C++ Team Blog
The latest in C++, Visual Studio, VS Code, and vcpkg from the MSFT C++ team
Latest posts
Introducing Sample Profile Guided Optimization in MSVC
Profile Guided Optimization (PGO) has long been one of the most powerful tools in the MSVC compiler's arsenal for improving the runtime performance of C and C++ applications. By using execution profile data collected from representative workloads, PGO enables the compiler to make smarter decisions about inlining, code layout, and hot/cold code separation - decisions that are impossible to make from static analysis alone. In practice, PGO can deliver large performance improvements for C/C++ code. Today, we're introducing Sample Profile Guided Optimization (SPGO), a new approach to profile-guided optimization th...
NuGet PackageReference for C++ Projects in Visual Studio
Native C++ projects (.vcxproj) now support NuGet PackageReference, the same modern package management experience .NET developers have used for years. Available as an experimental feature in Visual Studio 2026 version 18.7.
Segment Heap support for C++ projects in Visual Studio
Learn how Visual Studio enables Segment Heap by default for new C++ projects and how to adopt and verify it in existing builds.
MSVC Build Tools Preview updates – May 2026
Try the latest updates to MSVC Build Tools Preview
MSVC Build Tools version 14.51 (GA) now available
MSVC Build Tools v14.51 GA available in Visual Studio 2026 18.6
Project-Specific Build Optimizations with GitHub Copilot
We are excited to announce that GitHub Copilot build performance for Windows now supports project-specific builds! Available in the latest Visual Studio Insiders, you can target a single MSBuild project or CMake target instead of analyzing your entire solution. For game developers and teams working with large codebases, this eliminates the need to wait for a full-solution build when you only want to optimize one project. Since launching GitHub Copilot build performance for Windows in Public Preview, we have received a lot of feedback from game studios working on large engines and enterprise monorepos. Rebuildi...
What’s New in vcpkg (Apr 2026)
These updates include improved locking for parallel builds, cross-platform PE dependency analysis, manifest support for the depend-info command, and other improvements and bug fixes.
Giving Copilot more C++ context using custom instructions in VS Code
In February, we announced how GitHub Copilot can now use C++ symbol context and CMake build configuration awareness to deliver smarter suggestions in Visual Studio Code. Today, we're excited to share new ways to further enhance your C++ development experience with Copilot and get the most out of the language-driven suggestions, by leveraging custom instructions designed specifically for C++ language tools. Enabling Custom Instructions You can access these custom instructions in the awesome-copilot repo, a community-driven collection of instructions, prompts, and configurations to help users get the most out of...
Take the 2026 ISO C++ Developer Survey!
The 2026 ISO C++ developer survey is now open: 2026 Annual C++ Developer Survey "Lite" : Standard C++ It takes about 10 minutes and directly informs the standardization committee and tooling vendors so the C++ ecosystem can continue evolving the right way. Please share your feedback and share with your colleagues!