How Can I Determine the Visual Studio Version During Code Compilation?

How to Detect Visual Studio Version During Code Compilation

In software development, it may be necessary to determine the specific version of Microsoft Visual Studio being used to compile code. This information can be useful for various reasons, such as:

• Ensuring compatibility with specific language features or libraries
• Running code optimizations specific to a particular Visual Studio version
• Identifying potential bugs or issues related to compiler versions

Using Predefined Macros

Microsoft Visual Studio defines several predefined macros that provide information about the compiler version used for compilation. Two commonly used macros are:

• _MSC_VER: This macro contains the major version number of the Visual Studio compiler. For example, _MSC_VER == 1900 for Visual Studio 2015.
• _MSC_FULL_VER: This macro contains the full version number of the Visual Studio compiler, including minor updates and build number.

_MSC_VER and _MSC_FULL_VER Values

The following table lists the values of _MSC_VER and _MSC_FULL_VER for various recent versions of Visual Studio:

Other Methods

In addition to using the predefined macros, there are other methods to detect the Visual Studio version during compilation:

• Command-line Argument: The cl.exe compiler can provide information about its version through the /? command-line argument. For example, running "cl.exe /?" will display the compiler version on the command line.
• Examine visualc.hpp: The Boost library includes a header file named visualc.hpp, which contains various preprocessor macros that can be used to detect the Visual Studio version.
• Check Registry: The Visual Studio version can be found in the Windows registry under the key "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftVisualStudio".

Conclusion

By using the predefined macros _MSC_VER and _MSC_FULL_VER, or exploring alternative methods such as command-line arguments or registry checks, developers can accurately determine the specific version of Microsoft Visual Studio used during code compilation. This information can enhance development efficiency and ensure compatibility with desired language features or libraries.

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