1.23.51

Features:

• Add support for CMake Presets version 11 (added in CMake 4.3). In test presets, the execution.jobs field can now be an empty string, equivalent to passing --parallel with no value.
• Automatically add new source files to CMakeLists.txt and remove deleted source files from CMakeLists.txt. Two new commands (cmake.addFileToCMakeLists and cmake.removeFileFromCMakeLists) and nine new cmake.modifyLists.* settings provide full control over target selection, variable handling, and confirmation behavior. #2132 #4454 @malsyned
• Add cmake.languageServerOnlyMode to keep CMake language services active while disabling CMake project integration when no local CMake executable is available. #4516
• Allow specifying a custom debug adapter type in cmake.debugConfig via the type property. When set, automatic debugger detection is skipped and any debug adapter (e.g., codelldb, lldb) can be used with arbitrary configuration properties. #4818
• Add ${cmake.testEnvironment} placeholder for launch.json that resolves to the CTest ENVIRONMENT test property, and automatically include CTest environment variables when debugging tests without a launch configuration. #4572 #4821
• Add "Delete Build Directory and Reconfigure" command that removes the entire build directory before reconfiguring, ensuring a completely clean state. #4826
• Add cmake.shell setting to route CMake/CTest/CPack subprocess invocations through a custom shell (e.g., Git Bash, MSYS2), enabling embedded toolchains that require POSIX path translation on Windows. #1750
• triple: Add riscv32be riscv64be support. #4648 @lygstate
• Add command to clear build diagnostics from the Problems pane. #4691
• Clear build diagnostics from the Problems pane when a new build starts and populate them incrementally during the build. #4608
• Add individual CTest test nodes to the Project Outline with inline run/debug buttons, and enable debugging tests from both the Outline and Test Explorer without requiring a launch.json. #4721
• Add "Delete Cache, Reconfigure and Build" command that chains cache deletion, reconfiguration, and build into a single action. #4723
• Add cmake.postConfigureTask setting to execute a named VS Code task after every successful CMake configure. #4566 @Francois-Le
• Add "Set Build and Launch/Debug Target" command that sets both the build target and launch target simultaneously. #4732
• Add cmake.setBuildTargetSameAsLaunchTarget setting to automatically set the build target when the launch/debug target is changed. #4519 @nikita-karatun
• Add cmake.additionalBuildProblemMatchers setting to define custom problem matchers for build output. Supports tools like clang-tidy, PCLint Plus, cppcheck, or custom scripts integrated via add_custom_command/add_custom_target. #4077
• Support targetName argument for launch-target command substitutions (cmake.launchTargetPath, etc.) via ${input:...} variables, enabling build-before-run for non-active executable targets without changing the active launch target. #4656
• Complete Bookmarks context menu with "Set Build Target", "Set Launch/Debug Target", "Open CMakeLists.txt", and "Run Utility Target" actions to match the Project Outline. #4788
• Relax intelliSenseMode validation in CMake Presets. #4815 @halflifefan
• Support string arrays in kit cmakeSettings to pass CMake lists without escaping semicolons (e.g., "LLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS": ["clang", "lld"]). #4503
• Add cmake.outlineViewType setting to toggle the Project Outline between a flat list view and the prior hierarchical tree view that shows each CMake project separately. #3799 #4538 @ar1m4n
• Add kit.visualStudioArguments property, this is the extra arguments that would be passed to the vcvarsall.bat file when entering the VS dev environment, those arguments are [platform_type] [winsdk_version] [-vcvars_ver=vc_version] [-vcvars_spectre_libs=spectre_mode]. #125 #4538 @lygstate

Improvements:

