You can't use Visual C++ in a plain command prompt window without doing some preparation. Visual C++ has complex requirements for the command-line environment to find the tools, headers, and libraries it uses.

To install only the command-line tools, look for Build Tools for Visual Studio on the Visual Studio Downloads page.īefore you can build a C or C++ program on the command line, verify that the tools are installed, and you can access them from the command line. It's perfect for build labs or classroom exercises and installs relatively quickly. The Build Tools for Visual Studio installs only the command-line compilers, tools, and libraries you need to build C and C++ programs. For information on how to download and install Visual Studio, see Install C++ support in Visual Studio. Versions available include the free Visual Studio Community edition, and all can support C and C++ development. It supports a full-featured editor, resource managers, debuggers, and compilers for many languages and platforms. Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE). To complete this walkthrough, you must have installed either Visual Studio and the optional Desktop development with C++ workload, or the command-line Build Tools for Visual Studio. Or, you can use a C++ code sample from another help article. In this walkthrough, you can use your own C++ program instead of typing the one that's shown.

If you'd like to try the Visual Studio IDE instead of using the command line, see Walkthrough: Working with Projects and Solutions (C++) or Using the Visual Studio IDE for C++ Desktop Development. In this walkthrough, you create a basic, 'Hello, World'-style C++ program by using a text editor, and then compile it on the command line. You can use it to create everything from basic console apps to Universal Windows Platform apps, Desktop apps, device drivers, and. Visual Studio includes a command-line C and C++ compiler.

Walkthrough: Compiling a Native C++ Program on the Command Line

Run c++ in visual studio