Official VST SDK modified to support MSYS2 MINGW compilation on Windows

The VST SDK package contains

The full VST 3 SDK is available here!. It contains :

• a VST 3 Plug-in Test Host Application/Validator,
• the Steinberg VST 3 Plug-In SDK Licensing Agreement that you have to sign if you want to develop or host VST 3 Plug-Ins.

Installation of MSYS2 (MINGW)

• Install MSYS2 from http://www.msys2.org/

• Install the windows development environment. See example here https://www.devdungeon.com/content/install-gcc-compiler-windows-msys2-cc

• Run the following from the msys2 command prompt:

  • Upgrade everything (S = sync, y = download fresh package databases from the server, u = upgrade installed packages)
    • pacman -Syu
  • Upgrade everything (S = sync, u = upgrade installed packages)
    • pacman -Su
  • Install make, autoconf, etc to C:\msys64\usr\bin
    • pacman -S base-devel gcc vim cmake
  • Install gcc in C:\msys64\mingw64\bin\ directory to go with C:\msys64\mingw64\include and C:\msys64\mingw64\lib
    • pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-toolchain
  • Install cmake
    • pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake

• Add C:\msys64\mingw64\bin to your PATH environment variable

  • PATH=C:\msys64\mingw64\bin

To compile in Visual Studio Code

• Install the official c++ extension for VS Code https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-cpptools
• Install the official cmake tools extension for VS Code https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-cmake-tools
• Choose a kit and run 'Build'
  • MSYS2 GCC and G++
  • or
  • Visual Studio 16 2019 amd64 VS16

To debug in Visual Studio Code

• You can use one of the debug targets in launch.json

• cmake debug target with argument (gdb) (working with CMAKE kit: MSYS2 GCC and G++)

• or

• cmake debug target with argument (cppvsdbg) (working with CMAKE kit: Visual Studio 16 2019 amd64 VS16)

• Chose the Debug target in the cmake bottom bar and click F5

• Optionally add a command line argument

• I.e. use editorhost as Debug target and the path to the vst as the command line argument and you can set breakpoints in the vst's