If we are building mlpack statically then build executable statically

README.md

@@ -211,8 +211,8 @@ Options are specified with the -D flag.  The allowed options include:
     BUILD_R_BINDINGS=(ON/OFF): whether or not to build R bindings
     R_EXECUTABLE=(/path/to/R): Path to specific R executable
     BUILD_TESTS=(ON/OFF): whether or not to build tests
-    BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=(ON/OFF): compile shared libraries as opposed to
-       static libraries
+    BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=(ON/OFF): compile shared libraries and executables as
+        opposed to static libraries
     DISABLE_DOWNLOADS=(ON/OFF): whether to disable all downloads during build
     DOWNLOAD_ENSMALLEN=(ON/OFF): If ensmallen is not found, download it
     ENSMALLEN_INCLUDE_DIR=(/path/to/ensmallen/include): path to include directory
@@ -224,6 +224,11 @@ Options are specified with the -D flag.  The allowed options include:
     BUILD_DOCS=(ON/OFF): build Doxygen documentation, if Doxygen is available
        (default ON)
 
+For example, to build mlpack library and CLI bindings statically the following
+command can be used:
+
+    $ cmake  -D BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF ../
+
 Other tools can also be used to configure CMake, but those are not documented
 here.  See [this section of the build guide](https://www.mlpack.org/doc/mlpack-git/doxygen/build.html#build_config)
 for more details, including a full list of options, and their default values.

doc/guide/build.hpp

@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ The full list of options mlpack allows:
        and Gonum exist. (default OFF)
  - BUILD_JULIA_BINDINGS=(ON/OFF): compile Julia bindings, if Julia is found
        (default OFF)
- - BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=(ON/OFF): compile shared libraries as opposed to
+ - BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=(ON/OFF): compile shared libraries and executables as opposed to
        static libraries (default ON)
  - TEST_VERBOSE=(ON/OFF): run test cases in \c mlpack_test with verbose output
        (default OFF)
@@ -209,17 +209,27 @@ The full list of options mlpack allows:
 Each option can be specified to CMake with the '-D' flag.  Other tools can also
 be used to configure CMake, but those are not documented here.
 
+For example, if you would like to build mlpack and its CLI bindings statically, then
+you need to execute the following commands:
+
+@code
+$ cd build
+$ cmake -D BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF ../
+@endcode
+
 In addition, the following directories may be specified, to find include files
 and libraries. These also use the '-D' flag.
 
  - ARMADILLO_INCLUDE_DIR=(/path/to/armadillo/include/): path to Armadillo headers
  - ARMADILLO_LIBRARY=(/path/to/armadillo/libarmadillo.so): location of Armadillo
        library
  - BOOST_ROOT=(/path/to/boost/): path to root of boost installation
+ - CEREAL_INCLUDE_DIR=(/path/to/cereal/include): path to include directory for
+       cereal
  - ENSMALLEN_INCLUDE_DIR=(/path/to/ensmallen/include): path to include directory
        for ensmallen
  - STB_IMAGE_INCLUDE_DIR=(/path/to/stb/include): path to include directory for
-      STB image library
+       STB image library
  - MATHJAX_ROOT=(/path/to/mathjax): path to root of MathJax installation
 
 @section build_build Building mlpack

src/mlpack/bindings/cli/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -50,11 +50,21 @@ if (BUILD_CLI_EXECUTABLES)
   add_executable(mlpack_${name}
     ${name}_main.cpp
   )
-  target_link_libraries(mlpack_${name}
-    mlpack
-    ${ARMADILLO_LIBRARIES}
-    ${COMPILER_SUPPORT_LIBRARIES}
-  )
+  # Build mlpack CLI binding binaries statically.
+  if(NOT BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    target_link_libraries(mlpack_${name} -static
+      mlpack
+      ${ARMADILLO_LIBRARIES}
+      ${COMPILER_SUPPORT_LIBRARIES}
+    )
+  else()
+    # Build mlpack CLI binding binaries dynamically.
+    target_link_libraries(mlpack_${name}
+      mlpack
+      ${ARMADILLO_LIBRARIES}
+      ${COMPILER_SUPPORT_LIBRARIES}
+    )
+  endif()
   # Make sure that we set BINDING_TYPE to cli so the command-line program is
   # compiled with the correct int main() call.
   set_target_properties(mlpack_${name} PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS

src/mlpack/tests/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -175,12 +175,21 @@ add_executable(mlpack_test
   main_tests/test_helper.hpp
 )
 
-# Link dependencies of test executable.
-target_link_libraries(mlpack_test
-  mlpack
-  ${ARMADILLO_LIBRARIES}
-  ${COMPILER_SUPPORT_LIBRARIES}
-)
+if(NOT BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+# Build mlpack test executable statically.
+  target_link_libraries(mlpack_test -static
+    mlpack
+    ${ARMADILLO_LIBRARIES}
+    ${COMPILER_SUPPORT_LIBRARIES}
+  )
+else()
+  # Build mlpack test executable dynamically.
+  target_link_libraries(mlpack_test
+    mlpack
+    ${ARMADILLO_LIBRARIES}
+    ${COMPILER_SUPPORT_LIBRARIES}
+  )
+endif()
 
 set_target_properties(mlpack_test PROPERTIES COTIRE_CXX_PREFIX_HEADER_INIT "../core.hpp")
 cotire(mlpack_test)