Cmake and vcpkg - find the correct library name - cmake

Question

I have troubles finding out the right "library target name" to be used in a cmake file, for packages installed using vcpkg.
In example, I installed the gtest package using vcpkg install gtest. My sample cmake file looks like:
#CMakeLists.txt
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
project(example)
add_executable(main main.cpp)
find_package(gtest REQUIRED)
target_link_libraries(main gtest) # here, "gtest" is not the right name!
Running cmake, a solution for Visual Studio is generated, but after running cmake --build ., I get the error:
../use-cmake-vcpkg\main.cpp(1): fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'gtest/gtest.h': No such file or directory ..
Turns out the line: target_link_libraries(main gtest) isn't correct, and I need to use another "name" to include/link the gtest package.
Is there a way (using cmake or vcpkg) to find out what is the correct target name to be used? (for gtest in this case, but also for any other pacakage?)

Answer 1

When use find_package(XXX), it can work in two modes: MODULE and CONFIG. And resulted variables and targets of this call depend on the mode.
If FindXXX.cmake file exists (and can be found), the MODULE mode is used and given file is processed. Otherwise, if the package is shipped with XXXConfig.cmake file, CONFIG mode is used and given file is processed. If none of this file exists, CMake emits an error (if called with REQUIRED keyword) or a warning (without REQUIRED keyword).
In case of gtest package, CMake is shipped with FindXXX.cmake script, so this script is processed in MODULE mode. You may find description of this script in the documentation, which tells that you need to use GTest::GTest target for link with gtest:
target_link_libraries(main GTest::GTest)

Answer 2

Not all packages provide a CMake library definition. If you're lucky, then vcpkg install will show you the name:
$ ./vcpkg install openssl
The package openssl is compatible with built-in CMake targets:
find_package(OpenSSL REQUIRED)
target_link_libraries(main PRIVATE OpenSSL::SSL OpenSSL::Crypto)
This will work even if you've already installed the package, so you can use it anytime to query the package name.
On the other hand, if vcpkg install <pkg> doesn't say anything about CMake, then you need to include it manually in your CMake file, by finding the include path and the library files.
Here is an example of such a case, here for the live555 library:
# Use one of the headers to locate the include location
find_path(LIVE555_INCLUDE_DIR liveMedia.hh)
# Find the libraries
find_library(LIVE555_LIBRARY1 liveMedia)
find_library(LIVE555_LIBRARY2 groupsock)
find_library(LIVE555_LIBRARY3 BasicUsageEnvironment)
find_library(LIVE555_LIBRARY4 UsageEnvironment)
add_executable(rtsp testRTSPClient.cpp)
target_include_directories(rtsp PRIVATE ${LIVE555_INCLUDE_DIR})
target_link_libraries(rtsp PRIVATE ${LIVE555_LIBRARY1} ${LIVE555_LIBRARY2} ${LIVE555_LIBRARY3} ${LIVE555_LIBRARY4})