# What is a 'head' target?

**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-is-a-head-target/15630
**Category:** Usage
**Created:** [April 25, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-is-a-head-target/15630 "2026-04-25T15:13:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![MickeJ](https://discourse.cmake.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@MickeJ](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/MickeJ)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-is-a-head-target/15630/1 "2026-04-25T15:13:48Z")

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In the documentation i see reference to a thing name _‘head’ target_. What is the definition of a head target? For example if my project only contains one target executable and many libs is the exe target the head target? If so can i get this ‘head’ as variable?

For example in the [documentation](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/manual/cmake-generator-expressions.7.html) i found it referenced like below:

_"$\<COMPILE\_FEATURES:features\>_  
_where `features` is a comma-separated list. Evaluates to `1` if all of the `features` are available for the **‘head’ target** , and `0` otherwise. If this expression is used while evaluating the link implementation of a target and if any dependency transitively increases the required [`C_STANDARD`](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/prop_tgt/C_STANDARD.html#prop_tgt:C_STANDARD) or [`CXX_STANDARD`](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/prop_tgt/CXX_STANDARD.html#prop_tgt:CXX_STANDARD) for the **‘head’ target** , an error is reported. See the [`cmake-compile-features(7)`](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/manual/cmake-compile-features.7.html#manual:cmake-compile-features(7)) manual for information on compile features and a list of supported compilers."_

_"$\<TARGET\_POLICY:policy\>_  
_`1` if the `policy` was `NEW` when the **‘head’ target** was created, else `0`. If the `policy` was not set, the warning message for the policy will be emitted. This generator expression only works for a subset of policies."_

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### Author: ![vito.gamberini](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/vito.gamberini/32/4376_2.png) [@vito.gamberini](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/vito.gamberini)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2026, 2:27pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-is-a-head-target/15630/2 "2026-07-02T14:27:47Z")

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The associated target for which the generator expression is being evaluated. This may or may not be the original target to which the generator expression was attached.

For example interface properties are evaluated by downstream dependent targets, not the target which owns the interface property.