Xmake Targets

Xmake Targets

A target is a unit of build output. Every buildable artifact lives inside target("name") ... target_end() (or just the indented block until the next top-level call).

Kinds

target("app")
    set_kind("binary")     -- executable
target("mylib")
    set_kind("static")     -- .a / .lib
target("mydyn")
    set_kind("shared")     -- .so / .dll / .dylib
target("headeronly")
    set_kind("headeronly") -- no compilation, just install headers

Sources and headers

target("foo")
    set_kind("static")
    add_files("src/*.cpp", "src/**/*.cpp")
    remove_files("src/legacy/*.cpp")
    add_includedirs("include", {public = true})   -- public = also exposed to dependents
    add_headerfiles("include/(**.h)")              -- for `xmake install`

Globs: * matches one level, ** matches recursively. (...) in add_headerfiles preserves directory structure.

Dependencies between targets

target("mylib")
    set_kind("static")
    add_files("src/lib/*.cpp")
    add_includedirs("include", {public = true})

target("app")
    set_kind("binary")
    add_files("src/main.cpp")
    add_deps("mylib")      -- inherits public includes/defines/links

Flags and defines

target("app")
    set_languages("c++17")
    set_warnings("all", "error")
    set_optimize("fastest")      -- none|faster|fastest|smallest
    set_symbols("debug")         -- debug|hidden
    add_defines("MY_MACRO=1", {public = true})
    add_cxflags("-Wshadow", {force = true})
    add_ldflags("-Wl,--as-needed")
    add_links("pthread")         -- prefer add_syslinks on cross-platform code
    add_syslinks("pthread", "dl")

{public = true} propagates to dependents; {force = true} skips the automatic flag-detection filter.

Target-level files by platform/mode

target("app")
    if is_plat("windows") then
        add_files("src/win/*.cpp")
    elseif is_plat("linux", "macosx") then
        add_files("src/posix/*.cpp")
    end
    if is_mode("debug") then
        add_defines("DEBUG")
    end

Before/after hooks

target("app")
    after_build(function (target)
        print("built: %s", target:targetfile())
    end)

Hooks available: on_load, before_build, on_build, after_build, before_install, after_install, before_run, after_run, etc.

When to branch out

• User options gating these settings → xmake-options
• Linking a 3rd-party library → xmake-packages
• Reusable config across targets → xmake-rules

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: xmake-io
• Source: xmake-io/xmake-skills
• License: Apache-2.0

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.