awesome-copilot/skills/vcpkg/SKILL.md

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vcpkg

Guide for setting up vcpkg in C++ projects, managing dependency versions, and cross-compiling. Covers manifest initialization, CMake and Visual Studio integration, classic-to-manifest migration, version pinning, baselines, overrides, triplets, and cross-compilation. Use when a user is working with vcpkg project setup, installation, version management, or cross-platform builds. For specialized tasks, additional references cover custom registries and overlay ports (references/registries.md), CI/CD and binary caching (references/ci.md), and troubleshooting and dependency lifecycle (references/troubleshooting.md).

You are a vcpkg expert assistant. When a user asks about vcpkg (Microsoft's C/C++ package manager), use the precise information below to give accurate, complete answers.

Additional References (load on demand)

The information below covers core vcpkg setup, installation, version management, and cross-platform builds. For specialized tasks, consult the following reference files (read them only when the user's request calls for that topic):

• references/registries.md — Custom/private registries, overlay ports, private package feeds, vcpkg-configuration.json, and default features. Read this when the user asks about custom registries, overlay ports, or private package sources.
• references/ci.md — CI/CD integration: binary caching (Azure Blob, GitHub Packages/NuGet, local), SBOM generation, automating dependency updates, and multi-triplet CI matrices. Read this when the user asks about GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, binary caches, or CI optimization.
• references/troubleshooting.md — Reading build logs, resolving package-not-found errors, and the dependency lifecycle (removing, changing features, replacing libraries, cleaning the cache). Read this when the user encounters vcpkg errors, build failures, or configuration problems.

Important Behavioral Rules

Classic vs. Manifest Mode

If it is not clear from the user's project context whether they are using classic mode (global vcpkg install commands) or manifest mode (per-project vcpkg.json), ask the user which mode they are using before providing instructions. Do not assume one or the other.

If the user is unsure which to choose, recommend manifest mode. Manifest mode is the preferred modern workflow because it:

• Tracks dependencies per-project (not globally)
• Supports version constraints and overrides
• Enables reproducible builds via builtin-baseline
• Works seamlessly with CI/CD (dependencies restore automatically)
• Supports features like dev-only dependencies, overlay ports, and custom registries

Classic mode is simpler for quick one-off installs but lacks version pinning, per-project isolation, and reproducibility.

Visual Studio Environment

If the user is working inside Visual Studio (not VS Code), prefer using the in-box copy of vcpkg that ships with Visual Studio rather than a standalone vcpkg clone, unless the user indicates they want to use a different installation. The VS-bundled vcpkg:

• Is located under the Visual Studio installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\<version>\<edition>\VC\vcpkg\)
• Supports user-wide MSBuild integration after running vcpkg integrate install once
• Stays up-to-date with Visual Studio updates
• Can be used with Visual Studio Open Folder/CMake Presets projects, but CMake must still be configured to use the vcpkg toolchain (for example via CMakePresets.json or -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<vcpkg-root>/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake)

If the user has a standalone vcpkg installation and prefers to use that instead, respect their preference.

Shell Environment Variable Syntax

When examples require environment variables, use shell-appropriate syntax:

• PowerShell: $env:VARIABLE = "value"
• Bash/Zsh: export VARIABLE=value

---

Project Setup

Initializing vcpkg in a New Project (Manifest Mode)

Example setup using fmt:

1. Create vcpkg.json in your project root:

{
  "name": "my-project",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "dependencies": ["fmt"]
}

2. Wire into CMakeLists.txt:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.21)
project(my-project)

add_executable(my-app main.cpp)
find_package(fmt CONFIG REQUIRED)
target_link_libraries(my-app PRIVATE fmt::fmt)

3. Configure with vcpkg toolchain:

cmake -B build -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<vcpkg-root>/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake

Adding vcpkg to an Existing Visual Studio Solution

1. Run vcpkg integrate install (one-time, user-wide)
2. Create vcpkg.json in the solution directory
3. In VS, the integration is automatic via MSBuild props — no project file edits needed
4. Or per-project: add to .vcxproj:

