How to Link 3Rd Party Library (Ceres-Solver) In Cmake?

To link a third-party library like Ceres Solver in CMake, you first need to find the location of the library files on your system. Once you have the path to the library files, you can use the find_package command in your CMakeLists.txt file to locate the library.

Next, you need to add the library to your target by using the target_link_libraries command. This command tells CMake to link the library to your executable or library.

For Ceres Solver specifically, you may need to set additional variables such as CERES_INCLUDE_DIRS and CERES_LIBRARIES before using the find_package command. These variables help CMake locate the Ceres Solver library and headers on your system.

After linking the library in your CMakeLists.txt file, you can build your project using CMake. Make sure to specify the path to the CMakeLists.txt file that contains the linking instructions when running CMake.

By following these steps, you can successfully link a third-party library like Ceres Solver in CMake and use it in your project.

What is the difference between static and dynamic linking?

Static linking refers to the process of including all the necessary libraries and dependencies at compile time to create a standalone executable file. This means that all the code needed for the program to run is contained within the executable file. This results in a larger file size but does not require the presence of external libraries for the program to run.

Dynamic linking, on the other hand, involves referencing external libraries and dependencies at runtime rather than including them in the executable file. This means that the necessary libraries are loaded into memory when the program is executed. Dynamic linking results in smaller executable file sizes and allows for easier updating of libraries without having to recompile the entire program. However, it also means that the program is dependent on the presence of external libraries to run.

How to list all linked libraries in a cmake project?

You can list all linked libraries in a CMake project by looking at the target_link_libraries command in your CMakeLists.txt file. This command is used to specify the libraries that should be linked to the target.

To view all linked libraries, you can simply search for all occurrences of target_link_libraries in your CMakeLists.txt file. Each call to this command specifies a target (such as an executable or a library) and a list of libraries that should be linked to that target.

Alternatively, you can also use the CMake GUI or command line tools to view the list of linked libraries for a specific target. The cmake command with the --graphviz option can be used to generate a graph visualization of the project dependencies, including linked libraries.

What is a build system in cmake?

A build system in CMake is a collection of rules and tools used to build a software project. It defines how source code is compiled, linked, and packaged to generate the final executable or library. CMake is a popular build system that provides a set of commands and configuration files to automate the build process for various platforms and compilers. By using CMake, developers can define dependencies, compiler flags, and build options in a platform-independent way, making it easier to build and maintain complex software projects.

How to specify the version of ceres-solver to link in cmake?

To specify the version of Ceres Solver to link in CMake, you can set the Ceres version in the CMakeLists.txt file using the find_package() function. Here's an example of how you can specify the version of Ceres Solver to link in CMake:

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find_package(Ceres REQUIRED VERSION 1.14.0)

if(Ceres_FOUND)
    message(STATUS "Found Ceres version ${Ceres_VERSION}")
else()
    message(FATAL_ERROR "Ceres version 1.14.0 or higher not found")
endif()

target_link_libraries(your_target_name ${CERES_LIBRARIES})

Replace "1.14.0" with the specific version of Ceres Solver that you want to link. This will ensure that CMake looks for the specified version of Ceres Solver during the build process.

How to add ceres-solver as a dependency in your cmake project?

To add ceres-solver as a dependency in your CMake project, you can follow these steps:

1. Make sure you have ceres-solver installed on your system. You can download and install ceres-solver from its official GitHub repository: https://github.com/ceres-solver/ceres-solver
2. Once ceres-solver is installed, you can use the find_package() command in your CMakeLists.txt file to locate the package. Add the following lines to your CMakeLists.txt file:

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find_package(Ceres REQUIRED)
include_directories(${CERES_INCLUDE_DIRS})

1. Next, link the package with your target in the CMakeLists.txt file. For example:

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target_link_libraries(your_target_name ${CERES_LIBRARIES})

1. Make sure to replace your_target_name with the name of your target in your CMake project.
2. Finally, rebuild your project using CMake to include ceres-solver as a dependency.

With these steps, ceres-solver should be successfully added as a dependency in your CMake project.