Little question about command "target_sources(FILE_SET)"

Development
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I’m using the command target_sources(FILE_SET) to add header files for my project.

I find the following description in official documentation.

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In my native opinion, I thouht if relative paths are specified, they are considered relative to BASE_DIRS specified dirs, cmake will compose/resolve the final absolute paths of each file items for me. So I don’t understand the meaning of BASE_DIRS parameter in target_sources() command. Can I think this argument is only used for checking the rightness of file items specified by FILES argument?

May anybody help me understand this question? Thank you very much!
BEST WISHES!

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The purpose of BASE_DIRS is to be able to compute a “root” for each file listed. Without this information, when installing the headers, it is ambiguous how many path components should be preserved upon installation. Should /path/to/some/header/under/directories/header.h be installed to <include>/header.h, <include>/directories/header.h, <include>/under/directories/header.h, or any other possibility? That is what BASE_DIRS is for (and why each file must live under exactly one such BASE_DIRS entry).

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THANK YOU VERY MUCH! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

I’ve tried it in my project, changing the value of BASE_DIRS’ value, then executing install/cpack command, get the result what you explained above.

After all, I have another question about the explanation, I didn’t see similar description in official documentation

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Can you tell me where to find the more detailed description about each parameter specified in each cmake command? SO that I wouldn’t have to issue such post to waste your time to solve this kind of questions. :thinking:

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That would be the docs you have. If you have suggestions to make it clearer, the docs could always use improvement.

Alternatively, a step of the tutorial could explain this better in prose where it is used (and we should add an example if we don’t already have one).

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Thanks!

I agree with you, an example is much better than tedious prose style!

I have no other questions, thank you for your support!

best wishes!

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Issue filed: https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/issues/26153