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vcpkg is a command-line package manager for C++. It greatly simplifies the acquisition and installation of third-party libraries on Windows, Linux, and MacOS. If your project uses third-party libraries, we recommend that you use vcpkg to install them. vcpkg supports both open-source and proprietary libraries. All libraries in the vcpkg Windows catalog have been tested for compatibility with Visual Studio 2015, Visual Studio 2017, and Visual Studio 2019. Between the Windows and Linux/MacOS catalogs, vcpkg now supports over 1900 libraries. The C++ community is adding more libraries to both catalogs on an ongoing basis.

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Simple yet flexible

With a single command, you can download sources and build a library. vcpkg is itself an open-source project, available on GitHub. It's possible to customize your private vcpkg clones in any way you like. For example, specify different libraries, or different versions of libraries than the ones found in the public catalog. You can have multiple clones of vcpkg on a single machine. Each one may be set to produce a custom collection of libraries, with your preferred compilation switches. Each clone is a self-contained environment with its own copy of vcpkg.exe that operates only on its own hierarchy. vcpkg isn't added to any environment variables, and has no dependency on the Windows Registry or Visual Studio.

Sources, not binaries

For libraries in the Windows catalog, vcpkg downloads sources instead of binaries¹. It compiles those sources using the most recent version of Visual Studio that it can find. In C++, it's important that both your application code and any libraries you use are compiled by the same compiler, and compiler version. By using vcpkg, you eliminate or at least greatly reduce the potential for mismatched binaries and the problems they can cause. In teams that are standardized on a specific version of a compiler, one team member can use vcpkg to download sources and compile a set of binaries. Then they can use the export command to zip up the binaries and headers for other team members. For more information, see Export compiled binaries and headers below.

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You can also create a vcpkg clone that has private libraries in the ports collection. Add a port that downloads your prebuilt binaries and headers. Then, write a portfile.cmake file that simply copies those files to the preferred location.

¹Note: sources are unavailable for some proprietary libraries. In these cases, vcpkg downloads compatible prebuilt binaries.

Installation

Clone the vcpkg repo from GitHub: https://github.com/Microsoft/vcpkg. You can download to any folder location you prefer.

Run the bootstrapper in the root folder:

• bootstrap-vcpkg.bat (Windows)
• ./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh (Linux, MacOS)

Search the list of available libraries

To see what packages are available, at the command prompt type: vcpkg search

This command enumerates the control files in the vcpkg/ports subfolders. You'll see a listing like this:

You can filter on a pattern, for example vcpkg search ta:

Install a library on your local machine

After you get the name of a library by using vcpkg search, you use vcpkg install to download the library and compile it. vcpkg uses the library's portfile in the ports directory. If no triplet is specified, vcpkg will install and compile for the default triplet for the target platform: x86-windows, x64-linux.cmake, or x64-osx.cmake.

For Linux libraries, vcpkg depends on gcc being installed on the local machine. On MacOS, vcpkg uses Clang.

When the portfile specifies dependencies, vcpkg downloads and installs them too. After downloading, vcpkg builds the library by using the same build system the library uses. CMake and (on Windows) MSBuild projects are preferred, but MAKE is supported, along with any other build system. If vcpkg can't find the specified build system on the local machine, it downloads and installs it.

For CMAKE projects, use CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE to make libraries available with find_package(). For example:

List the libraries already installed

After you've installed some libraries, you can use vcpkg list to see what you have:

Integrate with Visual Studio (Windows)

Per-user

Run vcpkg integrate install to configure Visual Studio to locate all vcpkg header files and binaries on a per-user basis. There's no need for manual editing of VC++ Directories paths. If you have multiple clones, the clone you run this command from becomes the new default location.

Now you can #include headers simply by typing the folder/header, and autocomplete assists you. No additional steps are required for linking to libs or adding project references. The following illustration shows how Visual Studio finds the azure-storage-cpp headers. vcpkg places its headers in the /installed subfolder, partitioned by target platform. The following diagram shows the list of include files in the /was subfolder for the library:

Per project

If you need to use a specific version of a library that's different from the version in your active vcpkg instance, follow these steps:

1. Make a new clone of vcpkg
2. Modify the portfile for the library to obtain the version you need
3. Run vcpkg install <library>.
4. Use vcpkg integrate project to create a NuGet package that references that library on a per-project basis.

