project — CMake 3.22.2 Documentation

# project

Set the name of the project.

## Synopsis

    project(<PROJECT-NAME> [<language-name>...])
    project(<PROJECT-NAME>
            [VERSION <major>[.<minor>[.<patch>[.<tweak>]]]]
            [DESCRIPTION <project-description-string>]
            [HOMEPAGE_URL <url-string>]
            [LANGUAGES <language-name>...])

Sets the name of the project, and stores it in the variable `PROJECT_NAME`. When called from the top-level `CMakeLists.txt` also stores the project name in the variable `CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME`.

Also sets the variables:

`PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_SOURCE_DIR`

  Absolute path to the source directory for the project.

`PROJECT_BINARY_DIR`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_BINARY_DIR`

  Absolute path to the binary directory for the project.

`PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_IS_TOP_LEVEL`

  New in version 3.21.

  Boolean value indicating whether the project is top-level.

Further variables are set by the optional arguments described in the following. If any of these arguments is not used, then the corresponding variables are set to the empty string.

## Options

The options are:

`VERSION <version>`

  Optional; may not be used unless policy `CMP0048` is set to `NEW`.

  Takes a `<version>` argument composed of non-negative integer components, i.e. `<major>[.<minor>[.<patch>[.<tweak>]]]`, and sets the variables

  - `PROJECT_VERSION`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION`

  - `PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_MAJOR`

  - `PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_MINOR`

  - `PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_PATCH`

  - `PROJECT_VERSION_TWEAK`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_TWEAK`.

  New in version 3.12: When the `project()` command is called from the top-level `CMakeLists.txt`, then the version is also stored in the variable `CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION`.

`DESCRIPTION <project-description-string>`

  New in version 3.9.

  Optional. Sets the variables

  - `PROJECT_DESCRIPTION`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_DESCRIPTION`

  to `<project-description-string>`. It is recommended that this description is a relatively short string, usually no more than a few words.

  When the `project()` command is called from the top-level `CMakeLists.txt`, then the description is also stored in the variable `CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION`.

  New in version 3.12: Added the `<PROJECT-NAME>_DESCRIPTION` variable.

`HOMEPAGE_URL <url-string>`

  New in version 3.12.

  Optional. Sets the variables

  - `PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_HOMEPAGE_URL`

  to `<url-string>`, which should be the canonical home URL for the project.

  When the `project()` command is called from the top-level `CMakeLists.txt`, then the URL also is stored in the variable `CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL`.

`LANGUAGES <language-name>...`

  Optional. Can also be specified without `LANGUAGES` keyword per the first, short signature.

  Selects which programming languages are needed to build the project. Supported languages include `C`, `CXX` (i.e. C++), `CUDA`, `OBJC` (i.e. Objective-C), `OBJCXX`, `Fortran`, `HIP`, `ISPC`, and `ASM`. By default `C` and `CXX` are enabled if no language options are given. Specify language `NONE`, or use the `LANGUAGES` keyword and list no languages, to skip enabling any languages.

  New in version 3.8: Added `CUDA` support.

  New in version 3.16: Added `OBJC` and `OBJCXX` support.

  New in version 3.18: Added `ISPC` support.

  If enabling `ASM`, list it last so that CMake can check whether compilers for other languages like `C` work for assembly too.

The variables set through the `VERSION`, `DESCRIPTION` and `HOMEPAGE_URL` options are intended for use as default values in package metadata and documentation.

## Code Injection

If the `CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE_BEFORE` or `CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE_BEFORE` variables are set, the files they point to will be included as the first step of the `project()` command. If both are set, then `CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE_BEFORE` will be included before `CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE_BEFORE`.

If the `CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE` or `CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE` variables are set, the files they point to will be included as the last step of the `project()` command. If both are set, then `CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE` will be included before `CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE`.

New in version 3.15: Added the `CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE` and `CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE_BEFORE` variables.

New in version 3.17: Added the `CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE_BEFORE` variable.

## Usage

The top-level `CMakeLists.txt` file for a project must contain a literal, direct call to the `project()` command; loading one through the `include()` command is not sufficient. If no such call exists, CMake will issue a warning and pretend there is a `project(Project)` at the top to enable the default languages (`C` and `CXX`).

Note

Call the `project()` command near the top of the top-level `CMakeLists.txt`, but after calling `cmake_minimum_required()`. It is important to establish version and policy settings before invoking other commands whose behavior they may affect. See also policy `CMP0000`.