I want to compile file.obj from the commandline. Within the IDE, if I'm viewing file.cpp, I can click on Build -> Compile (or just hit Ctrl-F7), and it will compile just the file.obj object. I would like to be able to do this from the commandline. Ideally, something akin to:
vcbuild project.vcproj Debug file.obj // not a valid command
I have looked at the documentation for vcbuild, msbuild, and devenv. I've also experimented with all three, but I cannot find a way to do this. I can find a way to build an entire project, but that's not what I want. I want to build a specific source file. /pass1 tells vcbuild to just compile (not link), but it compiles the entire project.
I also looked at using cl, but that is just the compiler. In order to use it, I would have to know all the right parameters to pass to set up my environment correctly. All that is automatically taken care of with msbuild/vcbuild.
With Makefiles, I could always do make file.obj, and it would properly set path, include dirs, etc.
Any options for this? Is there an automated way to extract the appropriate settings from the .vcproj file, and pass them to cl?
Using cl is the way to compile single files from the command line. Like you say, it requires/allows you to specify exactly the options you want to use. All the options!
If you actually don't want to do that, why not use the IDE to have it done automagically for you? Why do it the hardest way, if you don't like that?
if you just want to compile the project, run the visual studio command line and call msbuild.
Example:
MSBuild.exe MyProj.proj /property:Configuration=Debug
this will compile the MyProj Project from the current directory.
more info on msbuild
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd393574.aspx
Or if you need to build a single file you can use cl as stated above. You can see all the parameters passed by visual studio to cl if you go in the properties of the project. Usually under:
Configuration Properties -> C/C++ -> Command Line
and for linking:
Configuration Properties -> Linker -> Command Line
Related
When I open a .cpp file separate of any project in MSVC, the debugging tools are greyed out and intellisense doesn't seem to be parsing the text. Is there a way to make it so when I open an individual .cpp file, I can compile it straight away without having to copy paste the code into a new project?
the debugging tools are greyed out and intellisense doesn't seem to be parsing the text. Is there a way to make it so when I open an individual .cpp file
You can't debug it, because there is no program. One file does not make a program. Project "makes" a program.
Is there a way to make it so when I open an individual .cpp file, I can compile it straight away without having to copy paste the code into a new project?
This won't work, because to compile even one file you might need specific compiler settings (include directories), which are specified within project.
However, you can use "Visual Studio command prompt", locate your file and run cl filename.cpp (filename.cpp is your file) command which will attempt to compile/link single file without specifying extra settings. You won't get assistance from ide in this case, but you might be able to compile it (assuming the file contains trivial program that doesn't need extra settings) and read any errors you get from command prompt.
No, there isn't. The minimum unit Visual Studio can build is a project.
I'd like to build all the configurations of a VS 2008 C++ project on the command line. Something like:
devenv TheProject.vcproj /build /nologo
But this doesn't work because the /build command insists on having a configuration following it like this:
devenv TheProject.vcproj /build "Release|Win32" /nologo
Is there a way to get a command line build of all configurations within the vcproj file?
I was thinking you can do what you want with MSBUILD, but it appears that it isn't much better for this than DEVENV.
You still have to specify each configuration on the command line, although it would be easy to write a batch file to accomplish this with either MSBUILD or DEVENV.
It looks like previous versions of the development environment may have supported an "ALL" option, but VS 2008 does not.
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/msbuild/thread/8701b3d0-d5c9-45fb-8dd4-e7700c8caca6/
Not directly, but you can have projects depend on other projects - so you could have an 'all' or 'install' project with a dependacy of everything else.
Haven't used VS in a long time. But the project properties panel used to show the command line generated for linking and compiling a project for a particular configuration. It used to be under the Advanced tab. Will using that directly from the command line serve your purpose? This method will not use the VS IDE at all.
Alternatively,
Steps:
Create a project which has a dependency on all other projects.
Write a script which builds this project with different configurations sequentially. You cannot create a single configuration which encapsulates all other configurations.
