Project Files

A C++ project file in Visual Studio is an XML-based file that has the .vcxproj file name extension and contains information that is required to build a C++ project. Note that the project file imports various project files that have the ".props" or ".targets" extension. These files contain additional build information, and might themselves refer to other ".props" or ".targets" files. The macros in the file path (for example $(VCTargetsPath)) are dependent on your Visual Studio installation. For more information about these macros and ".props" and ".targets" files, see VC++ Directories Property Page, Set C++ compiler and build properties in Visual Studio and Common macros for build commands and properties.

Example

The following sample .vcxproj file was produced by choosing Windows Desktop Wizard in the New Project dialog box. To process a project file use either the msbuild.exe tool at the command line, or the Build command in the IDE. (This sample cannot be processed because the required source and header files are not provided.) For more information about the XML elements in a project file, see Project File Schema Reference.

Note

For projects in Visual Studio 2017 and earlier, change pch.h to stdafx.h and pch.cpp to stdafx.cpp.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project DefaultTargets="Build" ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <ItemGroup Label="ProjectConfigurations">
    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|Win32">
      <Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
      <Platform>Win32</Platform>
    </ProjectConfiguration>
    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Release|Win32">
      <Configuration>Release</Configuration>
      <Platform>Win32</Platform>
    </ProjectConfiguration>
  </ItemGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Label="Globals">
    <ProjectGuid>{96F21549-A7BF-4695-A1B1-B43625B91A14}</ProjectGuid>
    <Keyword>Win32Proj</Keyword>
    <RootNamespace>SomeProjName</RootNamespace>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />
  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'" Label="Configuration">
    <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
    <CharacterSet>Unicode</CharacterSet>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'" Label="Configuration">
    <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
    <WholeProgramOptimization>true</WholeProgramOptimization>
    <CharacterSet>Unicode</CharacterSet>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.props" />
  <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionSettings">
  </ImportGroup>
  <ImportGroup Label="PropertySheets" Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">
    <Import Project="$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props" Condition="exists('$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props')" Label="LocalAppDataPlatform" />
  </ImportGroup>
  <ImportGroup Label="PropertySheets" Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">
    <Import Project="$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props" Condition="exists('$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props')" Label="LocalAppDataPlatform" />
  </ImportGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">
    <LinkIncremental>true</LinkIncremental>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">
    <LinkIncremental>false</LinkIncremental>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">
    <ClCompile>
      <PrecompiledHeader>Use</PrecompiledHeader>
      <WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
      <MinimalRebuild>true</MinimalRebuild>
      <DebugInformationFormat>EditAndContinue</DebugInformationFormat>
      <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
      <BasicRuntimeChecks>EnableFastChecks</BasicRuntimeChecks>
      <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDebugDLL</RuntimeLibrary>
      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;_DEBUG;_CONSOLE;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
    </ClCompile>
    <Link>
      <SubSystem>Console</SubSystem>
      <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
    </Link>
  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">
    <ClCompile>
      <WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
      <PrecompiledHeader>Use</PrecompiledHeader>
      <DebugInformationFormat>ProgramDatabase</DebugInformationFormat>
      <Optimization>MaxSpeed</Optimization>
      <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDLL</RuntimeLibrary>
      <FunctionLevelLinking>true</FunctionLevelLinking>
      <IntrinsicFunctions>true</IntrinsicFunctions>
      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;NDEBUG;_CONSOLE;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
    </ClCompile>
    <Link>
      <SubSystem>Console</SubSystem>
      <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
      <EnableCOMDATFolding>true</EnableCOMDATFolding>
      <OptimizeReferences>true</OptimizeReferences>
    </Link>
  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="ReadMe.txt" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <ClInclude Include="pch.h" />
    <ClInclude Include="targetver.h" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <ClCompile Include="SomeProjName.cpp" />
    <ClCompile Include="pch.cpp">
      <PrecompiledHeader Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">Create</PrecompiledHeader>
      <PrecompiledHeader Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">Create</PrecompiledHeader>
    </ClCompile>
  </ItemGroup>
  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
  <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
  </ImportGroup>
</Project>

See also

Visual Studio Projects - C++
Set C++ compiler and build properties in Visual Studio