I just want to know if we can compile a single file/class in visual studio.I often change just a single file but end up compiling the entire project.THis might be a trivial case but will be very helpful:)
I am using visual studio 2005 working on C# project in .net 2.0
Ctrl+F7 will compile only the active source file.
Look for the Compile item at the bottom of the Build menu.
Of course, you'll still have to do a build before you can test, but if you just want a quick sanity check after modifying a source file, this can be handy.
The granularity of compilation is the DLL, so there is no way to do what you are asking.
Or do you mean that you compile the whole solution for a singe change (or at least VS checks if all projects require building) ? There is an option under 'project and solution' / 'Build and run', 'only build startup projects and dependencies on Run' that helps.
Edited: Ctrl-f7 for 'build file' is for C++ projects.
Okay, I think I know what you are looking for. I think there's a better way to word this, but what you need to do, is to open the Visual Studio Command Prompt Found in the Start Menu. Within it you can use the "cl" command to compile C/C++.
Usage: cl [ option... ] filename... [ /link linkoption... ]
As in:
cl /O2 test.c
Compile a project — ignoring all irrelevant files. (See also https://stackoverflow.com/a/18940150/2422360 for an answer I wrote that has a fuller look at this.)
Related
Can Visual Studio build Solutions without a Compile step? I have a Pre-Build event that builds a .obj library and I just want the Visual Studio .sln to link against it. If I put a dummy Main.cpp file in the Solution, it will Compile that, then link against my Prebuild Event output. Without this dummy file though, the Linking never occurs.
I could put a Post-Build event Link in there, but the default Linking step has a lot of (Macro?) values that expand to directories that I would not want to try and mimic. I just want this VS Solution so it's easier as a link-only build script. The Pre-build event assembles some fasmg assembly sources.
Much appreciated..!
(This may be a duplicate question, but I could not find the duplicate. Will remove if so.)
Is it possible that I can just compile all CPP files under a project and without linking etc. the project?
The only way I know to do this is by specify the /c switch when you compile the code. Unfortunately, this option is not available from within the Visual Studio development environment, so you'll need to build your code on the command line by calling cl.exe directly. To make things easy on yourself, use the Visual Studio Command Prompt to do so.
Not sure if it's possible to get MSBuild to do this, the documentation is unclear whether the limitation is Visual Studio itself or if it's a limitation of MSBuild. I haven't actually tried for myself.
Alternatively, you can build individual source files from within the IDE by pressing Ctrl+F7 (at least, assuming the default C++ development settings). If that fails, it's also available as the "Compile" option located in the "Build" menu.
I'm not sure whether this will do what you need, but may be worth a try: create a project for an executable (rather than a library) and include all cpp files in it. Add a main() function that just returns zero. Set the C++ optimisation option to 'optimise references' (/OPT:REF). This may just compile all the cpp files but effectively ignore them during the link stage since none of them are referenced by the application.
You don't say why you need to do this - is it because linking takes a huge amount of time?
Greetings all,
I'm working with a C# solution in VS 2010. Right now, since I'm targeting AnyCPU, when I want to build my installer, I can just select Release mode and hit build and everything is done for me. However, pretty soon I'm going to have to add a C++ DLL project to the solution to accomplish some low-level stuff. To avoid having two different download links for x86 and x64, I'd like to include both builds in my installer. But, it will be very annoying if I have to have separate configurations for x86 and x64. I'll have to build one, then the other, then package it up. Is there some way I can get Visual Studio to compile both the x86 and x64 builds of the C++ project as part of Release mode?
Well, I found a solution. Just make two projects, one for x86 build and one for x64 build, referencing the same source files. It's ugly, but it works.
I think that you will have to manually edit the proj files to ensure that the msbuild instructions are correct. I suspect it's not a hard job.
Just add executing command to build such configuration in PostBuild event of C++ DLL project. Use macroses and help of "devenv /?".
AFAIR e.g.:
devenv $(SolutionName) /project $(ProjectName) /ProjectConfig "Release|x64"
I have to compile one executable on Windows, the first time. I'm using visual studio 2003 and want the equivalent of a command line macro definition.
What's the VS equivalent of g++ -Dthismacro=1?
Update
For VS 2003, I found it this way. Right clicking on the project, I go to "Properties". From there, it's Configuration Properties -> C/C++ -> Preprocessor -> Preprocessor Definitions
since you seem to be coming from a linux-flavor, why not use the commandline: the argument for macro definition is actually the same, except the compiler executable is cl and not g++:
cl -Dthismacro=1
although the documentation says the convention is to use /D, most (all?) arguments can be used with the - switch.
When using visual Studio, you can verify this: if you add a preprocessor symbol the way earlz suggested, this can be seen as /D"thismacro=1" option under Configuration->C/C++->Command Line
If you right click on the project, it should bring up a project configuration page. Goto "build" and then you should be able to define preprocessor symbols.. (hopefully it works the same in 2003 as 2008)
Is there a way to compile a .vbproj or .csproj project file directly, just like Visual Studio does?
When you compile in Visual Studio, the "output" window shows the actual call to the compiler, which normally looks like:
vbc.exe [bunch of options] [looooong list of .vb files]
I would like to programatically call "something" that would take the .vbproj file and do whatever Visual Studio does to generate this long command line. I know i could parse the .vbproj myself and generate that command line, but I'd rather save myself all the reverse engineering and trial-and-error...
Is there a tool to do this? I'd rather be able to do it in a machine without having Visual Studio installed. However, if there's a way to call Visual Studio with some parameters to do it, then that'll be fine too.
I looked briefly at MSBuild, and it looks like it works from a .proj project file that i'd have to make especially, and that I'd need to update every time I add a file to the .vbproj file. (I did look briefly at it, so it's very likely I missed something important)
Any help will be greatly appreciated
MSBuild is the easiest way to go. For instance:
msbuild /property:Configuration=Release MyFile.vbproj
MSBuild can also take your solution file and use it to do the compile.
You can use either MSBUILD or CSC. MSBuild, which as you mentioned, does use your project and solution files. CSC will compile specific files, or all files in a specific directory tree.
You should also look at automating your builds with NAnt and/or CruiseControl.net.
Also, here is an example on how to compile your code without visual studio using CSC.
http://blog.slickedit.com/?p=163
Just so you know .vbproj and .csproj files are MSBuild. So everything that you've read, you can apply to those files directly.
Sayed Ibrahim Hashimi
My Book: Inside the Microsoft Build Engine : Using MSBuild and Team Foundation Build
In project solution folder:
msbuild wpfapp1.sln /p:BuildProjectReferences=true
MSbuild is usually located in:
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319
(or something similar, depending on the version)
csc.exe compiles files, msbuild compiles projects and solutions
At the top of a .vbproj file is a . Add this line to the property group to suppress the VB runtime:
<NoVBRuntimeReference>On</NoVBRuntimeReference>
MSBuild does the rest. No need to use the command line if you have the IDE.