# get_source_file_property

Get a property for a source file.

    get_source_file_property(<variable> <file>
                             [DIRECTORY <dir> | TARGET_DIRECTORY <target>]
                             <property>)

Gets a property from a source file. The value of the property is stored in the specified `<variable>`. If the source property is not found, the behavior depends on whether it has been defined to be an `INHERITED` property or not (see `define_property()`). Non-inherited properties will set `variable` to `NOTFOUND`, whereas inherited properties will search the relevant parent scope as described for the `define_property()` command and if still unable to find the property, `variable` will be set to an empty string.

By default, the source file's property will be read from the current source directory's scope.

New in version 3.18: Directory scope can be overridden with one of the following sub-options:

`DIRECTORY <dir>`

  The source file property will be read from the `<dir>` directory's scope. CMake must already know about that source directory, either by having added it through a call to `add_subdirectory()` or `<dir>` being the top level source directory. Relative paths are treated as relative to the current source directory.

`TARGET_DIRECTORY <target>`

  The source file property will be read from the directory scope in which `<target>` was created (`<target>` must therefore already exist).

Use `set_source_files_properties()` to set property values. Source file properties usually control how the file is built. One property that is always there is `LOCATION`.

Note

The `GENERATED` source file property may be globally visible. See its documentation for details.

## See Also

- `define_property()`

- the more general `get_property()` command

- `set_source_files_properties()`