CMake projects on Windows do not copy DLLs to output folder.

[fishnet37222]

Describe the bug
When using vcpkg to pull in dependencies as DLLs, the resulting DLLs are not copied into the output folder.

Environment

• OS: [Windows]
• Compiler: Microsoft (R) C/C++ Optimizing Compiler Version 19.28.29910 for x64

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Open the repository at https://github.com/fishnet37222/HelloWorld.git in either Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code
2. Build the project.
3. Inspect the contents of the output folder.

Expected behavior
The DLLs generated by the libraries pulled in by vcpkg should be copied to the output folder.

Failure logs
No failure logs generated.

Additional context
The sample project I created references both wxWidgets and Boost-filesystem.
See https://github.com/fishnet37222/vcpkg-test.git for a regular Visual Studio C++ project using vcpkg in which the issue does not occur.

[NancyLi1013]

Hi @fishnet37222

Thanks for posting this issue.

It seems that the link you provided above are wrong. Since I clicked them and both of them are directed to https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg/issues/url.

Could you please help provide your project sample and attach your result here?

[JackBoosY]

Please see feature X_VCPKG_APPINSTALL_DEPS_INSTALL .
Related: #14243

[fishnet37222]

I've attached the two projects as requested.

HelloWorld.zip
vcpkg-test.zip

[NancyLi1013]

@fishnet37222

Have you tried the above suggestions from @JackBoosY ?

[fishnet37222]

Is there any documentation on how to use what @JackBoosY was referring to?

[NancyLi1013]

Currently there is no any documentation about this feature. Since it is experimental.

I think you may set X_VCPKG_APPLOCAL_DEPS_INSTALL as ON to rebuild vcpkg and verify if this can work.

option(X_VCPKG_APPLOCAL_DEPS_INSTALL "(experimental) Automatically copy dependencies into the install target directory for executables." OFF)
https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg/blob/master/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake#L49

[fishnet37222]

I tried setting that property to ON in my CMakeLists.txt file, but the DLLs were still not copied to the output folder. I also noticed that when I create a console application (the add_executable command does not include WIN32), the DLLs do get copied to the output folder.

[pratikpc]

@NancyLi1013 do you know if X_VCPKG_APPINSTALL_DEPS_INSTALL copies only VCPKG dependencies or if it will also copy my shared library's DLLs?

Say if I have a Windows project with

1. Boost Asio
2. My Shared Library which generates a DLL

Would X_VCPKG_APPINSTALL_DEPS_INSTALL only copy Boost Asio or would it also copy My Shared Library's DLLs?

[JackBoosY]

@pratikpc Yes, it should do that.