Debugging with command-line parameters in Visual Studio

Question

I'm developing a C++ command-line application in Visual Studio and need to debug it with command-line arguments. At the moment I just run the generated EXE file with the arguments I need (like this program.exe -file.txt) , but this way I can't debug. Is there somewhere I can specify the arguments for debugging?

Related post - [Passing command line parameters with Visual Studio C#](https://stackoverflow.com/q/6475887/465053) — RBT, May 24 '18 at 10:06
`gdb -args ./program -argument`. If you use `gdb` as your debugger. — Jesper Juhl, Apr 08 '23 at 01:14

score 872 · Accepted Answer · edited May 16 '23 at 06:47

872

Yes, it's in the Debug section of the properties page of the project.

In Visual Studio since 2008: right-click on the project node, choose Properties, go to the Debugging section -- there is a box for "Command Arguments".

edited May 16 '23 at 06:47

Ankit Aggarwal

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answered Nov 18 '08 at 13:28

Lou Franco

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Stackoverflow is the only usable MS documentation! – Martin Beckett Jan 13 '11 at 16:41
15

Be careful with that. This will not change the actual project file, but the vcxproj.user-file instead. – TheTrowser May 13 '15 at 17:20
Note: if you have multi project in a solution, remember to right click the project you wand to run and "Set as StartUp Project". – Lion Lai Apr 17 '17 at 07:51
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Spot on. But apparently in VS2017 it's not called "Debugging", but "Debug". We may never know why. – Lorraine Oct 16 '17 at 14:43
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Make sure you have the correct Configuration selected in the dropdown at the top of the Property pages, i.e. the same configuration as the one you are trying to run. – Steve Smith Jan 04 '18 at 14:51
Command **Arguments**. The actual executable is listed in **Command**. The problem I had was I put the executable in **Command Arguments**...sigh. Thanks for this @lou-franco – Daisuke Aramaki Nov 18 '20 at 18:41
@TheTrowser Is it possible to set the arguments from one of the typically version controlled VS files, like .vcxproj? – Bernardo SOUSA Feb 02 '21 at 14:26
1

@BernardoSOUSA Sorry, not working with VS anymore. Perhaps someone else might help you. – DarkTrick Feb 04 '21 at 12:25

score 60 · Answer 2 · edited May 13 '20 at 02:56

The Mozilla.org FAQ on debugging Mozilla on Windows is of interest here.

In short, the Visual Studio debugger can be invoked on a program from the command line, allowing one to specify the command line arguments when invoking a command line program, directly on the command line.

This looks like the following for Visual Studio 8 or 9 (Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Studio 2008, respectively)

  devenv /debugexe 'program name' 'program arguments'

It is also possible to have an explorer action to start a program in the Visual Studio debugger.

score 20 · Answer 3 · edited Jul 10 '09 at 19:50

20

Even if you do start the executable outside Visual Studio, you can still use the "Attach" command to connect Visual Studio to your already-running executable. This can be useful e.g. when your application is run as a plug-in within another application.

edited Jul 10 '09 at 19:50

Lou Franco

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answered Nov 18 '08 at 13:32

MSalters

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Yep, attach with `Ctrl+Alt+P` (or click "Debug" > "Attach to process..."). But this doesn't really answer OP question ;) – T_D Jan 10 '17 at 12:51

score 8 · Answer 4 · edited Feb 26 '17 at 18:49

8

Microsoft Visual Studio Ultima 2013.

You can just go to the DEBUG menu → Main Properties → Configuration properties → Debugging and then you will see the box for the command line arguments.

Actually, you can set the same input arguments for all the different configurations and not only for debugging.

From the pull down menu of configuration select: All Configurations and insert the input arguments (each argument separated by space).

Now, you can execute your program in different modes without having to change the input arguments every time.

edited Feb 26 '17 at 18:49

Peter Mortensen

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answered Feb 12 '15 at 11:12

jorge

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It kinda works like that in MS VS 2015 as well. Before I headed to "Debug-> {projectname} properties" I had to open the "Configuration Manager" accessable via the Dropdown containing by default "Debug" and "Release". A window popped up where I was able to add new "Configuration" items. These items are available in "Debug -> {projectname} properties". – Alexander Jun 11 '16 at 11:36

jpmc26 · Answer 5 · 2020-01-02T05:45:08.043

With VS 2015 and up, Use the Smart Command Line Arguments extension. This plug-in adds a window that allows you to turn arguments on and off:

Smart Command Line Arguments interface

The extension additionally stores the arguments in a JSON file, allowing you to commit them to source control. In addition to ensuring you don't have to type in all the arguments every single time, this serves as a useful supplement to your documentation for other developers to discover the available options.

