Library's CMake generates DLL. Application's CMake wants LIB

Usage
1

My library has minimal, straightforward CMake code with the pertinent lines

add_library(MyLib <sources>)

install(
    TARGETS MyLib
    LIBRARY DESTINATION ${destination}/lib
    RUNTIME DESTINATION ${destination}/lib
    COMPONENT Libraries)
install(
    FILES mylib.h
    DESTINATION ${destination}/include
    COMPONENT Headers)

When executed under Windows, the system installs a .DLL file.

My application has minimal, straightforward CMake code to search for my library:

find_path(MyLib_INCLUDE_DIR mylib.h)
find_library(MyLib_LIBRARIES NAMES MyLib)
include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
find_package_handle_standard_args(MyLib DEFAULT_MSG MyLib_LIBRARIES MyLib_INCLUDE_DIR)

Which works under Linux, but under Windows results in

-- Could NOT find MyLib (missing: MyLib_LIBRARIES)

From experimentation I know that this error occurs whenever there is only a .DLL file, and no associated .LIB import library.

Shall I correct MyLib to create a .LIB, or is it possible to modify my application so that it is satisfied with a .DLL only? And how?

((cross-posting: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/59390335))

2

Probably an even better solution would be for MyLib to produce the appropriate config files.
In any case: in typical scenario on windows you need *.lib for linking and *.dll for running.

3

In the meantime I found out that a .LIB file is generated, but not installed. I edited the question to show the install statements. So my question boils down to: How to install the .LIB file?

4

.lib files are installed as ARCHIVE targets, not as LIBRARY targets. So adding an ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${destination}/lib argument to your install() command should help.

5

Great. Just works. Thank you, Petr. Would you like to post your answer at https://stackoverflow.com/questions/59390335? Otherwise I will do so.

6

Feel free to post it to SO yourself. See my SO profile for why I don’t (currently) want to post it myself.

7

You’ve already worked out the underlying issue you were facing, but in case it is of interest, you can see this and other related material covered in my CppCon 2019 talk: