{"id":27606,"date":"2021-02-17T23:42:46","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T23:42:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/cppblog\/?p=27606"},"modified":"2023-07-18T18:09:58","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T18:09:58","slug":"now-announcing-makefile-support-in-visual-studio-code","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/cppblog\/now-announcing-makefile-support-in-visual-studio-code\/","title":{"rendered":"Now announcing: Makefile support in Visual Studio Code!"},"content":{"rendered":"

This blog post has been updated with the latest Makefile Tools experience as of July 18th, 2023<\/div><\/p>\n

We are excited to announce a brand-new extension for building and debugging Makefile projects in Visual Studio Code: Makefile Tools (preview)<\/a>! The extension is in pilot stages, but we\u2019ve curated a list of over 70 popular opensource Makefile projects<\/a> that work with Makefile Tools. Give it a try and let us know what you think!<\/p>\n

Installing the extension<\/h2>\n

First, install the Makefile Tools extension<\/a> from the VS Code Marketplace.<\/p>\n

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

Activating the extension<\/h2>\n

Once the extension is installed, it will activate when it finds a Makefile in your\u00a0project\u2019s root folder. If your project\u2019s Makefile is not in the root folder, you can use the\u00a0Makefile Path<\/strong> setting to instruct the extension where to find it. Update Makefile Path<\/strong> by going to\u00a0File<\/strong>\u00a0>\u00a0Preferences<\/strong>\u00a0>\u00a0Settings<\/strong>\u00a0and then selecting makefile<\/strong> under Extensions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

After updating Makefile Path<\/strong>, type \u201cmakefile\u201d into the Command Palette and run a Makefile Tools command to re-activate the extension.<\/p>\n

Configuring your project<\/h2>\n

By default, the extension will attempt to use a\u00a0make\u00a0program that resides within your $PATH to configure the project. If your make.exe is not in your $PATH, update the Make Path <\/strong>setting by going to\u00a0File<\/strong>\u00a0>\u00a0Preferences<\/strong>\u00a0>\u00a0Settings<\/strong>\u00a0and then selecting makefile<\/strong> under Extensions. <\/strong>The Make Path<\/strong> setting tells the extension where to find your make executable.<\/p>\n

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

You can also specify the make Path <\/span>by selecting the <\/span>pencil icon<\/span> to the right of the <\/span><\/span>Make<\/span><\/span> button in the extension\u2019s side panel.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Once your make path is properly set, accept the prompt to allow Makefile Tools to configure IntelliSense.<\/p>\n

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

If you don’t see that notification, or you accidentally dismissed it, you can grant Makefile Tools permission to configure IntelliSense by running\u00a0\u201cC\/C++: Change Configuration Provider\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0from the Command Palette and selecting Makefile Tools<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Now you\u2019re ready to configure your project! If you normally run\u00a0make from the command line without passing it any additional arguments, you shouldn’t need to do anything else at this point.<\/p>\n

If you regularly pass additional arguments to\u00a0make, use the\u00a0Makefile Tools\u2019 Configurations<\/strong> setting (makefile.configurations<\/strong>\u00a0in settings.json) to specify those arguments. Makefile.configurations is an array of configuration objects, each with a name<\/strong> and makeArgs<\/strong> property that holds the arguments to pass to make. To help you out, we\u2019ve documented the correct configurations<\/a> for over 70 popular open-source repositories. For example, to create a configuration for littlekernel<\/a>, where you need to pass \u201cPROJECT=armemu-test\u201d to make, your settings.json would look something like this:<\/p>\n

\"makefile.configurations\": [\r\n    {\r\n        \"name\": \"littlekernel\",\r\n        \"makeArgs\": [\"PROJECT=armemu-test\"]\r\n    }\r\n]<\/pre>\n
To choose the configuration for a project, select the Makefile Tools icon in the left explorer menu.<\/p>\n
\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n
Hover over Configuration<\/strong> and select the pencil icon to choose a configuration for your project.<\/p>\n
\"Icon<\/a><\/p>\n
If you didn\u2019t define any configurations in makefile.configurations<\/strong>, the extension will automatically select a default one.<\/p>\n
Building targets<\/h2>\n
After configuring your project, you\u2019re ready to build. Choose a Build target by selecting the pencil icon that appears on hover.<\/p>\n
\"Icon<\/a><\/p>\n
Then choose from the list of targets found in your project\u2019s Makefile.<\/p>\n
\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n
After setting the Build target, click the Build icon.<\/p>\n
\"Icon<\/a><\/p>\n
Debugging and running targets<\/h2>\n
To run\/debug your program, use the pencil icon to select a Launch target. A configuration for the selected target will be added to the\u00a0makefile.launchConfigurations\u00a0<\/strong>setting. If you need to pass additional arguments to your targets, add the binaryArgs<\/strong>\u00a0property to the target\u2019s configuration in makefile.launchConfigurations<\/strong>. You can also set MIMode<\/strong>, miDebuggerPath<\/strong>, and stopAtEntry<\/strong> in makefile.launchConfigurations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\"Icon<\/a><\/p>\n
Once the Launch target is set, select the Debug icon to start a debugging session.<\/p>\n
\"icon<\/a><\/p>\n
To run the program without debugging, select the Run in Terminal button.<\/p>\n
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 <\/p>\n
Makefile Tools commands<\/h2>\n
You can find all the Makefile Tools commands by opening the Command Palette and typing “makefile”. For your convenience, there are commands for building clean and building ALL that you can run without changing the Build target.<\/p>\n
\"Makefile<\/a><\/p>\n
Makefile Tools settings<\/h2>\n
To find all Makefile Tools settings, go to\u00a0File<\/strong>\u00a0>\u00a0Preferences<\/strong>\u00a0>\u00a0Settings<\/strong>\u00a0and then select makefile<\/strong> under Extensions.<\/strong> The settings you\u2019ll probably use the most are:<\/p>\n