Visual studio 14.0 lacking VCTools on image: Visual Studio 2017

[refack]

No description provided.

[FeodorFitsner]

There is VS 2015 with C++ support/tooling installed on Visual Studio 2017 image.
Could you please elaborate on your issue? A simple repro project in a public repository would be a plus.

[refack]

https://ci.appveyor.com/project/refack/windows-autoconf/build/1.0.115/job/kkjaevwluw0jh70e
This code looks for vcvarsall.bat in the install dir of Visual Studio 14.0.
After it kept failing I run it with the line

dir /s /b "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\*.*" > C:\projects\windows-autoconf\logs\dir14.log

this is the result. no vcvarsall.bat, and no cl.exe

[FeodorFitsner]

VS 2015 was installed after VS 2017 and only to support some backward-compatibility scenarios. Maybe the fact it was installed after VS 2017 is the reason VC tools are missing.

Anyway, Visual Studio 2017 is not a cumulative update to Visual Studio 2015 image and the whole purpose of it was VS 2017 + Docker to support newer projects.

If you need to build/test VS 2015 stuff please use Visual Studio 2015 image and build matrix if you need to support multiple targets.

[refack]

NP 🤷
Just update the docs (reduce frustration)

[mbrucher]

I have a similar issue, trying to get the vcvarsall.bat file that should be installed in VC\Auxiliary\Build, but it doesn't seem to be installed. I tried several paths, but none of them seem to work (see https://ci.appveyor.com/project/mbrucher/audiotk)

[IlyaFinkelshteyn]

Please try %comspec% /k "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat" and %comspec% /k "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars32.bat" for amd64 and x86 builds respectively

[mbrucher]

Thx. Tried to add the line, but appveyor says that there is a syntax error:
error parsing appveyor.yml: (Line: 110, Col: 5, Idx: 3535) - (Line: 110, Col: 6, Idx: 3536): While scanning for the next token, find character that cannot start any token
Some magic flag?

[IlyaFinkelshteyn]

Easiest way to get correct YAML is to enter it in UI and use Export YAML menu

[mbrucher]

I now have a proper YAML file, but it setill doesn't work
call '%VSINSTALL%'
The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
Command exited with code 1
where VSINSTALL is set for instance to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat" in the build matrix.

[IlyaFinkelshteyn]

Can you share the whole YAML file?

[mbrucher]

Yes, of course: https://github.com/mbrucher/AudioTK/blob/develop/.appveyor.yml
And thanks your time looking at it. It worked fine for VS2015, but since MS decided to change the hierarchy, it's a mess.

[IlyaFinkelshteyn]

Ah, I see, please use APPVEYOR_BUILD_WORKER_IMAGE instead of image. Details here

[mbrucher]

Thanks, I didn't see that paragraph.
After lots of trials, I have the 2015 builds that are compiling again, will see in 30 mins if the 2017 are also good now.

[Rondom]

So, has anyone here succeeded building with VS2015 on the VS2017-image? Our use case is running tests on Win2016 and on Win2012. Ideally we would like to use the same compiler.

[mloskot]

@IlyaFinkelshteyn regarding your suggestion in #1410 (comment)

The %comspec% /k in %comspec% /k "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat" does not work for me as the command stops (hangs!) the build process and no following commands are execute, obviously.

Instead of %comspec% /k , call must be used.

IMHO, it would be good if the https://www.appveyor.com/docs/lang/cpp/#visual-studio section is completed with the two commands for VS2017:

call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars32.bat"
call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat"