Place language standard flags just after CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS

Previously we added the language standard flag near the end of all
options, even after those added by `add_compile_options` and friends.
However, on some compilers such as MSVC, the `-std` flag may reset
defaults for flags that precede it on the command line.  Move the
language standard flag to before all other flags that CMake adds for
other abstractions, and before those added by `add_compile_options`.

`CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS` should still precede the language flags though,
because they are meant to be treated as language-wide modifications to
the compiler defaults, similar to `$CC $CFLAGS`.

Fixes: #23860
Fixes: #24170

2 files changed, 29 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/Help/manual/cmake-compile-features.7.rst b/Help/manual/cmake-compile-features.7.rst
index 8073511..1e87ec6 100644
--- a/Help/manual/cmake-compile-features.7.rst
+++ b/Help/manual/cmake-compile-features.7.rst
@@ -282,3 +282,25 @@ versions specified for each:
 
 * ``Clang``: Clang compiler 5.0+.
 * ``NVIDIA``: NVIDIA nvcc compiler 7.5+.
+
+.. _`Language Standard Flags`:
+
+Language Standard Flags
+=======================
+
+In order to satisfy requirements specified by the
+:command:`target_compile_features` command or the
+:variable:`CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD` variable, CMake may pass a
+language standard flag to the compiler, such as ``-std=c++11``.
+
+For :ref:`Visual Studio Generators`, CMake cannot precisely control
+the placement of the language standard flag on the compiler command line.
+For :ref:`Ninja Generators`, :ref:`Makefile Generators`, and
+:generator:`Xcode`, CMake places the language standard flag just after
+the language-wide flags from :variable:`CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS`
+and :variable:`CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG>`.
+
+.. versionchanged:: 3.26
+  The language standard flag is placed before flags specified by other
+  abstractions such as the :command:`target_compile_options` command.
+  Prior to CMake 3.26, the language standard flag was placed after them.
diff --git a/Help/release/dev/lang-std-flag-order.rst b/Help/release/dev/lang-std-flag-order.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ef4123
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Help/release/dev/lang-std-flag-order.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+lang-std-flag-order
+-------------------
+
+* :ref:`Language Standard Flags`, such as ``-std=c++11``, when generated due
+  to :command:`target_compile_features` or :variable:`CMAKE_<LANG>_STANDARD`,
+  are now placed before flags added by :command:`target_compile_options`,
+  rather than after them.