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Where does Visual Studio look for C++ header files?

c++ header visual-studio

Question

I checked out a copy of a C++ application from SourceForge (HoboCopy, if you're curious) and tried to compile it.

Visual Studio tells me that it can't find a particular header file. I found the file in the source tree, but where do I need to put it, so that it will be found when compiling?

Are there special directories?

1
83
5/21/2017 7:58:56 PM

Accepted Answer

Visual Studio looks for headers in this order:

  • In the current source directory.
  • In the Additional Include Directories in the project properties (Project -> [project name] Properties, under C/C++ | General).
  • In the Visual Studio C++ Include directories under Tools → Options → Projects and Solutions → VC++ Directories.
  • In new versions of Visual Studio (2015+) the above option is deprecated and a list of default include directories is available at Project Properties → Configuration → VC++ Directories

In your case, add the directory that the header is to the project properties (Project Properties → Configuration → C/C++ → General → Additional Include Directories).

102
6/24/2019 10:32:52 PM

Actually On my windows 10 with visual studio 2017 community, the C++ headers path are:

  1. C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.15.26726\include

  2. C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Include\10.0.17134.0\ucrt

The 1st contains standard C++ headers such as <iostream>, <algorithm>. The 2nd contains old C headers such as <stdio.h>, <string.h>. The version number can be different based on your software.

Hope this would help.

linrongbin

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