Working with MSVC Projects

As a substitute or supplement to your project settings, you can also tell Understand for C++ to use the source, macro, and include path settings from a Microsoft Visual C++ (MSVC) project file.

MSVC project files from versions 4, 5, and 6 are supported.

Choose Project->Configure to open the Project Configuration dialog. In the MSVC tab, follow these steps:

  1. Put a check in the Sync Files/Includes/Defines from Existing Msvc Project field.

  2. Type the full path or browse for your MSVC project file. The MSVC project file extension may be .dsp, .dsw (workspace file), .vcp (Windows CE project), or .vcw (Windows CE workspace).
  3. Choose the MSVC target you want to use from the Target pulldown.
  4. The Contains box shows defines, includes, and sources set in the MSVC file for the target you select. Understand for C++ supports most MSVC syntax, including relative include paths, “#pragma once”, and the “ExcludeFromProject” property (on a per project basis).

    Note: If you sync with an MSVC workspace file, the default target is used because there is no mechanism for specifying targets for each .dsp project within a .dsw file.

  5. If you want to omit defines, includes, or sources set in the MSVC project, remove the check from the appropriate box.
  6. Click Apply to use the defines, includes, and sources (if selected) from the currently selected MSVC project and target.
  7. After you apply a project, the defines, includes, and sources you synchronized are listed in the Macros, Includes, and Sources tabs of the Project Configuration dialog. However, they are locked and cannot be modified using those tabs.

  8. You may then select additional MSVC project files to synchronize with. If you select another project and apply it, you will be asked whether to keep all the previously made MSVC settings or remove any previous MSVC settings.

  9. If you choose to keep the settings, a cumulative list of defines, includes, and sources is used when analyzing the project.

Once set, the source files, macros and include paths from the MSVC project are used by Understand for C++. This is in addition to any project settings you have configured on the other tabs.

Note: Settings in other tabs for include path and macros take priority over the MSVC project settings. This permits you to use the bulk of the MSVC settings while selectively overriding as your needs require.


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