CPACKPACKAGEDESCRIPTION

CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION is a CPack variable used in the CMake packaging system to specify a package's long description. It complements CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY, which holds a brief summary. The long description is included in the metadata emitted for each generated package, and its exact presentation depends on the target packaging format.

In practice, CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION is used by Debian, RPM, and other generators to populate the Description field or equivalent. The mapping differs by generator; some may present it as the long description, others may combine it with the summary or display it in a separate metadata field. Because of these variations, CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION provides a portable way to convey detailed package information across packaging formats.

Usage typically involves defining the variables in your CMakeLists.txt before invoking the packaging step. Example:

set(CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY "A short description of the package.")

set(CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION "This package provides a small command-line tool and a library for demonstration purposes. It demonstrates how to set a long, multi-line description that will appear in package metadata. For more information, consult the project documentation.")

include(CPack)

Notes and best practices:

The description can be multi-line to convey features, usage, and dependencies. Keep the long description informative while avoiding redundancy with the summary. Since the presentation is format-dependent, verify how your chosen generators render the text in the final package metadata.