CMP0197

Added in version 4.1.

MSVC link -machine: flag is not in CMAKE_*_LINKER_FLAGS.

When using MSVC-like compilers in CMake 4.0 and below, the linker's -machine: flag is added via language-agnostic linker flag variables:

• CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS

• CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS

• CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS

• CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS

This is problematic when multiple languages' toolchains disagree about if/how to pass the flag through a compiler driver to the linker. Furthermore, carrying the flag in public-facing variables allows projects or users to change it even though it is required.

CMake 4.1 and above prefer to leave the -machine: flag out of CMAKE_*_LINKER_FLAGS variables, and instead generate the link flag automatically where needed.

This policy provides compatibility with projects that have not been updated to expect the lack of the -machine: flags. The policy setting takes effect as of the first project() or enable_language() command that initializes the above-listed CMAKE_*_LINKER_FLAGS variables.

Note

Once the policy has taken effect at the top of a project for a given language, that choice must be used throughout the tree for that language. In projects that have nested projects in subdirectories, be sure to convert everything together.

The OLD behavior for this policy is to place the MSVC -machine: flag in CMAKE_*_LINKER_FLAGS. The NEW behavior for this policy is to not place the MSVC -machine: flag in CMAKE_*_LINKER_FLAGS.

This policy was introduced in CMake version 4.1. It may be set by cmake_policy() or cmake_minimum_required(). If it is not set, CMake does not warn, and uses OLD behavior.

Note

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