Setting Up the Visual Studio Code Environment

In this guide, you will learn how to install Visual Studio Code, the necessary build tools, and CMake on your system. We'll outline the steps for different operating systems, although the general instructions are similar across platforms.

Installation of C++ Tools

Windows

Follow these steps to install the Build Tools for Visual Studio:

  1. Navigate to the Visual Studio download page.

  2. Choose Visual Studio Community—a free option for individual developers—and click "Free download."

  3. Save the installer file to your computer.

    Download Page

  4. Execute the installer and select the "Desktop development with C++" workload, which includes the necessary MSVC compiler, Windows SDK, and C++ components.

    Installer

Linux

For Linux distributions, install the build-essential package which provides the GNU C/C++ compiler and other development tools:

  • Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt install build-essential
  • Arch Linux: sudo pacman -Sy base-devel (Note: The package is base-devel, not build-essential which is for Debian-based systems.)
  • Fedora: sudo dnf install make automake gcc gcc-c++ kernel-devel

macOS

For macOS, install the Xcode command line tools to obtain the required Clang C++ compiler and other essential tools:

xcode-select --install

Installation of CMake

CMake is an essential suite of open-source tools used to build, test, and package software. It facilitates building and running C++ programs and provides autocompletion in VSCode.

Windows

  1. Download the CMake installer for Windows from the CMake download page.
  2. Upon executing the installer, select "Add CMake to the system PATH for all users" or "Add CMake to the system PATH for the current user" during the installation process.

Linux

Use your distribution's package manager to install CMake. Here are the commands for common distributions:

  • Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt install cmake
  • Arch Linux: sudo pacman -Sy cmake
  • Fedora: sudo dnf install cmake

macOS

The easiest way to install CMake on macOS is through Homebrew:

brew install cmake

For Homebrew installation, visit https://brew.sh/.

Installation of Visual Studio Code (VSCode)

VSCode is a versatile and lightweight IDE that supports C++ development. Here's how to install it:

Windows

  1. Access the VSCode download page and fetch the Windows installer.
  2. Execute the installer and accept the default settings unless you have specific preferences.

Linux

Ubuntu and Debian-Based Distributions

Download the .deb package for Debian/Ubuntu from the VSCode download page. Then in the terminal:

cd ~/Downloads
sudo dpkg -i code_*.deb
# Run the following if there are dependency issues:
sudo apt-get install -f

Fedora, Red Hat, and RPM-Based Distributions

Fetch the .rpm package and use the terminal:

cd path/to/download
sudo dnf install code_*.rpm

Arch Linux and Arch-Based Distributions

In the terminal, choose from the community repository or the official one for the open-source build (VSCode OSS):

sudo pacman -Syu code       # For Visual Studio Code
# Or
sudo pacman -Syu code-oss  # For Visual Studio Code - OSS

macOS

  1. Navigate to the VSCode download page and acquire the macOS version.
  2. Open the .zip file, which will unpack Visual Studio Code.app.
  3. Move Visual Studio Code.app to your "Applications" folder.
  4. Start VSCode from the "Applications" folder or via Spotlight.

Configuring VSCode Extensions

  1. Open up Visual Studio Code.
  2. Access the Extensions view by clicking the square icon on the sidebar or using Ctrl+Shift+X.
  3. Install the following essential extensions:
    • clangd for C/C++ language support
    • CMake to enable CMake language features
    • CMake Tools to enhance the CMake experience

Creating Your First C++ Project

Let's put your setup to the test by creating a simple C++ project:

  1. Launch VSCode and go to the "File" menu. Choose "Open Folder..." to make a directory for your new project.
  2. In your project folder, create a file named CMakeLists.txt and configure your project: 
    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
project(MyFirstProject)
add_executable(MyFirstProject main.cpp)
  3. Create a main.cpp file and paste the code belo: 
    #include <iostream>

int main() {
    std::cout << "Hello world!" << std::endl;
    return 0;
}
  4. Press Ctrl + P to bring up the command palette and run > CMake: Configure to configure your project. (Remember to add each new source file to add_executable and reconfigure afterwards.)
  5. Use the run button at the bottom of the VSCode window to execute your application.

Congratulations! Your development environment is now set up, and you are ready to dive into C++ programming with Visual Studio Code.