C++ CMake + vcpkg Template

A modern C++23 project template using:

• CMake
• vcpkg (Manifest Mode)
• Ninja
• clangd
• clang-format
• clang-tidy

The template is Linux-first but fully supports Windows.

Important

In case VSCode or another editor is acting up in regards to files not being found or classes not existing, make sure to restart the clangd language server, that should fix the issue. Also note that you should first run one of the build scripts (build.sh for Unix systems, build.bat for Windows) to generate the compiler commands.

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Features

• C++23
• vcpkg dependency management
• CMake Presets
• clangd-ready
• VS Code ready
• Neovim friendly
• GCC, Clang and MSVC support

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Requirements

Fedora

sudo dnf install \
git \
gcc-c++ \
clang \
clang-tools-extra \
cmake \
ninja-build \
lldb \
python3

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Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt install \
git \
build-essential \
clang \
clang-tools \
cmake \
ninja-build \
lldb \
python3

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Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S \
git \
base-devel \
clang \
cmake \
ninja \
lldb \
python

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openSUSE

sudo zypper install \
git \
gcc-c++ \
clang \
clang-tools \
cmake \
ninja \
lldb \
python3

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Windows

Install:

• Visual Studio 2022 Build Tools (Desktop development with C++)
• CMake
• Ninja
• Git
• LLVM (clang, clang-format, clang-tidy, lldb)

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Install vcpkg

Clone vcpkg somewhere permanent.

git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git ~/Development/tools/vcpkg

Bootstrap it.

Linux/macOS:

cd ~/Development/tools/vcpkg
./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh

Windows:

bootstrap-vcpkg.bat

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Configure VCPKG_ROOT

Linux:

export VCPKG_ROOT=$HOME/Development/tools/vcpkg

Add that to your shell configuration (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.).

Windows:

setx VCPKG_ROOT C:\Development\vcpkg

Restart your terminal afterwards.

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Usage

To use this template you have 2 options

1. Clone the Repository

mkdir your-cpp-project
cd your-cpp-project
git clone https://github.com/TheVolpeDev/cpp-vcpkg-cmake-template.git .

2. Create a repository based on this template

For this you can either click the "Use This Template" button on the Github web interface, or use this link for quick creation

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Build

Debug

./build.sh

Release

./build.sh release

Windows

build.bat
build.bat release

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Adding Dependencies

Edit vcpkg.json.

Example:

{
  "dependencies": ["fmt", "spdlog", "entt"]
}

Re-run the build script.

vcpkg will automatically install any missing dependencies.

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Recommended VS Code Extensions

• clangd
• CMake Tools
• CodeLLDB

The repository already recommends these extensions automatically.

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Neovim & Other Editors

The template generates compile_commands.json, allowing clangd to work without any additional configuration.

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