How to add an include path to a vscode project?

[datascribbler777]

Asking this here because I can't seem to find an answer anywhere else. Really trying to give this IDE a shot, but this is a pretty basic example and it is going nowhere.

I need to see a working example of how to add an include path to vscode.

My directory structure:

C:.
├───.vscode
│ c_cpp_properties.json
│ launch.json
│ tasks.json
│
├───inc
│ funcs.h
│
└───src
funcs.cpp
main.cpp

funcs.h:

#pragma once

void sayHello();

funcs.cpp:

#include <iostream>
#include "funcs.h"

void sayHello()
{
    std::cout << "Hello!" << std::endl;
}

main.cpp:

#include "funcs.h"

int main()
{
    sayHello();
    return 0;
}

VSCode marks red squigglies under the #include "funcs.h" in main.cpp, but not in funcs.cpp for some reason. VSCode says it cannot find funcs.h. If I try to build the compiler throws the same error.

I have tried adding an include path for the inc folder by editing the C/C++ Configuration page and in the c_cpp_properties.json file. By default it already contains ${workspaceFolder}/** which is supposed to search recursively through all the directories. All of the googling I have tried says to add the path here but never gives the exact syntax.

I have tried adding:
/inc
./inc
../inc
/inc/.h
${workspaceFolder}/inc
${workspaceFolder}/inc/.h
${workspaceFolder}/inc/funcs.h
and more combinations that I would care to list here.

How do I make vscode see my .h file in my inc folder?

[bobbrow]

Can you run the C/C++: Log Diagnostics command when the file with the red squiggles is open in the editor and paste the result here?

[datascribbler777]

Also just tried a full uninstall/reinstall, including the appdate/Code directory and the User/.vscode directory. I also created a new directory and re-typed out the code. Same error.

[bobbrow]

Oh, I think it's because the cwd is pointing to the compiler path (so that compilation works). Try replacing "inc" with "${workspaceFolder}/inc"

[datascribbler777]

If I use "Show Errors" it says
func.h: No such file or directory gcc [Ln 1, Col10]

Does it matter that it says gcc when I am have set my compiler to g++?

[datascribbler777]

Oh, I think it's because the cwd is pointing to the compiler path (so that compilation works). Try replacing "inc" with "${workspaceFolder}/inc"

In the tasks.json or in the include path settings?

[bobbrow]

tasks.json

[datascribbler777]

I added it to the tasks.json
The red squiggles are gone from main.cpp
It still fails, but now for a slightly different error:
C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/12.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: C:\Users\PEL6FH\AppData\Local\Temp\ccrYS7OC.o:C:/Users/PEL6FH/Desktop/temp/MSVSC_hell/src/main.cpp:5: undefined reference to `sayHello()'
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status

And the program started acting really strange. Mouseclicks are not being registered. Only one file can be open in the editor now, if I try to open a new one it closes the current one/tab and opens the new one in its place.

[bobbrow]

sayHello is declared in funcs.h, but defined in funcs.cpp. You will need to build main.cpp and funcs.cpp for the linker to be able to find the implementation.

This Stack Overflow post may shed some light on what you need to do: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18777326/compiling-multiple-c-files-with-gcc

I typically prefer to use CMake or Makefiles to manage compiling multiple files into a single executable binary, so I'm not sure if there's a better way than what I'm going to propose, but you should be able to do it by creating two tasks. The first one compiles the two source files main.cpp and funcs.cpp into .o files. Then the second task links the object files into a binary and adds the "dependsOn" property to point to the first task.

Something like this (not tested, may not work as written):

{
    "tasks": [
        {
            "type": "cppbuild",
            "label": "compile",
            "command": "C:/mingw64/bin/g++.exe",
            "args": [
                "-fdiagnostics-color=always",
                "-g",
                "-I",
                "${workspaceFolder}/inc",
                "main.cpp",
                "funcs.cpp"
            ],
            "options": {
                "cwd": "C:/mingw64/bin"
            },
            "problemMatcher": [
                "$gcc"
            ]
        },
        {
            "type": "cppbuild",
            "label": "build",
            "command": "C:/mingw64/bin/g++.exe",
            "args": [
                "-g",
                "main.o",
                "funcs.o",
                "-o",
                "myBinary.exe"
            ],
            "options": {
                "cwd": "C:/mingw64/bin"
            },
            "problemMatcher": [
                "$gcc"
            ],
            "group": {
                "kind": "build",
                "isDefault": true
            },
           "dependsOn": [ "compile" ]
        }
    ],
    "version": "2.0.0"
}

[bobbrow]

Oops. I posted the example json with some obvious errors. They're fixed now.

[datascribbler777]

Ok, I was wondering how this would work in this tool. I may just do it by hand in the console, much easier for me to understand. I would usually do something like:
g++ src/main.cpp src/funcs.cpp -I inc -o main

I was hoping vscode would do something similar once I setup the settings.

[datascribbler777]

So the official answer to how to include an include path is it "should" work if you type it into the projects C/C++ Configurations.

But for me, that didn't work. So instead I had to add the include path using vscode variables, like ${workspaceFolder}<your_path> into the tasks.json file.

I really appreciate the help Bob.

I can't seem to figure out how to mark this as "answered." If you or a mod can delete it, that might be better. It doesn't seem like anyone else is having the problems I am having. I am probably just going to go back to notepad++ and cmd. Editing .json's is not for me, especially if I will have to "figure out" what will need to be added where. In the future I will be using a much more developed directory structure and having to integrate other tools like gtest, conan, etc...

[bobbrow]

Glad I could be of help. I'll mark this as the answer. I definitely recommend learning/using a build system of some kind if your project is going to consist of more than a handful of source files. CMake and Makefile are two choices that we support in VS Code and would help you avoid configuring json files. CMake works well with gtest and conan/vcpkg and you should be able to find examples out there to guide you.