Integrate with Visual Studio Code (Linux/MacOS)

Run vcpkg integrate install to configure Visual Studio Code on Linux/MacOS. This command sets the location of the vcpkg enlistment and enables IntelliSense on source files.

Target Linux from Windows via WSL

You can produce Linux binaries on a Windows machine by using the Windows Subsystem for Linux, or WSL. Follow the instructions to Set up WSL on Windows 10, and configure it with the Visual Studio extension for Linux. It's okay to put all your built libraries for Windows and Linux into the same folder. They're accessible from both Windows and WSL.

Export compiled binaries and headers

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It's inefficient to make everyone on a team download and build common libraries. A single team member can use the vcpkg export command to create a common zip file of the binaries and headers, or a NuGet package. Then, it's easy to share it with other team members.

Update/upgrade installed libraries

The public catalog is kept up to date with the latest versions of the libraries. To determine which of your local libraries are out-of-date, use vcpkg update. When you're ready to update your ports collection to the latest version of the public catalog, run the vcpkg upgrade command. It automatically downloads and rebuilds any or all of your installed libraries that are out of date.

By default, the upgrade command only lists the libraries that are out of date; it doesn't upgrade them. To actually upgrade the libraries, use the --no-dry-run option.

Upgrade Options

• --no-dry-run Perform the upgrade; when not specified, the command only lists the out-of-date packages.
• --keep-going Continue installing packages even if one fails.
• --triplet <t> Set the default triplet for unqualified packages.
• --vcpkg-root <path> Specify the vcpkg directory to use instead of current directory or tool directory.

Upgrade example

The following example shows how to upgrade only specified libraries. vcpkg automatically pulls in dependencies as necessary.

Contribute new libraries

You can include any libraries you like in your private ports collection. To suggest a new library for the public catalog, open an issue on the GitHub vcpkg issue page.

Remove a library

Type vcpkg remove to remove an installed library. If any other libraries depend on it, you're asked to rerun the command with --recurse, which causes all downstream libraries to be removed.

Customize vcpkg

You can modify your clone of vcpkg in any way you like. You can even create multiple vcpkg clones, then modify the portfiles in each one. That's a simple way to obtain specific library versions, or to specify particular command-line parameters. For example, in an enterprise, individual groups of developers might work on software that has a set of dependencies specific to their group. The solution is to set up a clone of vcpkg for each team. Then, modify the clones to download the library versions and set the compilation switches that each team needs.

Uninstall vcpkg

Just delete the vcpkg directory. Deleting this directory uninstalls the vcpkg distribution, and all the libraries that vcpkg has installed.

Send feedback about vcpkg

Use the vcpkg contact --survey command to send feedback to Microsoft about vcpkg, including bug reports and suggestions for features.

The vcpkg folder hierarchy

All vcpkg functionality and data is self-contained in a single directory hierarchy, called an 'instance'. There are no registry settings or environment variables. You can have any number of instances of vcpkg on a machine, and they won't interfere with each other.

The contents of a vcpkg instance are:

• buildtrees -- contains subfolders of sources from which each library is built
• docs -- documentation and examples
• downloads -- cached copies of any downloaded tools or sources. vcpkg searches here first when you run the install command.
• installed-- Contains the headers and binaries for each installed library. When you integrate with Visual Studio, you're essentially telling it add this folder to its search paths.
• packages -- Internal folder for staging between installs.
• ports -- Files that describe each library in the catalog, its version, and where to download it. You can add your own ports if needed.
• scripts -- Scripts (cmake, powershell) used by vcpkg.
• toolsrc -- C++ source code for vcpkg and related components
• triplets -- Contains the settings for each supported target platform (for example, x86-windows or x64-uwp).

Command-line reference

Options

If you haven't downloaded and installed Visual Studio and the Visual C++ tools yet, here's how to get started.

