Add options to specify linker tool

Offer the capability, through variable `CMAKE_LINKER_TYPE`, as well as
the target property `LINKER_TYPE` to specify which linker must be used.

The implementation of this capability is specified by variables specific
to the language and linker type: `CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_<TYPE>`.
Some definitions are provided as part of `CMake`.

For example, to select the `LLVM` linker rather than the standard one,
the type `LLD` should be specified through the variable `CMAKE_LINKER_TYPE`.
And, on `Apple`, `Linux` and some environments on `Windows`, the variable
`CMAKE_<LANG>_USING_LINKER_LLD` has value `-fuse-ld=lld`. And for `Windows`
environments  based on `MSVC`, where the linker is used directly, the tool
`lld-link.exe` will be used rather than `link.exe`.

Fixes: #19174, #24254, #24990

1 files changed, 7 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h
index bf49914..a32c5d8 100644
--- a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h
+++ b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h
@@ -205,6 +205,9 @@ public:
   cmValue GetFeature(const std::string& feature,
                      const std::string& config) const;
 
+  std::string GetLinkerTypeProperty(std::string const& lang,
+                                    std::string const& config) const;
+
   const char* GetLinkPIEProperty(const std::string& config) const;
 
   bool IsIPOEnabled(std::string const& lang, std::string const& config) const;
@@ -788,6 +791,10 @@ public:
 
   //! Return the preferred linker language for this target
   std::string GetLinkerLanguage(const std::string& config) const;
+  //! Return the preferred linker tool for this target
+  std::string GetLinkerTool(const std::string& config) const;
+  std::string GetLinkerTool(const std::string& lang,
+                            const std::string& config) const;
 
   /** Does this target have a GNU implib to convert to MS format?  */
   bool HasImplibGNUtoMS(std::string const& config) const;