Add Boost C++ Libraries as a dependency with plain CMake

CMakeLists.txt

# Copyright (c) 2014-2023 Florian Wolters
# MIT License

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.26.3)

project(
  "hello_boost_with_cmake"
  VERSION 2.0.0
  LANGUAGES CXX)

find_package(
  Boost 1.82 REQUIRED
  COMPONENTS atomic
             bzip2
             chrono
             container
             context
             coroutine
             contract
             date_time
             fiber
             filesystem
             graph
             iostreams
             json
             locale
             log_setup
             log
             math_c99f
             math_c99l
             math_c99
             math_tr1f
             math_tr1l
             math_tr1
             nowide
             prg_exec_monitor
             program_options
             python310
             random
             regex
             serialization
             stacktrace_noop
             stacktrace_windbg_cached
             stacktrace_windbg
             system
             thread
             timer
             type_erasure
             unit_test_framework
             url
             wave
             wserialization
             zlib)

add_executable(main)
target_link_libraries(
  main
  PRIVATE Boost::headers
          Boost::atomic
          Boost::bzip2
          Boost::chrono
          Boost::container
          Boost::context
          Boost::coroutine
          Boost::contract
          Boost::date_time
          Boost::fiber
          Boost::filesystem
          Boost::graph
          Boost::iostreams
          Boost::json
          Boost::locale
          Boost::log_setup
          Boost::log
          Boost::math_c99f
          Boost::math_c99l
          Boost::math_c99
          Boost::math_tr1f
          Boost::math_tr1l
          Boost::math_tr1
          Boost::nowide
          Boost::prg_exec_monitor
          Boost::program_options
          Boost::python310
          Boost::random
          Boost::regex
          Boost::serialization
          Boost::stacktrace_noop
          Boost::stacktrace_windbg_cached
          Boost::stacktrace_windbg
          Boost::system
          Boost::thread
          Boost::timer
          Boost::type_erasure
          Boost::unit_test_framework
          Boost::url
          Boost::wave
          Boost::wserialization
          Boost::zlib)
target_sources(main PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/main.cpp)

CMakePresets.json

{
  "version": 6,
  "cmakeMinimumRequired": {
    "major": 3,
    "minor": 26,
    "patch": 3
  },
  "configurePresets": [
    {
      "name": "default",
      "displayName": "Default",
      "description": "Default build using Ninja Multi-Config generator",
      "generator": "Ninja Multi-Config",
      "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/_b",
      "cacheVariables": {
        "Boost_INCLUDE_DIR": {
          "type": "PATH",
          "value": "${sourceDir}/external/boost"
        },
        "Boost_LIBRARY_DIR_RELEASE": {
          "type": "PATH",
          "value": "${sourceDir}/external/boost/lib64-msvc-14.3"
        },
        "Boost_LIBRARY_DIR_DEBUG": {
          "type": "PATH",
          "value": "${sourceDir}/external/boost/lib64-msvc-14.3"
        },
        "Boost_NO_SYSTEM_PATHS": {
          "type": "BOOL",
          "value": "OFF"
        },
        "Boost_NO_WARN_NEW_VERSIONS": {
          "type": "BOOL",
          "value": "ON"
        },
        "Boost_USE_MULTITHREADED": {
          "type": "BOOL",
          "value": "ON"
        },
        "Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS": {
          "type": "BOOL",
          "value": "ON"
        },
        "Boost_USE_STATIC_RUNTIME": {
          "type": "BOOL",
          "value": "OFF"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "buildPresets": [
    {
      "name": "default",
      "configurePreset": "default"
    }
  ]
}

main.cpp

/// @file
/// Declares the `main` entry-point free function.
///
/// @author Florian Wolters
/// @date 2014-2023
/// @copyright MIT License

/// Runs the application.
///
/// @return always `0`
auto main() -> int {
  return 0;
}

This made sense in 2014, but since it still comes up highly in the Google search results for "boost cmake", I thought I'd add the "modern CMake" way of doing this:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.25)
project(boost-example)

find_package(Boost 1.70.0 REQUIRED system filesystem)

add_executable(myapp main.cpp)
target_link_libraries(myapp PRIVATE Boost::headers Boost::system Boost::filesystem)

Since version 1.70.0, Boost provides its own CMake package complete with imported targets. These set everything up for you when you link to them.