Setting Up VS Code to Compile and Run C++ (Mac)

What You’ll Need

• Visual Studio Code
• C++ compiler (clang for Mac)
• VS Code C++ extensions

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1. Install Xcode Command Line Tools (includes clang)

Open Terminal and run:

xcode-select --install

Follow the prompt to install the tools.

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2. Install Visual Studio Code

Download and install from:
https://code.visualstudio.com

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3. Install C++ Extension in VS Code

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to the Extensions tab (left sidebar or Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for and install:
   • C/C++ by Microsoft

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4. Create and Run a C++ Program

1. Create a new folder for your project (e.g., cpp-labs)
2. Open the folder in VS Code:
   File → Open Folder
3. Create a new file: hello.cpp

Paste the following:

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

4. Open the Terminal in VS Code:
   Terminal → New Terminal
5. Compile the code:

clang++ hello.cpp -o hello

6. Run the program:

./hello

You should see:

Hello, world!‘Hello, world!

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