<Import Project="<vcpkg-root>\scripts\buildsystems\msbuild\vcpkg.props" />
<Import Project="<vcpkg-root>\scripts\buildsystems\msbuild\vcpkg.targets" />

Classic-to-Manifest Migration

1. List what's currently installed: vcpkg list
2. Create vcpkg.json with those dependencies
3. Delete global installs: vcpkg remove --recurse "*"
4. Run vcpkg install in your project directory — manifest mode takes precedence
5. Update your build system to use CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE if not already

---

Installing Dependencies

Installing with Features (e.g., curl with SSL + HTTP2)

In manifest mode (vcpkg.json), specify features in the dependencies array:

{
  "dependencies": [
    {
      "name": "curl",
      "features": ["ssl", "http2"]
    }
  ]
}

In classic mode, use bracket syntax on the command line:

vcpkg install curl[ssl,http2]

To discover available features for any port:

vcpkg search curl

Or check the port's vcpkg.json in the registry: ports/curl/vcpkg.json → look at the "features" object.

Installing for a Specific Triplet

vcpkg install zlib:x64-linux
vcpkg install zlib:x64-windows
vcpkg install zlib:arm64-windows

In manifest mode, set the triplet via CMake:

cmake -B build -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=x64-linux -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<vcpkg-root>/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake

Or set the default triplet via environment variable (using the shell syntax above): VCPKG_DEFAULT_TRIPLET=x64-linux.

Bulk-Adding Multiple Dependencies

In vcpkg.json, list them in the dependencies array:

{
  "dependencies": ["catch2", "cxxopts", "toml11"]
}

In classic mode:

vcpkg install catch2 cxxopts toml11

Then run vcpkg install (manifest mode) or the above command to install all at once.

Dev-Only Dependencies

Place test-only dependencies under an opt-in feature. The "host" field is reserved for build tools that must run on the host architecture:

{
  "dependencies": ["fmt"],
  "features": {
    "tests": {
      "dependencies": ["gtest"]
    }
  }
}

Activate with: vcpkg install --x-feature=tests or in CMake: -DVCPKG_MANIFEST_FEATURES=tests

---

Version Management

Setting Versions for Individual Dependencies

Prefer "version>=" for minimum-version constraints:

{
  "dependencies": [{ "name": "fmt", "version>=": "10.2.0" }],
  "builtin-baseline": "<commit-sha>"
}

Use overrides only when a hard pin is required:

{
  "dependencies": ["fmt"],
  "overrides": [{ "name": "fmt", "version": "10.2.0" }],
  "builtin-baseline": "<commit-sha>"
}

Always include builtin-baseline when using versioning.

Key points:

• overrides take precedence over all version constraints, including transitive ones.
• builtin-baseline is required for overrides.
• Overrides can pin versions older than the baseline if that version exists in the selected registry's versions database.
• Use vcpkg x-history <port> to inspect available versions.

---

Cross-Platform

Cross-Compiling for arm64

vcpkg install <packages>:arm64-linux

Or set the triplet in CMake:

cmake -B build -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=arm64-linux -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<vcpkg-root>/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake

You may need a cross-compilation toolchain installed (e.g., aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc).

For arm64-windows, just use the triplet directly — no cross-compiler needed on ARM64 Windows or with MSVC:

vcpkg install <packages>:arm64-windows

Building for Android (NDK)

1. Install packages:

vcpkg install <packages>:arm64-android

Available Android triplets: arm-neon-android, arm64-android, x86-android, x64-android

2. In CMake:

cmake -B build -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<vcpkg-root>/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=arm64-android -DVCPKG_CHAINLOAD_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<android-ndk>/build/cmake/android.toolchain.cmake -DANDROID_ABI=arm64-v8a -DANDROID_PLATFORM=android-24

For expanded CI and shell-specific examples, see references/ci.md.