Project Creation

Project Creation Guide

C/C++ Pro provides a turnkey project scaffolding wizard to bootstrap production-ready C and C++ projects on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

To launch the wizard:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) to open the Command Palette.
2. Type C/C++ Pro: Create New C/C++ Project and press Enter.

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1. Project Templates

Template	Description	Generated Structure
Console Application	Standalone executable with a main entry point and modular functions.	src/main.cpp, src/app.cpp, include/<Name>/app.hpp
Static Library	Compiled reusable .lib / .a archive with public headers.	src/<Name>.cpp, include/<Name>/<Name>.hpp, examples/main.cpp
Shared / Dynamic Library	Dynamic .dll / .so / .dylib with cross-platform export macros.	src/<Name>.cpp, include/<Name>/export.hpp, examples/main.cpp
Header-Only Library	Template or inline library requiring no compiled binary files.	include/<Name>/<Name>.hpp, examples/main.cpp
Unit Test Suite	Pre-configured test runner supporting Catch2, GoogleTest, or doctest.	include/<Name>/calculator.hpp, tests/test_calculator.cpp

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2. Platform Build System Support

The project wizard tailors available build systems to the host platform:

Platform	Supported Build Systems	Recommended Default
Windows	CMake, Visual Studio Solution (.sln / .vcxproj), Lightweight (compile_flags.txt)	CMake (or Visual Studio Solution for MSVC developers)
Linux	CMake, POSIX Makefile, Lightweight (compile_flags.txt)	CMake
macOS	CMake, POSIX Makefile, Lightweight (compile_flags.txt)	CMake

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3. Directory Selection & Collision Protection

During creation, the wizard guides you through:

1. Destination Directory: Choose between active workspace folders or click Browse folder... to open a native OS folder dialog.
2. Project Name: Enter a valid project name. Names cannot contain invalid filesystem characters (\ / : * ? " < > |).
3. Collision Warning: If the target folder already contains files, C/C++ Pro prompts for confirmation before scaffolding.
4. Workspace Open: If created outside the current workspace, you can immediately open the project in the current or a new VS Code window.

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4. Generated Configuration

Every generated project includes turnkey developer tooling:

• .clangd & compile_flags.txt: Instant AST indexing without manual path configuration.
• .vscode/tasks.json: Pre-configured build and run tasks accessible via Ctrl+Shift+B.
• .vscode/launch.json: Native debugging pre-wired to C/C++ Pro's DAP engine (c-cpp-pro-debug).
• .gitignore: Standard C/C++ ignore patterns for build outputs, caches, and compiler artifacts.
• README.md: Complete command-line and IDE build instructions.