cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8) project(target_link_libraries) file(WRITE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/main.cxx" "int main() { return 0; } " ) add_executable( target_link_libraries "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/main.cxx" ) macro(ASSERT_PROPERTY _target _property _value) get_target_property(_out ${_target} ${_property}) if (NOT _out) set(_out "") endif() if (NOT "${_out}" STREQUAL "${_value}") message(SEND_ERROR "Target ${_target} does not have property ${_property} with value ${_value}. Actual value: ${_out}") endif() endmacro() include(GenerateExportHeader) set(CMAKE_INCLUDE_CURRENT_DIR ON) add_library(depA SHARED depA.cpp) generate_export_header(depA) add_library(depB SHARED depB.cpp) generate_export_header(depB) target_link_libraries(depB LINK_PRIVATE depA) add_library(depC SHARED depC.cpp) generate_export_header(depC) target_link_libraries(depC LINK_PUBLIC depA) assert_property(depA LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES "") assert_property(depB LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES "") assert_property(depC LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES "depA") add_executable(targetA targetA.cpp) target_link_libraries(targetA LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES depA depB) assert_property(targetA LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES "depA;depB") set_target_properties(targetA PROPERTIES LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES "") assert_property(targetA LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES "") target_link_libraries(targetA depB depC) assert_property(targetA LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES "")