FindProtobuf¶
Locate and configure the Google Protocol Buffers library.
Added in version 3.6: Support for find_package() version checks.
Changed in version 3.6: All input and output variables use the Protobuf_ prefix.
Variables with PROTOBUF_ prefix are still supported for compatibility.
The following variables can be set and are optional:
- Protobuf_SRC_ROOT_FOLDER
- When compiling with MSVC, if this cache variable is set the protobuf-default VS project build locations (vsprojects/Debug and vsprojects/Release or vsprojects/x64/Debug and vsprojects/x64/Release) will be searched for libraries and binaries. 
- Protobuf_IMPORT_DIRS
- List of additional directories to be searched for imported .proto files. 
- Protobuf_DEBUG
- Added in version 3.6. - Show debug messages. 
- Protobuf_USE_STATIC_LIBS
- Added in version 3.9. - Set to ON to force the use of the static libraries. Default is OFF. 
Defines the following variables:
- Protobuf_FOUND
- Found the Google Protocol Buffers library (libprotobuf & header files) 
- Protobuf_VERSION
- Added in version 3.6. - Version of package found. 
- Protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS
- Include directories for Google Protocol Buffers 
- Protobuf_LIBRARIES
- The protobuf libraries 
- Protobuf_PROTOC_LIBRARIES
- The protoc libraries 
- Protobuf_LITE_LIBRARIES
- The protobuf-lite libraries 
Added in version 3.9: The following IMPORTED targets are also defined:
- protobuf::libprotobuf
- The protobuf library. 
- protobuf::libprotobuf-lite
- The protobuf lite library. 
- protobuf::libprotoc
- The protoc library. 
- protobuf::protoc
- Added in version 3.10: The protoc compiler. 
The following cache variables are also available to set or use:
- Protobuf_LIBRARY
- The protobuf library 
- Protobuf_PROTOC_LIBRARY
- The protoc library 
- Protobuf_INCLUDE_DIR
- The include directory for protocol buffers 
- Protobuf_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE
- The protoc compiler 
- Protobuf_LIBRARY_DEBUG
- The protobuf library (debug) 
- Protobuf_PROTOC_LIBRARY_DEBUG
- The protoc library (debug) 
- Protobuf_LITE_LIBRARY
- The protobuf lite library 
- Protobuf_LITE_LIBRARY_DEBUG
- The protobuf lite library (debug) 
Example:
find_package(Protobuf REQUIRED)
include_directories(${Protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS})
include_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
protobuf_generate_cpp(PROTO_SRCS PROTO_HDRS foo.proto)
protobuf_generate_cpp(PROTO_SRCS PROTO_HDRS EXPORT_MACRO DLL_EXPORT foo.proto)
protobuf_generate_cpp(PROTO_SRCS PROTO_HDRS DESCRIPTORS PROTO_DESCS foo.proto)
protobuf_generate_python(PROTO_PY foo.proto)
add_executable(bar bar.cc ${PROTO_SRCS} ${PROTO_HDRS})
target_link_libraries(bar ${Protobuf_LIBRARIES})
Note
The protobuf_generate_cpp and protobuf_generate_python
functions and add_executable() or add_library()
calls only work properly within the same directory.
- protobuf_generate_cpp¶
- Add custom commands to process - .protofiles to C++:- protobuf_generate_cpp (<SRCS> <HDRS> [DESCRIPTORS <DESC>] [EXPORT_MACRO <MACRO>] [<ARGN>...])- SRCS
- Variable to define with autogenerated source files 
- HDRS
- Variable to define with autogenerated header files 
- DESCRIPTORS
- Added in version 3.10: Variable to define with autogenerated descriptor files, if requested. 
- EXPORT_MACRO
- is a macro which should expand to - __declspec(dllexport)or- __declspec(dllimport)depending on what is being compiled.
- ARGN
- .protofiles
 
- protobuf_generate_python¶
- Added in version 3.4. - Add custom commands to process - .protofiles to Python:- protobuf_generate_python (<PY> [<ARGN>...]) - PY
- Variable to define with autogenerated Python files 
- ARGN
- .protofiles
 
- protobuf_generate¶
- Added in version 3.13. - Automatically generate source files from - .protoschema files at build time:- protobuf_generate ( TARGET <target> [LANGUAGE <lang>] [OUT_VAR <out_var>] [EXPORT_MACRO <macro>] [PROTOC_OUT_DIR <dir>] [PLUGIN <plugin>] [PLUGIN_OPTIONS <plugin_options>] [DEPENDENCIES <depends] [PROTOS <protobuf_files>] [IMPORT_DIRS <dirs>] [GENERATE_EXTENSIONS <extensions>] [PROTOC_OPTIONS <protoc_options>] [APPEND_PATH])- APPEND_PATH
- A flag that causes the base path of all proto schema files to be added to - IMPORT_DIRS.
- LANGUAGE
- A single value: cpp or python. Determines what kind of source files are being generated. Defaults to cpp. 
- OUT_VAR
- Name of a CMake variable that will be filled with the paths to the generated source files. 
- EXPORT_MACRO
- Name of a macro that is applied to all generated Protobuf message classes and extern variables. It can, for example, be used to declare DLL exports. 
- PROTOC_OUT_DIR
- Output directory of generated source files. Defaults to - CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR.
- PLUGIN
- Added in version 3.21. - An optional plugin executable. This could, for example, be the path to - grpc_cpp_plugin.
- PLUGIN_OPTIONS
- Added in version 3.28. - Additional options provided to the plugin, such as - generate_mock_code=truefor the gRPC cpp plugin.
- DEPENDENCIES
- Added in version 3.28. - Arguments forwarded to the - DEPENDSof the underlying- add_custom_commandinvocation.
- TARGET
- CMake target that will have the generated files added as sources. 
- PROTOS
- List of proto schema files. If omitted, then every source file ending in proto of - TARGETwill be used.
- IMPORT_DIRS
- A common parent directory for the schema files. For example, if the schema file is - proto/helloworld/helloworld.protoand the import directory- proto/then the generated files are- ${PROTOC_OUT_DIR}/helloworld/helloworld.pb.hand- ${PROTOC_OUT_DIR}/helloworld/helloworld.pb.cc.
- GENERATE_EXTENSIONS
- If LANGUAGE is omitted then this must be set to the extensions that protoc generates. 
- PROTOC_OPTIONS
- Added in version 3.28. - Additional arguments that are forwarded to protoc. 
 - Example: - find_package(gRPC CONFIG REQUIRED) find_package(Protobuf REQUIRED) add_library(ProtoTest Test.proto) target_link_libraries(ProtoTest PUBLIC gRPC::grpc++) protobuf_generate(TARGET ProtoTest) protobuf_generate( TARGET ProtoTest LANGUAGE grpc PLUGIN protoc-gen-grpc=$<TARGET_FILE:gRPC::grpc_cpp_plugin> PLUGIN_OPTIONS generate_mock_code=true GENERATE_EXTENSIONS .grpc.pb.h .grpc.pb.cc)
