---
title: "target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:publicHeadersPath:cSettings:cxxSettings:swiftSettings:linkerSettings:)"
framework: packagedescription
role: symbol
role_heading: Type Method
path: "packagedescription/target/target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:publicheaderspath:csettings:cxxsettings:swiftsettings:linkersettings:)"
---

# target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:publicHeadersPath:cSettings:cxxSettings:swiftSettings:linkerSettings:)

Creates a library or executable target.

## Declaration

```swift
static func target(name: String, dependencies: [Target.Dependency] = [], path: String? = nil, exclude: [String] = [], sources: [String]? = nil, publicHeadersPath: String? = nil, cSettings: [CSetting]? = nil, cxxSettings: [CXXSetting]? = nil, swiftSettings: [SwiftSetting]? = nil, linkerSettings: [LinkerSetting]? = nil) -> Target
```

## Parameters

- `name`: The name of the target.
- `dependencies`: The dependencies of the target. A dependency can be another target in the package or a product from a package dependency.
- `path`: The custom path for the target. By default, the Swift Package Manager requires a target’s sources to reside at predefined search paths; for example, [PackageRoot]/Sources/[TargetName]. Don’t escape the package root; for example, values like ../Foo or /Foo are invalid.
- `exclude`: A list of paths to files or directories that the Swift Package Manager shouldn’t consider to be source or resource files. Paths are relative to the target’s directory. This parameter has precedence over the doc://org.swift.swiftpm.packagedescription/documentation/PackageDescription/Target/sources parameter.
- `sources`: An explicit list of source files. If you provide a path to a directory, the Swift Package Manager searches for valid source files recursively.
- `publicHeadersPath`: The directory containing public headers of a C-family library target.
- `cSettings`: The C settings for this target.
- `cxxSettings`: The C++ settings for this target.
- `swiftSettings`: The Swift settings for this target.
- `linkerSettings`: The linker settings for this target.

## Discussion

Discussion A target can contain either Swift or C-family source files, but not both. The Swift Package Manager considers a target to be an executable target if its directory contains a main.swift, main.m, main.c, or main.cpp file. The Swift Package Manager considers all other targets to be library targets.

## See Also

### Creating a Regular Target

- [target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:resources:publicHeadersPath:packageAccess:cSettings:cxxSettings:swiftSettings:linkerSettings:plugins:)](packagedescription/target/target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:resources:publicheaderspath:packageaccess:csettings:cxxsettings:swiftsettings:linkersettings:plugins:).md)
- [target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:resources:publicHeadersPath:cSettings:cxxSettings:swiftSettings:linkerSettings:plugins:)](packagedescription/target/target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:resources:publicheaderspath:csettings:cxxsettings:swiftsettings:linkersettings:plugins:).md)
- [target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:resources:publicHeadersPath:cSettings:cxxSettings:swiftSettings:linkerSettings:)](packagedescription/target/target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:resources:publicheaderspath:csettings:cxxsettings:swiftsettings:linkersettings:).md)
- [target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:publicHeadersPath:)](packagedescription/target/target(name:dependencies:path:exclude:sources:publicheaderspath:).md)