Cannot build and debug because the active file is not a C or C++ source file.

[Kemal321]

I start to use VS Code. I followed "https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/cpp/config-mingw" but when I choose Ctrl+Shift+B or from the Terminal main menu Run Build Task. I take error . " Cannot build and debug because the active file is not a C or C++ source file.
The terminal process failed to launch (exit code: -1). "
My task.json config.
{ "version": "2.0.0", "tasks": [ { "type": "cppbuild", "label": "C/C++: g++.exe build active file", "command": "C:\\msys64\\mingw64\\bin\\g++.exe", "args": [ "-fdiagnostics-color=always", "-g", "${file}", "-o", "${fileDirname}\\${fileBasenameNoExtension}.exe" ], "options": { "cwd": "${fileDirname}" }, "problemMatcher": [ "$gcc" ], "group": { "kind": "build", "isDefault": true }, "detail": "compiler: C:\\msys64\\mingw64\\bin\\g++.exe" } ] }

[sean-mcmanus]

What is the active file?

[Ignatij3]

Hello! I have the same issue. When I select .cpp file as active it compiles fine, but when I switch to .hpp or any other file really (even though compilation process is not dependent on active file), it shows exactly that error. I tried searching debugger and C/C++ extension settings, but found nothing.

[sean-mcmanus]

@Ignatij3 That is "by design" with the "Build and Debug Active File" feature. You'd have to modify the tasks.json to build differently or use another method of building.

[Ignatij3]

@sean-mcmanus Could you, please, provide example of how to build anywhere I want?

[Ignatij3]

@sean-mcmanus Could you, please, provide example of how to build anywhere I want?

Or rather what changes exactly I need to make

[sean-mcmanus]

Replace the "file" references in tasks.json with something else:

            "args": [
                "-g",
                "${file}",
                "-o",
                "${fileDirname}/${fileBasenameNoExtension}"
            ],
            "options": {
                "cwd": "${fileDirname}"
            },

to

            "args": [
                "-g",
                "test.cpp",
                "-o",
                "test.o"
            ],
            "options": {
                "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
            },

and change the "type" from "cppBuild" to "shell".

Or build with some other extension, like CMake Tools if you use CMake: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/cpp/cmake-linux

[Ignatij3]

Thanks a lot, @sean-mcmanus, that helped!

[bobbrow]

It seems like a bug that the cppbuild provider would block the task if you hardcode a file name in there. We should fix it so that it only blocks the task if you're using the ${file} variable.