Building C/C++ Programs

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The new home for Visual Studio documentation is Visual Studio 2017 Documentation on docs.microsoft.com.

The latest version of this topic can be found at Building C/C++ Programs.

You can build Visual C++ projects either in Visual Studio or on the command line. The Visual Studio IDE uses MSBuild to build projects and solutions. On the command line, you can use the C/C++ compiler (cl.exe) and linker (link.exe) to build simple projects. To build more complex projects on the command line, you can use MSBuild or NMAKE. For an overview about how to use Visual Studio to build projects and solutions, see Compiling and Building.

In This Section

Building C++ Projects in Visual Studio
Discusses how to use the Visual Studio IDE to build your C/C++ project.

Building on the Command Line
Discusses how to use the C/C++ command-line compiler and build tools that are included in Visual Studio.

Building C/C++ Isolated Applications and Side-by-side Assemblies
Describes the deployment model for Windows Desktop applications, based on the idea of isolated applications and side-by-side assemblies.

C/C++ Building Reference
Provides links to reference articles about program building in C++, compiler and linker options, and various build tools.

Configuring Programs for 64-Bit
Describes how to configure both Visual Studio and the command line to use the 64-bit toolset and how to target 64-bit architectures, and discusses common migration issues when code is moved to 64-bit architectures.

Configuring Programs for ARM Processors
Describes the conventions used by ARM processors, and discusses common migration issues when code is moved to ARM architectures.

Configuring Programs for Windows XP
Describes how to set the Platform Toolset to target Windows XP development.

NIB: Samples Included in Visual C++
Provides links to sample code that shows the capabilities of Visual C++ and the libraries and technologies it supports.

Compiling and Building
Describes the Visual Studio build system and tools.