visual studio compiler how to specify the include path to build cpp

Question

I am using a batch file to try to build my cpp program using Visual Studio's cl.exe. This is what it contains:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\VC\bin\cl.exe" /I "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\VC\include\" "%1" /Fe "%1.exe"

I want to the compiler to include iostream from the include folder and build my .cpp (%1) as %1.exe.

Instead, I get:

cl : Command line error D8003 : missing source filename

What am I doing wrong?

Win8.1 x64

While you certainly also can do that, why not use MSBuild on the .vcproj of your application to build it? — BitTickler
Just a shot in the dark, but I suspect you may have to use "%%" where you just want "%". The command line acts that way sometimes. — Logicrat
@Logicrat %% is used inside a batch file to create a literal %. See stackoverflow.com/questions/14509652/… for instance. — a1s2d3f4
@BitTickler. I don't want to use .vcproj. I just want to use my notepad++ to write basic code, like I used to when compiling with bcc32 (borland) just yesterday and not be tied into some new "environment". I just want to understand how to tell cl.exe where all my includes are, .libs and all those things and be able to compile with one command line execution. So, how can I do it - what am I doing wrong? — a1s2d3f4
@a1s2d3f4 What you seem to say is: "I want MORE work. Less support. No debugging. No syntax highlighing. Absolutely NO code completion. No static code checker... I want to suffer - big time!" Well - to each their own. Have fun with that :) — BitTickler

a1s2d3f4 a1s2d3f4 · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-14T15:14:32

Answer:

-Get rid of the backslash at the end of the include path (......\include")

-Do not surround %1 with quotes

-no space between /Fe and "

visual studio compiler how to specify the include path to build cpp

2 Answers