Configure Visual Studio Code for C\C++

We are going to see how to configure microsoft visual studio code for running c and c++ program

Installation of MinGW

• Download MinGW from link given below.

Download Link : https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw/

• Run mingw-get-setup.

• A window will be appeared like this , Click on Install

• Continue with default Installation Directory or change directory by clicking on Change and click on Continue

• An Installation wizard as shown above will be visible after clicking on Continue , wait for the download process to be completed

• Click on Continue

• A Package installtion window will appear as shown in the image above . Click on each package >> Select Mark for Installation

• Select all package as shown above

• Click on Installation >> Select Apply Changes

• A Prompt window will appear . Click on Apply

• A window will appear as shown above . Wait until the download get completed

• After the installation of all packages . Click on Close

Adding Path

• Open File Explorer

• Right-Click on This PC >> Click on Properties

• Click on Advanced system settings

• Click on Environment Variables...

• Click on New... in User variables

• Give Variable name: Path and Variable value: C:\MinGW\bin . Click on OK , Change Variable value, if you have given different directory location at time of installation of MinGW

• Now we can see in the above image, Path is added in User variables

• Now to verify all the steps are followed correctly , Open Command Prompt and Type

g++ --version

• Then type

gdb --version

• If you get similar output after running both command , you have successfully installed MinGW and set path

VS Code Installation and Setting up

• Download Visual Studio Code from Download Link given below.

Download Link : https://code.visualstudio.com/download

• Run VSCodeUserSetup .

• Check I accept the agreement ,Click Next>

• Continue with default directory location or Change directory location by Clicking on Browse..., Click on Next>

• Click on Next>

• Check all required Additional Tasks , Click on Next>

• Click on Install

• Check Launch Visual Studio Code , Click on Finish

• You will see Visual Studio Code as shown above when launched for first time

• Click on Extensions as shown in the above image or use Ctrl+Shift+X

• Search for c/c++ in search box as shown above image , Select C/C++ , Click on Install

• Search for code runner in search box , Select Code Runner , Click on Install

• Click on Explorer as shown in the above image or use Ctrl+Shift+E
• Click on use Open Folder

• Create a folder or Select a folder . Click on Select Folder

• Click on New Untitled File as show in the above image

• Create a file with *.cpp as extenstion as shown in image above

• Click on Run >> Add Configuration...

• Select C++(GDB/LLDB)

• Select g++.exe

• After a while you can see a similar screen as shown above with configuration file launch.json
• Select *.cpp file (test.cpp in my case) which is blank file

#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
main(){
cout <<"hello";
}

• Copy the above code

• Paste it in *.cpp file and save it , use Ctrl+S

• Click on Termianl >> Run Build Task... or press Ctrl+Shift+B

• If Build is successful you will get a message : (Build finished successfully.) as shown above in the image
• Restart Visual Studio Code or Close and Reopen Visual Studio Code

• Click on Run Code button as shown in the image above

• the ouput hello is printed in TERMINAL as shown in the image above

After ward you can change program or create new file with extenstion (*.cpp) for c++ program or (*.c) for c program , save it , then run code using Run Code button