\_SET HEADERS itself to the default DESTINATION?
I’d rather not continue to encourage projects to dump things directly into `$prefix/include` rather than claiming a subdirectory.
---
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/how-to-install-multiple-file-set-for-a-library-in-a-generic-way/15489/23 "2026-02-09T19:33:31Z")
> [@ben.boeckel](#):
>
> I’d rather not continue to encourage projects to dump things directly into `$prefix/include` rather than claiming a subdirectory.
Yes, but if it is used like this:
```cmake
target_sources(
${TARGET_NAME}
PUBLIC
FILE_SET public_headers
TYPE HEADERS
BASE_DIRS ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include
FILES
${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/beman/execution/execution.hpp
${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/beman/execution/functional.hpp
${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/beman/execution/stop_token.hpp
${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/beman/execution26/execution.hpp
${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/beman/execution26/stop_token.hpp
# ...
)
```
see my PR [#215](https://github.com/bemanproject/execution/pull/215)
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/how-to-install-multiple-file-set-for-a-library-in-a-generic-way/15489/24 "2026-02-09T19:56:44Z")
The issue here is that `#include ` works without any `-I` flags (when installed system-wide in a default location). I’d rather see it installed to `/usr/include/beman-executors-1.0/beman/…`.
---
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/how-to-install-multiple-file-set-for-a-library-in-a-generic-way/15489/25 "2026-02-11T15:47:46Z")
OK, then for `Boost v1.90.0` I may install i.e.
```bash
tree _CPack_Packages/Darwin/TGZ/boost_any-1.90.0-Darwin
_CPack_Packages/Darwin/TGZ/boost_any-1.90.0-Darwin
├── include
│ └── boost-1.90.0
│ └── boost
│ ├── any
│ │ ├── bad_any_cast.hpp
│ │ ├── basic_any.hpp
│ │ ├── detail
│ │ │ ├── config.hpp
│ │ │ └── placeholder.hpp
│ │ ├── fwd.hpp
│ │ └── unique_any.hpp
│ ├── type_index
│ │ ├── ctti_type_index.hpp
│ │ ├── detail
│ │ │ ├── compile_time_type_info.hpp
│ │ │ ├── config.hpp
│ │ │ ├── ctti_register_class.hpp
│ │ │ └── stl_register_class.hpp
│ │ ├── runtime_cast
│ │ │ ├── boost_shared_ptr_cast.hpp
│ │ │ ├── detail
│ │ │ │ └── runtime_cast_impl.hpp
│ │ │ ├── pointer_cast.hpp
│ │ │ ├── reference_cast.hpp
│ │ │ ├── register_runtime_class.hpp
│ │ │ └── std_shared_ptr_cast.hpp
│ │ ├── runtime_cast.hpp
│ │ ├── stl_type_index.hpp
│ │ └── type_index_facade.hpp
│ └── type_index.hpp
└── lib
├── Boost-1.90.0
│ ├── libboost_any.a
│ └── libboost_type_index.a
└── cmake
├── boost_any-1.90.0
│ ├── boost_any-config-version.cmake
│ ├── boost_any-config.cmake
│ ├── boost_any-targets-release.cmake
│ ├── boost_any-targets.cmake
│ ├── cxx-modules
│ │ ├── cxx-modules-boost_any-targets-Release.cmake
│ │ ├── cxx-modules-boost_any-targets.cmake
│ │ └── target-boost__any-Release.cmake
│ └── modules
│ └── modules
│ └── boost_any.cppm
├── boost_assert-1.90.0
│ ├── boost_assert-config-version.cmake
│ ├── boost_assert-config.cmake
│ ├── boost_assert-targets.cmake
│ └── cxx-modules
│ └── cxx-modules-boost_assert-targets.cmake
├── boost_config-1.90.0
│ ├── boost_config-config-version.cmake
│ ├── boost_config-config.cmake
│ ├── boost_config-targets.cmake
│ └── cxx-modules
│ └── cxx-modules-boost_config-targets.cmake
├── boost_container_hash-1.90.0
│ ├── boost_container_hash-config-version.cmake
│ ├── boost_container_hash-config.cmake
│ ├── boost_container_hash-targets.cmake
│ └── cxx-modules
│ └── cxx-modules-boost_container_hash-targets.cmake
├── boost_describe-1.90.0
│ ├── boost_describe-config-version.cmake
│ ├── boost_describe-config.cmake
│ ├── boost_describe-targets.cmake
│ └── cxx-modules
│ └── cxx-modules-boost_describe-targets.cmake
├── boost_mp11-1.90.0
│ ├── boost_mp11-config-version.cmake
│ ├── boost_mp11-config.cmake
│ ├── boost_mp11-targets.cmake
│ └── cxx-modules
│ └── cxx-modules-boost_mp11-targets.cmake
├── boost_throw_exception-1.90.0
│ ├── boost_throw_exception-config-version.cmake
│ ├── boost_throw_exception-config.cmake
│ ├── boost_throw_exception-targets.cmake
│ └── cxx-modules
│ └── cxx-modules-boost_throw_exception-targets.cmake
└── boost_type_index-1.90.0
├── boost_type_index-config-version.cmake
├── boost_type_index-config.cmake
├── boost_type_index-targets-release.cmake
├── boost_type_index-targets.cmake
├── cxx-modules
│ ├── cxx-modules-boost_type_index-targets-Release.cmake
│ ├── cxx-modules-boost_type_index-targets.cmake
│ └── target-boost __type__ index-Release.cmake
└── modules
└── modules
└── boost_type_index.cppm
33 directories, 63 files
```
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