targetincludedirectories

TargetIncludeDirectories is a CMake command used to add directories to the include search path for a specific target. When you compile source files that belong to a particular target, CMake uses this command to tell the compiler where to look for header files. This is crucial for managing dependencies and ensuring that your code can find the necessary header files, especially when dealing with libraries or modules that are not in the standard system include paths.

The basic syntax is target_include_directories(target [PUBLIC|PRIVATE|INTERFACE] directory1 [directory2 ...]). The target is the name of the CMake target you are configuring. The PUBLIC, PRIVATE, and INTERFACE keywords determine the scope of the include directories. PUBLIC means the directories are added to the target's compile include path and are also propagated to targets that link to this target. PRIVATE means the directories are only added to this target's compile include path and are not propagated. INTERFACE means the directories are not added to this target's compile include path but are propagated to targets that link to this target. The directory arguments are the paths to the directories that contain header files. These paths can be absolute or relative to the current CMakeLists.txt file. Using target_include_directories is preferred over global include directories for better encapsulation and control over dependencies.