visual studio code: debugging c/c++ (cl.exe)

launch.json

{
    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "cl.exe - Build and debug active file",
            "type": "cppvsdbg",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${fileDirname}\\${fileBasenameNoExtension}.exe",
            "args": [],
            "stopAtEntry": false,
            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
            "environment": [],
            "console": "externalTerminal",
            "preLaunchTask": "C/C++: cl.exe build active file",
        }
    ]
}

tasks.json

{
    // See https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=733558
    // for the documentation about the tasks.json format
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
        {
            "type": "shell",
            "label": "C/C++: cl.exe build active file",
            "command": "cl.exe",
            "args": [
              "/Zi",
              "/Fe:",
              "${fileDirname}\\${fileBasenameNoExtension}.exe",
              "${file}"
            ],
            "problemMatcher": ["$msCompile"],
            "group": {
              "kind": "build",
              "isDefault": true
            }
        }
    ]
}

vs-code-debugging-cl.md

Visual Studio Code: Debugging C/C++ (MSVC cl.exe)

Modify launch.json and tasks.json of your project's .vscode directory so you can debug your code within the editor.

Launch a shell with the build environment you want (for example):

• Developer Command Prompt for VS 2019
• x86 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS 2019
• x64 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS 2019

Change the current directory to your project and run visual studio code from there

$ code .

Visual Studio Code will execute the build task in it's own shell inheriting from the environment of the shell it was launched from.