[SOLVED] Visual Studio compiling to wrong path AND trying to run wrong path when used with CMake

Issue

I'm very new to CMake (and new to C++ too, although that shouldn't matter here), and I am having a problem using CMake with Visual studio.

I have created a directory, let's say it's called Project, and put in it a simple project with the following structure:

Project/
    build/ <empty>
    src/
        main.cpp
    CMakeLists.txt
    CMakePresets.json

Inside these files is just the most basic, default code:

• CMakeLists.txt:

  cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.8)
  
  project (Project)
  
  set (CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
  set (CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED True)
  add_executable (Project src/main.cpp)
  

• CMakePresets.json (this code is just the default that was generated):

  {
      "version": 3,
      "configurePresets": [
          {
              "name": "windows-base",
              "hidden": true,
              "generator": "Ninja",
              "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/out/build/${presetName}",
              "installDir": "${sourceDir}/out/install/${presetName}",
              "cacheVariables": {
                  "CMAKE_C_COMPILER": "cl.exe",
                  "CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER": "cl.exe"
              },
              "condition": {
                  "type": "equals",
                  "lhs": "${hostSystemName}",
                  "rhs": "Windows"
              }
          },
          {
              "name": "x64-debug",
              "displayName": "x64 Debug",
              "inherits": "windows-base",
              "architecture": {
                  "value": "x64",
                  "strategy": "external"
              },
              "cacheVariables": {
                  "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Debug"
              }
          },
          {
              "name": "x64-release",
              "displayName": "x64 Release",
              "inherits": "x64-debug",
              "cacheVariables": {
                  "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Release"
              }
          },
          {
              "name": "x86-debug",
              "displayName": "x86 Debug",
              "inherits": "windows-base",
              "architecture": {
                  "value": "x86",
                  "strategy": "external"
              },
              "cacheVariables": {
                  "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Debug"
              }
          },
          {
              "name": "x86-release",
              "displayName": "x86 Release",
              "inherits": "x86-debug",
              "cacheVariables": {
                  "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Release"
              }
          }
      ]
  }
  

• src/main.cpp:

  #include <iostream>
  
  int main() {
      std::cout << "Hello, world!" << std::endl;
  
      return 0;
  }
  

Then, I have used CMake to create a Visual Studio solution:

C:\...\Project\build> cmake ..

This has worked fine without any errors, and Visual Studio can open the solution. It can also build the project correctly...

But it cannot run the executable which it has built. After successfully building the project, it has written the executable to C:\...\Project\build\Debug\Project.exe, but it tries to open C:\...\Project\build\x64\Debug\ALL_BUILD instead, and I get an error popup.

I gather that there are two things wrong here:

1. The executable file should be written within the C:\...\Project\build\x64\Debug folder, not just the C:\...\Project\build\Debug folder. This is how it has worked whenever I have used Visual Studio before, and this is the folder it is trying to search in.
2. It should be searching for an executable called Project.exe, not one called ALL_BUILD.

When I run Project.exe manually from the command line, it works fine. But I cannot seem to make Visual Studio run it correctly.

What have I done wrong here, and how can I get this to work?

Solution

Default project is set to ALL_BUILD to change the default for the VS generators use the following CMake statement:

set_property(DIRECTORY PROPERTY VS_STARTUP_PROJECT Project)

Anywhere after the add_executable command.

Answered By - ixSci

Answer Checked By - Candace Johnson (WPSolving Volunteer)