Visual Studio Code is a popular cross-platform text editor developed by Microsoft that supports a variety of programming languages, including C++.
It is free and open-source, making it an excellent choice for beginner and professional developers. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to install C++ Visual Studio Code on Windows.
Step 1: Download Visual Studio Code
The first step is to download Visual Studio Code from the official website. Visit https://code.visualstudio.com/download and download the appropriate version for your Windows operating system.
Step 2: Install Visual Studio Code
Once the download is complete, double-click on the downloaded file to launch the installation process.
The installation process is straightforward and involves selecting the installation directory and accepting the license terms.
Step 3: Install the C++ Extension
After installing Visual Studio Code, the next step is to install the C++ extension. The C++ extension adds support for C++ language features, including syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, and debugging capabilities.
To install the extension, follow these steps:
- Launch Visual Studio Code
- Click on the Extensions icon on the left-hand side of the window or press
Ctrl + Shift + X
. - In the search bar, type “C++”.
- From the search results, select “C++” by Microsoft and click on the “Install” button.
- Wait for the installation to complete and then click on the “Reload” button to activate the extension.
Step 4: Install the C++ Compiler
To compile C++ code, you need a compiler. Microsoft provides a compiler for C++ called the Microsoft C++ Build Tools. You can download and install the build tools by following these steps:
- Visit the following website: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/visual-cpp-build-tools/
- Download the Build Tools for Visual Studio 2019.
- Run the downloaded file to launch the Visual Studio Installer.
- Select “C++ build tools” from the list of available components and click on the “Install” button.
- Wait for the installation to complete.
Step 5: Create a New C++ Project
After installing the C++ extension and the build tools, the next step is to create a new C++ project. To create a new project, follow these steps:
- Launch Visual Studio Code.
- Click on the “Explorer” icon on the left-hand side of the window or press
Ctrl + Shift + E
. - Click on the “New Folder” button to create a new folder for your project.
- Open the new folder by clicking on it.
- Click on the “New File” button to create a new file.
- Save the file with a
.cpp
extension.
Step 6: Write and Compile Your C++ Code
Now that you have created a new C++ project, you can write your code and compile it. To write your code, open the .cpp
file you created in the previous step and start writing your code. Once you have written your code, save the file.
To compile your code, follow these steps:
- Press
Ctrl + Shift + B
to open the “Command Palette”. - Type “Tasks: Run Build Task” and select it.
- Select “C++ build” from the list of available build tasks.
- Wait for the build process to complete.
Step 7: Run Your C++ Code
After compiling your code, you can run it. To run your code, follow these steps:
- Press
Ctrl + Shift + D
to open the “Debug” tab. - Click on the “Run” button to start debugging your code.
- Wait for the program to execute. The output will be displayed in the “Debug Console” tab.
If there are any errors or issues with your code, you can use the debug console to find and fix them. The debug console allows you to step through your code and inspect variables at each step.
Installing Visual Studio Code extensions for C++
After you’ve installed Visual Studio Code and the C++ extension, you can further enhance your coding experience by installing some C++ extensions.
Here are some popular extensions you can install:
a. C/C++ – This extension provides IntelliSense code completion, syntax highlighting, debugging, and more.
b. C++ Intellisense – This extension provides IntelliSense code completion for C++.
c. Code Runner – This extension allows you to run code snippets within Visual Studio Code.
d. Bracket Pair Colorizer – This extension helps you identify matching brackets by adding colors to them.
Writing your first C++ program in Visual Studio Code Now that you’ve installed Visual Studio Code and the necessary extensions, it’s time to write your first C++ program.
Here’s a simple “Hello World” program you can use as a starting point:
#include <iostream> using namespace std; int main() { cout << "Hello World!"; return 0; }
To create a new C++ file, go to File -> New File or press Ctrl+N. Save the file with a .cpp extension, such as “hello.cpp”. Then, copy and paste the above code into the file.
To compile and run the program, press F5 or go to Debug -> Start Debugging. Visual Studio Code will ask you to create a launch.json file if you haven’t already.
You can simply select “C++ (GDB/LLDB)” as the environment and Visual Studio Code will generate the launch.json file for you.
Once the program runs successfully, you should see the output “Hello World!” in the terminal.
Conclusion
Istalling C++ on Visual Studio Code is a straightforward process that can enhance your coding experience by providing a robust editor and helpful extensions.
By following the steps outlined in this article, you can quickly set up your environment and start writing C++ code in no time.
With Visual Studio Code, you can enjoy a powerful development environment that will help you become a proficient C++ programmer.