CMP0073 — CMake 3.17.2 Documentation

# CMP0073

Do not produce legacy `_LIB_DEPENDS` cache entries.

Ancient CMake versions once used `<tgt>_LIB_DEPENDS` cache entries to propagate library link dependencies. This has long been done by other means, leaving the `export_library_dependencies()` command as the only user of these values. That command has long been disallowed by policy `CMP0033`, but the `<tgt>_LIB_DEPENDS` cache entries were left for compatibility with possible non-standard uses by projects.

CMake 3.12 and above now prefer to not produce these cache entries at all. This policy provides compatibility with projects that have not been updated to avoid using them.

The `OLD` behavior for this policy is to set `<tgt>_LIB_DEPENDS` cache entries. The `NEW` behavior for this policy is to not set them.

This policy was introduced in CMake version 3.12. Use the `cmake_policy()` command to set it to `OLD` or `NEW` explicitly. Unlike most policies, CMake version 3.17.2 does not warn when this policy is not set and simply uses `OLD` behavior.

Note

The `OLD` behavior of a policy is `deprecated by definition` and may be removed in a future version of CMake.