How to Use Visual Studio with C++

Before we start programming in C++, we need to install an integrated development environment (IDE). Visual Studio is one of the most comprehensive and widely used for programming in C++.

Visual Studio is available for Windows and its download is free in the Community version, which includes all the necessary tools for C++ development.

Let’s see how to install it and how to configure it for C++-👇

Installing Visual Studio

Before configuring Visual Studio, we need to install it. Simply Visit the official Visual Studio site https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/es/ and select the Community version of Visual Studio.

Once the installer is downloaded, run it to start the installation process. During installation, Visual Studio will allow you to choose the tools and components you want to install.

For C++, select the option Desktop development with C++. Then click Install (be patient, it may take a while).

Creating a C++ Project

To create a new C++ project in Visual Studio, click on File and then on New Project.

Choose the C++ Console Application template. This type of project is ideal for learning and practicing, as it allows you to run and see results directly in the console.

Now we need to give the project a name, select the location where you want to save it, and click Create.

Finally, the main editor window will open, with the main.cpp file created and ready for you to put in your code.

Writing and Running Code in C++

You can start writing your code in the main.cpp file that was automatically created when you set up the project. For example,

#include <iostream>

int main() {
    std::cout << "Hello, world in C++ from LuisLlamas.es!" << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

Compilation and Execution

To run your program click on Debug > Start Debugging (or press F5). Visual Studio will analyze the code for errors and compile it.

When running the program, a console window will open displaying the message

Hello, world in C++ from LuisLlamas.es!

Congratulations, you now have Visual Studio ready to work with C++.

Build Configuration

Visual Studio allows you to build in two main configurations: Debug and Release.

• Debug is used for development and debugging.
• Release is used when you want to generate an optimized version for distribution.

You can select the desired configuration from the top bar of Visual Studio, where the dropdown list appears with Debug and Release options.

Debugging

One of the main advantages of using Visual Studio is that its debugging tools are fantastic, and they make it much easier to find and fix errors.

To do this, we can set breakpoints to the left of the line of code where you want the program to stop.

The program will run until it reaches the breakpoint, allowing you to examine the state of the program. This is useful for seeing the state of variables and logic at different points in the program.

There are many more debugging tools, such as conditional breakpoints, stack visualization… you can explore them gradually.

Environment Configuration for C++

Generally, in any project, you will need to configure options. And, honestly, it’s not one of the prettiest parts of MSVC (not everything is going to be beautiful).

To access the options, right-click on the project and select Properties.

For example, we can select the version of C++ that we are going to use, under C/C++ Settings > General. In C++ Standard, select the version you want to use, like C++17 or C++20.

From here you can also Configure the include directories. If your project needs external libraries, you will need to tell Visual Studio where those directories are.

This is done in Project > Properties > C/C++ > General > Additional Include Directories.