Visual Studio 2019 Installation

Welcome to Visual Studio 2019! In this version, it's easy to choose and install just the features you need. And because of its reduced minimum footprint, it installs quickly and with less system impact.

Note

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This topic applies to installation of Visual Studio on Windows. Visual Studio Code is a lightweight, cross-platform development environment that runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. The Microsoft C/C++ for Visual Studio Code extension supports IntelliSense, debugging, code formatting, auto-completion. Visual Studio for Mac doesn't support Microsoft C++, but does support .NET languages and cross-platform development. For installation instructions, see Install Visual Studio for Mac.

Want to know more about what else is new in this version? See the Visual Studio release notes.

Ready to install? We'll walk you through it, step-by-step.

Step 1 - Make sure your computer is ready for Visual Studio

Before you begin installing Visual Studio:

1. Check the system requirements. These requirements help you know whether your computer supports Visual Studio 2019.

2. Apply the latest Windows updates. These updates ensure that your computer has both the latest security updates and the required system components for Visual Studio.

3. Reboot. The reboot ensures that any pending installs or updates don't hinder the Visual Studio install.

4. Free up space. Remove unneeded files and applications from your %SystemDrive% by, for example, running the Disk Cleanup app.

For questions about running previous versions of Visual Studio side by side with Visual Studio 2019, see the Visual Studio 2019 Platform Targeting and Compatibility page.

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Step 2 - Download Visual Studio

Next, download the Visual Studio bootstrapper file. To do so, choose the following button, choose the edition of Visual Studio that you want, choose Save, and then choose Open folder.

Step 3 - Install the Visual Studio installer

Run the bootstrapper file to install the Visual Studio Installer. This new lightweight installer includes everything you need to both install and customize Visual Studio.

1. From your Downloads folder, double-click the bootstrapper that matches or is similar to one of the following files:

   • vs_community.exe for Visual Studio Community
   • vs_professional.exe for Visual Studio Professional
   • vs_enterprise.exe for Visual Studio Enterprise

   If you receive a User Account Control notice, choose Yes.

2. We'll ask you to acknowledge the Microsoft License Terms and the Microsoft Privacy Statement. Choose Continue.

Step 4 - Choose workloads

After the installer is installed, you can use it to customize your installation by selecting the workloads, or feature sets, that you want. Here's how.

1. Find the workload you want in the Installing Visual Studio screen.

   For core C++ support, choose the 'Desktop development with C++' workload. It comes with the default core editor, which includes basic code editing support for over 20 languages, the ability to open and edit code from any folder without requiring a project, and integrated source code control.

   Additional workloads support other kinds of C++ development. For example, choose the 'Universal Windows Platform development' workload to create apps that use the Windows Runtime for the Microsoft Store. Choose 'Game development with C++' to create games that use DirectX, Unreal, and Cocos2d. Choose 'Linux development with C++' to target Linux platforms, including IoT development.

   The Installation details pane lists the included and optional components installed by each workload. You can select or deselect optional components in this list. For example, to support development by using the Visual Studio 2017 or 2015 compiler toolsets, choose the MSVC v141 or MSVC v140 optional components. You can add support for MFC, the experimental Modules language extension, IncrediBuild, and more.

2. After you choose the workload(s) and optional components you want, choose Install.

   Next, status screens appear that show the progress of your Visual Studio installation.

Tip

At any time after installation, you can install workloads or components that you didn't install initially. If you have Visual Studio open, go to Tools > Get Tools and Features... which opens the Visual Studio Installer. Or, open Visual Studio Installer from the Start menu. From there, you can choose the workloads or components that you wish to install. Then, choose Modify.

Step 5 - Choose individual components (Optional)

If you don't want to use the Workloads feature to customize your Visual Studio installation, or you want to add more components than a workload installs, you can do so by installing or adding individual components from the Individual components tab. Choose what you want, and then follow the prompts.

Step 6 - Install language packs (Optional)

By default, the installer program tries to match the language of the operating system when it runs for the first time. To install Visual Studio in a language of your choosing, choose the Language packs tab from the Visual Studio Installer, and then follow the prompts.

