# What do the "dep" parameters of include\_external\_msproject() do?

**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-do-the-dep-parameters-of-include-external-msproject-do/2490
**Category:** Code
**Tags:** gen:vs
**Created:** [January 7, 2021, 11:06am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-do-the-dep-parameters-of-include-external-msproject-do/2490 "2021-01-07T11:06:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Angew](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/angew/32/229_2.png) [@Angew](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/Angew)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2021, 11:06am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-do-the-dep-parameters-of-include-external-msproject-do/2490/1 "2021-01-07T11:06:12Z")

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The [documentation of `include_external_msproject()`](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/command/include_external_msproject.html) mentions parameters `dep1 dep2 ...` in the signature:

> ```
> include_external_msproject(projectname location
> [TYPE projectTypeGUID]
> [GUID projectGUID]
> [PLATFORM platformName]
> dep1 dep2 ...)
> 
> ```

What are they for? They are not mentioned in the text at all. I tried looking at the source code of the command, but I quickly got way beyond my depth of CMake internals understanding (they are added to the generated target’s “Utilities” list, the use of which I don’t know).

I will need to use `include_external_msproject()` in a project, so I’d like to understand what these parameters do. Can anyone help me out?

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### Author: ![ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-do-the-dep-parameters-of-include-external-msproject-do/2490/2 "2021-01-07T17:15:56Z")

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Cc: @brad.king

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### Author: ![brad.king](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/brad.king/32/11_2.png) [@brad.king](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/brad.king)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2021, 5:39pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-do-the-dep-parameters-of-include-external-msproject-do/2490/3 "2021-01-07T17:39:00Z")

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The dependencies specified end up going through [this code](https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/blob/v3.19.2/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator.cxx#L169-181) and are written into the `.sln` solution file. I’d welcome a documentation update.

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### Author: ![Angew](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/angew/32/229_2.png) [@Angew](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/Angew)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2021, 8:30am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-do-the-dep-parameters-of-include-external-msproject-do/2490/4 "2021-01-08T08:30:20Z")

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Thanks very much for the answer. I will write something up (probably next week).