I have a source code for a project with their make files. I want to create a Visual Studio (2005) solution from it. Is there any direct way to do this? can anyone help me please. I spent hours for searching, but couldn't find a way to do this.
Thanks.
Unfortunately, Microsoft removed this capability after VC++ 6.
If all you're looking to do is to build a Visual Studio project from a command line or script, you can use the devenv command to build using the settings in a project.
Something like:
devenv /build debug /project myproj myapp.sln
Ans starting with VS2010, C++ projects will use the MSBuild system, so you can drive builds using that technology.
If you really want a makefile, you'll need to write it up by hand (or maybe there's some 3rd party tool out there that I'm unaware of).
I'm not sure whether this solution can help you. Which I tried and it worked well in my previous projects. It need manually add the files.
Create a blank VS solution/project. Add the source files into that project.
Mark all source files as "Excluded from building". You can right click the files in project explorer and find the setting. So now nothing will happen when you build your project.
In project setting, find something like "Custom build step". Add the commands that invoke your original build command. (You may write different build command for debug/release ). You can also set the post-build actions such to copy your result to some folder....
Now you can edit and build source files.
For my experience, I can even debug it after setting the executable.
Hope this can help you.
If this is a one-off then it is easier to just create the VS project manually in visual studio.
If you are going to need to do this often look at ceating the project in something like cmake or Qt's .pro whcihc an generate makefiles and VS build files from the same defintion.
Do you want to use the makefile to build? You can create a project from existing source in VS 2005 and setup the project to use make to build (and the wizard will take you through all of this).
I am using VS2010.In order to build you can create a project from existing code. In VS2010 you can create project from existing code File->New->Project from Existing code. You can specify the other parameters and then ready with the solution. I did not go with make file but followed this approach which is working great.
Is this valid?
MSBuild /t=all /configuration=all
I want to build ALL configurations of all projects in a sln file, etc from the command line using MSBuild in Visual Studio 2008.
I do not want to have to specify them when I call MSBuild, the sln/proj files all have that information. I don't want to change my build script if I add configurations to project files.
So for the target I can use BuildAll. If I leave the configuration empty will it build all or is "BuildALL" valid for configuration as well?
EDIT
essentially what I am asking is given an SLN or VCProj file, I want msbuild to iterate all configurations and build it itself, or alternatively some mechanism that will discover them so I don't have to specifically list them on the command line or in a script.
i.e. I don't want to update my build script when I add or remove a configuration. That seems like a pretty reasonable thing to want to do.
You can't by default build all configurations using MSBuild command line options. In order to do this you need to create a new target (VS Project).
The way I do it is:
msbuild /t:BuildAll /Configuration:"Debug;Release;ContinuousIntegration"
I make a standard Target, and call it BuildAll, and for every project I wanted to automate, I'd just create that Target and make it depend on all the targets you want to build automatically.
I have a tool that generates most (but not all) files that need to be compiled in Visual Studio. The tool reads a configuration file and generates c++ files afterwards. This list can differ from one call to another when the configuration is altered.
I am wondering whether it would be possible to adapt the compiling process to my needs, which would be :
Launch the tool (not needed if configuration file has been modified)
Retrieve new list of C++ files to be compiled (ideally isolated in a folder inside the project)
Compile C++ files
EDIT: Having to close Visual Studio for this process to work is a no-go for me. The idea would be to have cpp files dynamically added as the first step of the compilation process.
Use a pre-build step to run your tool.
Also, create a file containing the list of includes and sources
This file name should be fixed (so that you don't have to change project properties or the vcproj file) -- add it to the project. E.g:
Project Properties > Command Line > Additional Options > #headerListingFile
You are not trying to integrate lex/yacc output with VS, are you?
Would CMake help? It's an automated project manager that generates Makefiles and VS projects for projects you define. Just add a source file, re-run CMake and you're done.
I think what you should do is create a custom makefile and use that for builds.
Please see this page for more information.