Konstantin Glukhov · Answer 6 · 2022-03-31T07:04:53.427

In VS 2022 it is possible to debug any executable. Open a folder containing .exe file

Right-click on .exe file and click "Set as Startup item"
Again right-click on .exe file and click "Add Debug Configuration" or "Open Debug and Launch Settings" if configuration file is already created.
Add args to launch.vs.json, e.g.

{
  "version": "0.2.1",
  "defaults": {},
  "configurations": [
    {
      "type": "default",
      "project": "ffprobe.exe",
      "projectTarget": "",
      "name": "ffprobe.exe",
      "args": [ "C:\\Temp\\test-file" ]
    }
  ]
}

Right-click on .exe file and click "Debug"

score 3 · Answer 7 · edited Jan 01 '20 at 21:24

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Right click on the project in the Solution window of Visual Studio, select "Debugging" (on the left side), and enter the arguments into the field "Command Arguments":

edited Jan 01 '20 at 21:24

Peter Mortensen

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answered Feb 17 '18 at 21:57

Andrushenko Alexander

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score 3 · Answer 8 · edited Jan 01 '20 at 21:26

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In Visual Studio 2017 with a .NET Core console application do the following:

Right click on the Project in the Solution window, select "Properties", Debug (on the left side), and enter the arguments into the field "Application Arguments".

Note that they should be space-separated.

edited Jan 01 '20 at 21:26

Peter Mortensen

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answered May 07 '18 at 08:02

Yahya Hussein

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score 3 · Answer 9 · answered Dec 02 '22 at 07:23

In Visual Studio 2022, the option to specify "Command line arguments" has been moved to "Launch Profiles UI" (screenshot below).

You can open it from Right-click project > properties > Debug > "Open debug launch profiles UI" > Command line arguments

Note that this feature is currently receiving negative feedback from users. References below:

score 2 · Answer 10 · edited May 25 '18 at 13:46

2

This may help some people who still have problems. I use Visual Studio 2015 and I could only pass the arguments when I changed the definition of argv.

Instead of

int main(int argc, char **argv){
}

I had to use

int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
}

I do not know why it was necessary, but it works.

edited May 25 '18 at 13:46

O'Neil

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answered May 25 '18 at 13:45

Blubsiwubsi

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Had the same issue but both declarations mentioned above didn't work. Solution was changing platform from x86 to x64 since I am working on a 64bit machine. – hfrmobile Mar 06 '20 at 08:18

score 1 · Answer 11 · edited Feb 26 '17 at 18:49

In Visual Studio 2010, right click the project, choose Properties, click the configuring properties section on the left pane, then click Debugging, then on the right pane there is a box for command arguments.

In that enter the command line arguments. You are good to go. Now debug and see the result. If you are tired of changing in the properties then temporarily give the input directly in the program.

score 1 · Answer 12 · answered Mar 11 '21 at 08:38

I found some old command line arguments stored in a MyStartUpProject.csproj.user file under my startup-project's source folder. Deleting this file didnt work, Visual Studio brought it back for me. I had to edit the arguments in the file.

The values in the file did not show up in VS, Project Properties, Debugging. Entering values there appended them to the values in the mysterious MyStartUpProject.csproj.user file.

score 0 · Answer 13 · answered Mar 25 '22 at 19:03

0

For those using VS2022 and you don't have launchSchema.json, as someone mentioned above, there is a solution for inserting args using launchSettings.json.

enter the file and insert your args using "commandLineArgs": "argument here",

this worked for me.

answered Mar 25 '22 at 19:03

mateus_cesar

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And the file is located in this project sub-folder `\My Project\launchSettings.json`. If you modify the file directly you need to reload the project – MrCalvin Sep 12 '22 at 06:39

score 0 · Answer 14 · answered Mar 29 '23 at 20:59

Besides adding parameters in project startup properties, debugger can be attached to a running program, at any time after starting it. A call to DebugBreak or to __debugbreak can be added into the code.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/debugger/debugbreak-and-debugbreak?view=vs-2022
So, the program will break and wait for a debugger to be attached, or to ignore it. So debugger will be attached in exactly place you need it.
Some other way is to start the program and attach the debugger at runtime as native, .NET or Script, check debugger menus in Visual Studio. This way you will probably not be sure what code runs in the moment you attach the debugger, but you don't always need.
But, I would also consider identifying exactly the pieces of code I want to debug, then making unit tests. So, much easier and faster to debug small pieces of unit tests.

Debugging with command-line parameters in Visual Studio

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