Setting Up C/C++ Development Environment in Visual Studio Code Using MinGW

If you’re looking to code in C or C++ and want to use Visual Studio Code (VS Code) as your IDE, this guide will walk you through how to set up your environment using the MinGW compiler. We’ll go from installing the necessary tools to running your first “Hello World” program in no time.

Prerequisites
Before we begin, please ensure you have the following tools installed:

• Visual Studio Code:
  Download the latest version from the official Visual Studio Code website.

• MinGW Compiler:
  Obtain the MinGW compiler from the MinGW download page.
  For additional resources and support, feel free to visit my GitHub repository.

Installing MinGW
Once you’ve downloaded MinGW, here’s how to get it up and running:

1.Extract MinGW Files: After downloading, extract the MinGW package to a location on your system (e.g., D:\MinGW).

2. Add MinGW to System PATH:

• Search for Environment Variables in the Windows Start menu.
• Click on Edit the system environment variables.
• In the System Properties window, click on Environment Variables.
• Under System variables, find and select the Path variable.
• Click Edit → New and add the path to the MinGW binfolder (e.g.,D:\MinGW\bin). Click OK to close all the dialogs. Now MinGW is installed and your system knows where to find it!

Configuring Visual Studio Code
Next, we need to set up VS Code so that it knows how to work with C/C++ using MinGW.

1. Install Essential Extensions Open VS Code and install these extensions from the marketplace (you can find them by pressing Ctrl+Shift+X):

• C/C++ (Official Microsoft extension for C and C++)
• C/C++ Extension Pack (for debugging and more)
• C/C++ Compile Run (to easily compile and run programs)
• Code Runner (to execute code directly from the editor)

2. Configure VS Code Settings
Let’s tweak some settings to make life easier. In VS Code:

• Go to File > Preferences > Settings.
• Click the {} icon in the top right to open the settings.json file.

Paste this configuration to set up C/C++ standards and link the terminal with MinGW:

{
    "C_Cpp.default.cppStandard": "c++20",
    "C_Cpp.default.cStandard": "c11",
    "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.windows": "Git Bash",
    "code-runner.runInTerminal": true,
    "code-runner.saveAllFilesBeforeRun": true,
    "code-runner.terminalRoot": "/",
    "code-runner.executorMapByGlob": {

        "pom.xml": "cd $dir && mvn clean package"
    },
    "code-runner.executorMap": {

        "javascript": "node",
        "java": "cd $dir && javac $fileName && java $fileNameWithoutExt",
        "zig": "zig run",
        "objective-c": "cd $dir && gcc -framework Cocoa $fileName -o $fileNameWithoutExt && $dir$fileNameWithoutExt",
        "php": "php",
        "python": "python -u",
        "perl": "perl",
        "perl6": "perl6",
        "ruby": "ruby",
        "go": "go run",
        "lua": "lua",
        "groovy": "groovy",
        "powershell": "powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -File",
        "bat": "cmd /c",
        "shellscript": "bash",
        "fsharp": "fsi",
        "csharp": "scriptcs",
        "vbscript": "cscript //Nologo",
        "typescript": "ts-node",
        "coffeescript": "coffee",
        "scala": "scala",
        "swift": "swift",
        "julia": "julia",
        "crystal": "crystal",
        "ocaml": "ocaml",
        "r": "Rscript",
        "applescript": "osascript",
        "clojure": "lein exec",
        "haxe": "haxe --cwd $dirWithoutTrailingSlash --run $fileNameWithoutExt",
        "rust": "cd $dir && rustc $fileName && $dir$fileNameWithoutExt",
        "racket": "racket",
        "scheme": "csi -script",
        "ahk": "autohotkey",
        "autoit": "autoit3",
        "dart": "dart",
        "pascal": "cd $dir && fpc $fileName && $dir$fileNameWithoutExt",
        "d": "cd $dir && dmd $fileName && $dir$fileNameWithoutExt",
        "haskell": "runghc",
        "nim": "nim compile --verbosity:0 --hints:off --run",
        "lisp": "sbcl --script",
        "kit": "kitc --run",
        "v": "v run",
        "sass": "sass --style expanded",
        "scss": "scss --style expanded",
        "less": "cd $dir && lessc $fileName $fileNameWithoutExt.css",
        "FortranFreeForm": "cd $dir && gfortran $fileName -o $fileNameWithoutExt && $dir$fileNameWithoutExt",
        "fortran-modern": "cd $dir && gfortran $fileName -o $fileNameWithoutExt && $dir$fileNameWithoutExt",
        "fortran_fixed-form": "cd $dir && gfortran $fileName -o $fileNameWithoutExt && $dir$fileNameWithoutExt",
        "fortran": "cd $dir && gfortran $fileName -o $fileNameWithoutExt && $dir$fileNameWithoutExt",
        "sml": "cd $dir && sml $fileName",

        //WITHOUT TEXT FILE

        "c": "cd $dir && gcc $fileName -o $fileNameWithoutExt.exe && $dir$fileNameWithoutExt.exe",
        "cpp": "cd $dir && g++ $fileName -o $fileNameWithoutExt.exe && $dir$fileNameWithoutExt.exe",

        //WITH TEXT FILE    

        // "c": "cd $dir && gcc $fileName -o $fileNameWithoutExt.exe && timeout 15s $dir$fileNameWithoutExt.exe < input.txt > output.txt || (echo -n > output.txt && echo 'Time Limit Gone')",
        // "cpp": "cd $dir && g++ $fileName -o $fileNameWithoutExt.exe && timeout 15s $dir$fileNameWithoutExt.exe < input.txt > output.txt || (echo -n > output.txt && echo 'Time Limit Gone')",

    },

    "window.zoomLevel": 1,
    "files.autoSave": "afterDelay",

}

This configuration sets your C/C++ standards to C11 and C++20, uses Git Bash as the default terminal, and sets up commands for running C and C++ code. It also ensures all files are saved before running any code.

Writing Your First C/C++ Program
Now that your environment is set up, let's write your first program and run it.
Example 1: Hello World
Create a new file called hello.c and add the following code:

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    printf("Hello, world!");
    return 0;
}

To run the program:

• Press Ctrl + Alt + N or use the command palette (Ctrl + Shift + P) and type Run Code.
• You should see the output "Hello, world!" in the terminal.

Example 2: Input Example
Let's take it a step further. Create another file called input.c with this code:

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    int a;
    printf("Enter an integer: ");
    scanf("%d", &a);
    printf("You entered: %d\n", a);
    return 0;
}

Run it the same way as before (Ctrl + Alt + N), and you'll be able to input a number, with the program printing it back out to you.

Handy VS Code Shortcuts
To speed up your workflow in Visual Studio Code, here are a few shortcuts that will come in handy:

• Copy: Ctrl + C
• Paste: Ctrl + V
• Select All: Ctrl + A
• Run Code: Ctrl + Alt + N

These simple shortcuts will help you quickly manage your code, allowing you to focus more on problem-solving and less on navigating through the interface.

Wrapping Up
You've successfully set up yourC/C++ development environment in Visual Studio Code using MinGW! Whether you're working on simple programs or complex projects, this setup will give you a smooth, efficient coding experience. With the extensions and configurations we added, you can focus on writing code without worrying about the underlying setup.

Happy coding! 🎉