Can I request the VS dev cmd environment when not using cl.exe as the compiler?

[tristanlabelle]

Hello!

I'm building a project with a CMakePresets.json file which specifies the clang compiler. This seems to turn off the CMake Tools' setting up of a VS dev command prompt environment variables before calling cmake.exe, since it then fails to find ninja whereas it would normally be found in the VS installation. Moreover, part of my build calls midlrt.exe from the Windows SDK, which fails if it cannot find cl.exe as a C preprocessor.

Is there a way to control the use of a VS dev cmd environment for the cmake invocation, independently from the use of the CL compiler?

[gcampbell-msft]

Hi @tristanlabelle!

Currently, there is not a way for you to do this explicitly. This is very closely related to an issue that has gotten a lot of attention from the community: #1836.

This experience is something that we're prioritizing for an upcoming release. This is a known area of frustration and we are thinking and working on how to improve this for users.

Some possible workarounds include the following:

1. You could modify your CMakePresets.json to modify the PATH to include the things you need like ninja, and cl.exe.
2. You could create a CMakeUserPresets.json that would help add the things you need from the dev cmd.
3. You could launch VS Code from a dev cmd prompt.

[tristanlabelle]

Thanks for the info and possible workarounds. I also tried setting CMAKE_ASM_COMPILER to cl in the hope that it would trick the extension into setting up a VS dev environment, but that didn't work.

Reviewing the linked issue and issues on the repo in general, I do not see one that corresponds to this exactly. Should I file a new one?

[gcampbell-msft]

Yes, I think that would be helpful. The most helpful thing would be to create a specific issue for this, and link it to #1836, since we view this as something that would be fixed through an improvement for #1836 .

Thanks!

[tristanlabelle]

Filed here: #3497 . Thanks!