Change the installer language from the command line

Another way that you can change the default language is by running the installer from the command line. For example, you can force the installer to run in English by using the following command: vs_installer.exe --locale en-US. The installer will remember this setting when it's run the next time. The installer supports the following language tokens: zh-cn, zh-tw, cs-cz, en-us, es-es, fr-fr, de-de, it-it, ja-jp, ko-kr, pl-pl, pt-br, ru-ru, and tr-tr.

Step 7 - Change the installation location (Optional)

You can reduce the installation footprint of Visual Studio on your system drive. You can choose to move the download cache, shared components, SDKs, and tools to different drives, and keep Visual Studio on the drive that runs it the fastest.

Important

You can select a different drive only when you first install Visual Studio. If you've already installed it and want to change drives, you must uninstall Visual Studio and then reinstall it.

Step 8 - Start developing

1. After Visual Studio installation is complete, choose the Launch button to get started developing with Visual Studio.

2. On the start window, choose Create a new project.

3. In the search box, enter the type of app you want to create to see a list of available templates. The list of templates depends on the workload(s) that you chose during installation. To see different templates, choose different workloads.

   You can also filter your search for a specific programming language by using the Language drop-down list. You can filter by using the Platform list and the Project type list, too.

4. Visual Studio opens your new project, and you're ready to code!

Visual Studio 2017 Installation

In Visual Studio 2017, it's easy to choose and install just the features you need. And because of its reduced minimum footprint, it installs quickly and with less system impact.

Prerequisites

• A broadband internet connection. The Visual Studio installer can download several gigabytes of data.

• A computer that runs Microsoft Windows 7 or later versions. We recommend Windows 10 for the best development experience. Make sure that the latest updates are applied to your system before you install Visual Studio.

• Enough free disk space. Visual Studio requires at least 7 GB of disk space, and can take 50 GB or more if many common options are installed. We recommend you install it on your C: drive.

For details on the disk space and operating system requirements, see Visual Studio Product Family System Requirements. The installer reports how much disk space is required for the options you select.

Download and install

1. Download the latest Visual Studio 2017 installer for Windows.

   Tip

   The Community edition is for individual developers, classroom learning, academic research, and open source development. For other uses, install Visual Studio 2017 Professional or Visual Studio 2017 Enterprise.

2. Find the installer file you downloaded and run it. It may be displayed in your browser, or you may find it in your Downloads folder. The installer needs Administrator privileges to run. You may see a User Account Control dialog asking you to give permission to let the installer make changes to your system; choose Yes. If you're having trouble, find the downloaded file in File Explorer, right-click on the installer icon, and choose Run as Administrator from the context menu.

3. The installer presents you with a list of workloads, which are groups of related options for specific development areas. Support for C++ is now part of optional workloads that aren't installed by default.

   For C++, select the Desktop development with C++ workload and then choose Install.

4. When the installation completes, choose the Launch button to start Visual Studio.

   The first time you run Visual Studio, you're asked to sign in with a Microsoft Account. If you don't have one, you can create one for free. You must also choose a theme. Don't worry, you can change it later if you want to.

   It may take Visual Studio several minutes to get ready for use the first time you run it. Here's what it looks like in a quick time-lapse:

   Visual Studio starts much faster when you run it again.

5. When Visual Studio opens, check to see if the flag icon in the title bar is highlighted:

   If it's highlighted, select it to open the Notifications window. If there are any updates available for Visual Studio, we recommend you install them now. Once the installation is complete, restart Visual Studio.

Visual Studio 2015 Installation

To install Visual Studio 2015, go to Download older versions of Visual Studio. Run the setup program and choose Custom installation and then choose the C++ component. To add C++ support to an existing Visual Studio 2015 installation, click on the Windows Start button and type Add Remove Programs. Open the program from the results list and then find your Visual Studio 2015 installation in the list of installed programs. Double-click it, then choose Modify and select the Visual C++ components to install.

In general, we highly recommend that you use Visual Studio 2017 even if you need to compile your code using the Visual Studio 2015 compiler. For more information, see Use native multi-targeting in Visual Studio to build old projects.

When Visual Studio is running, you're ready to continue to the next step.

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Next Steps