Can CMake Automatically Export All Symbols When Building a DLL in Visual Studio?

Export All Symbols When Creating a DLL

Scenario

In Visual Studio 2005, the goal is to automatically export all symbols when creating a DLL, without manually adding __declspec(dllexport) annotations or crafting .def files. Is this possible?

Solution with CMake

Answer: Yes, you can achieve this with the latest versions of CMake (from version 3.3.20150721-g9cd2f-win32-x86.exe onward). This feature is currently in the development branch and will be integrated into future release versions.

Steps:

1. Get CMake: Download the development version of CMake from the provided link.
2. Create a CMake Project: Configure your project to use CMake based on a CMakeLists.txt file.

3. Enable Symbol Export: Add the following line to your CMakeLists.txt file:

   set(CMAKE_WINDOWS_EXPORT_ALL_SYMBOLS ON)

4. Build Project: Create a Visual Studio project with the help of CMake (cmake-gui) and compile it.

Note: This approach requires disabling Whole Program Optimization (/GL) while compiling.

Other Approaches

1. Use __declspec(dllexport):

Manually add __declspec(dllexport) or __declspec(dllimport) before class or function definitions to explicitly export or import symbols.

2. Create a Module Definition File (.def):

Write a .def file that contains function declarations or exports symbols from a static library.

Advantages of CMake Solution

• Automatic export of all symbols without manual annotations or .def files.
• Cross-platform compatibility due to CMake's ability to generate build scripts for different platforms.
• Simplifies the build process, eliminating the need for manual intervention.

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