{"id":245682,"date":"2023-11-01T08:16:24","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T15:16:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/visualstudio\/?p=245682"},"modified":"2023-11-01T08:16:24","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T15:16:24","slug":"latest-updates-for-cmake-development-in-visual-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/visualstudio\/latest-updates-for-cmake-development-in-visual-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"Latest Updates for CMake Development in Visual Studio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Visual Studio has native <\/strong><\/span>CMake<\/span><\/strong> integration<\/strong> that allows C++ users to build and develop using <\/span>CMake and supports their unique needs<\/span>.<\/span> CMake<\/span> is a cross-platform build tool for C++ and with Visual Studio\u2019s latest tools, users can be more productive when it comes to configu<\/span>ring with <\/span>CMake<\/span>. To learn more about Visual Studio\u2019s <\/span>CMake<\/span> integration, please see our documentation: <\/span><\/span>CMake<\/span> projects in Visual Studio | Microsoft Learn.<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To add to the available tools for your <\/span>CMake<\/span> workflows,<\/span> in the last year,<\/span> we<\/span> have delivered a new <\/strong><\/span>CMake<\/span><\/strong> debugger<\/strong> that allows users to debug their CMakeLists.txt files just like <\/span>you<\/span> would any other C++ file.<\/span> Additionally, Visual Studio\u2019s <\/span>CMake<\/span> integration<\/span> includes the <\/strong><\/span>CMake<\/span> Targets View, which <\/span>allows<\/span> users<\/span> to visualize <\/span>your<\/span> CMake<\/span> project structure by the <\/span>CMake<\/span><\/strong> targets<\/strong> and build specified target libraries<\/span> rather than the traditional folder structure<\/span> available through the Folder View in the Solution Explorer<\/span>.<\/span> To make this <\/span>view easier<\/span> to navigate, we have implemented a few new improvements<\/span> such as simplified source navigation and allowing for customized targets to <\/span>exclude<\/span> from the view<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Debug your CMake scripts with the new CMake Debugger<\/h3>\n

The VS CMake team has worked closely with Kitware on developing a debugger for CMake scripts in the Visual Studio IDE, with the upstreamed work available in the 3.27 release of CMake. This way, you can dive right into debugging your CMakeLists.txt files behind your CMake builds and understand the state of various variables during your configure.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To initiate a CMake debugging session, you can select <\/span>Configure [Project Name] with CMake Debugger<\/span><\/i> from the Project dropdown menu, or when right-clicking on your CMakeLists.txt file in the Solution Explorer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Project<\/a><\/p>\n

When <\/span>CMake<\/span> cache generation on your project fails, a \u201cDebug\u201d link will also be available in the Solution Explorer to start a <\/span>CMake<\/span> debugging session.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

From here, you can do a<\/span>ny actions you can do in your other Visual Studio debugging sessions, such as view call stacks, view <\/span>CMake<\/span> cache variables<\/span> and target<\/span>s<\/span>, set breakpoints on <\/span>CMake<\/span> exceptions<\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span>set watches on variables<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

CMake Targets View Improvements<\/h3>\n

The <\/span>CMake<\/span> Targets View in Visual Studio can be helpful to <\/span>CMake<\/span> users to have <\/span>a different way<\/span> to visual<\/span>ize their project by the buildable targets rather than a traditional folder structure. <\/span>Users can switch to the <\/span>CMake<\/span> Targets View easier than ever <\/span>when right-clicking in <\/span>your<\/span> Solution Explorer<\/span> in a <\/span>CMake<\/span> project<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Option<\/p>\n

Additionally, it can be found at View > <\/em><\/span>CMake<\/span><\/em> Targets<\/em> at any point in a <\/span>CMake<\/span> project.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Option<\/a><\/p>\n

From the Targets View, you\u2019ll be able to see the list of all your buildable targets, with options to build or debug from here.<\/span> You will only see the folders with buildable executables, making it easier than ever to navigate to your desired targets.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"CMake<\/a><\/p>\n

You can define items to hide from this view that are not active targets you are working with through your <\/span>VSWorkspaceSettings.json<\/span> in the<\/span><\/span> CMakeTargetsViewExcludedItems<\/span> <\/span><\/code>field. This field supports the following syntax and identifiers:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cidentifiers\u201d<\/span>:<\/span><\/b>\u202fCMakeProject<\/code><\/span>,\u202f<\/span>CMakeTarget<\/span>,\u202f<\/span>CMakeReference<\/span>,<\/span>\u202fCMakeFolder<\/span>,\u202f<\/span>CMakeFile<\/span><\/code>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Syntax for the\u202f<\/code><\/span>CMakeTargetsViewExcludedItems<\/span><\/code>\u202fis the following<\/span>:\u202f<\/span><identifier>:<name><\/span><\/code>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This will specify any identifier with the specified name.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n