CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION

The description of the top level project.

This variable holds the description of the project as specified in the top level CMakeLists.txt file by a project() command. In the event that the top level CMakeLists.txt contains multiple project() calls, the most recently called one from that top level CMakeLists.txt will determine the value that CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION contains. For example, consider the following top level CMakeLists.txt:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
project(First DESCRIPTION "I am First")
project(Second DESCRIPTION "I am Second")
add_subdirectory(sub)
project(Third DESCRIPTION "I am Third")

And sub/CMakeLists.txt with the following contents:

project(SubProj DESCRIPTION "I am SubProj")
message("CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION = ${CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION}")

The most recently seen project() command from the top level CMakeLists.txt would be project(Second ...), so this will print:

CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION = I am Second

To obtain the description from the most recent call to project() in the current directory scope or above, see the PROJECT_DESCRIPTION variable.