• Clarify variable substitution scope in docs for settings.json vs generic VS Code tasks.json/launch.json, including when to use ${command:cmake.*} and why ${buildKit}, ${generator}, and ${config:cmake.configureArgs} may not expand as expected in tasks. #4010
• Improve CMake syntax highlighting: extend variable recognition with compiler/toolchain families and add scoped property command colorization for set_property, get_property, set_target_properties, and related commands. #4527 @pboettch
• Run tests sequentially in alphabetical order (matching the Test Explorer display order) when cmake.ctest.allowParallelJobs is disabled. #4829
• Document how to configure cmake.debugConfig.visualizerFile to use custom Natvis files with quick debugging, without requiring a launch.json. #4616
• Add .github/copilot-instructions.md to ground GitHub Copilot in the repo's architecture and coding conventions.
• Clicking on a CTest in the Project Outline now navigates to the test source file, matching the existing Test Explorer behavior. #4773
• Clicking on a CTest unit test in the Test Explorer now navigates to the test source file by matching the test executable to its CMake target's source files. #4449
• Make "CMake: Add ... Preset" commands available in the command palette when cmake.useCMakePresets is set to auto, even before a CMakePresets.json file exists. #4401
• Improve CMake syntax highlighting with command-scoped keyword rules, expanded variable recognition, and better generator-expression support. Remove obsolete deprecated-keyword entries that caused false positives on user-defined names. #4709 #4508 #4613
• Add MSVC linker error problem matching to the Problems pane. #4675 @bradphelan
• Use environment variables from cmake.environment and cmake.configureEnvironment when expanding $penv{} macros in CMake Presets include paths. #3578
• Allow preset modification commands to target CMakeUserPresets.json. The target file is determined by the focused editor, or by prompting the user when both files exist. #4564
• Display info tooltip when hovering over CMake policy identifiers (e.g., CMP0177), showing the CMake version that introduced the policy, a short description, and a link to the official documentation. #4544
• Append cmake to diagnostics that this extension contributes to the Problems Pane. PR #4766
• Set the VSCODE_CMAKE_TOOLS environment variable for all spawned subprocesses so that CMakeLists.txt can detect when CMake is run from VS Code. #4233
• Ensure kit environmentVariables expansions (for example, ${env:PATH} or ${env.PATH}) use the environment produced by environmentSetupScript, so script-updated values are preserved during expansion. #4091
• Honor debugger.workingDirectory from the CMake File API when debugging a target, so that the DEBUGGER_WORKING_DIRECTORY target property is used as the debugger working directory. #4595
• Honor the active kit environment (including environmentSetupScript and kit-defined environment variables) when resolving cmake.cmakePath in kits mode, enabling auto/cmake mode discovery and ${env:...} substitutions to use kit-provided environment values. #4475
• Add cmake.removeStaleKitsOnScan setting to optionally remove stale compiler kits from the kit picker after a "Scan for Kits" when they are no longer rediscovered. This is useful after compiler upgrades that leave older versions outside PATH. Set "keep": true in a kit entry to prevent automatic removal. #3852
• Add pr-readiness Copilot skill to verify PRs have a descriptive title, meaningful description, and a properly formatted CHANGELOG entry. #4862
• Updated IntelliSense tooltips with changes from CMake 4.3.1. #4872
• Make it easier for a new developer of CMake Tools to run tests. #4620 @cwalther

Bug Fixes:

• Fix stale C/C++ custom-configuration entries persisting after reconfigure/preset switches, which could cause Go to Definition/IntelliSense to surface symbols from inactive sources in the same folder. #4472
• Fix IntelliSense not updating when switching the active project in multi-project workspaces with multiple cmake.sourceDirectory entries. #4390
• Fix tasks.json schema validation rejecting valid CMake task commands package and workflow. #4167
• Import the EXTERNAL_INCLUDE environment variable from the VS developer environment so that MSVC's external-header diagnostic suppression works correctly. #4217
• Fix test presets not automatically switching when the build preset changes in multi-config generator setups (e.g., Ninja Multi-Config). The extension now auto-selects a compatible test preset after a build preset change, and properly considers build type when guessing the test preset. #4395
• Fix cmake.additionalCompilerSearchDirs ignoring per-folder overrides in multiroot workspaces. The setting is now read from each folder's scoped configuration with ${workspaceFolder} expanded per-folder, and the results are unioned. Also fix cmake.cmakePath resolution during kit scanning to try all workspace folders instead of only the first.
• Fix ${workspaceFolder} expansion in cmake.additionalCompilerSearchDirs for single-root workspaces. Previously only the multi-root ${workspaceFolder:name} syntax worked. #4571
• Fix cmake.revealLog set to "focus" not revealing the output panel or stealing focus. The output channel now correctly appears and takes focus on both configure success and failure when this setting is used. #4471
• Fix ${command:cmake.selectConfigurePreset} (and other preset/kit selection commands) failing with "command did not return a result of type string" when used in tasks.json as a command variable. The commands now return the selected preset or kit name instead of a boolean. #4239
• Fix renaming a CMake project creating a duplicate node in the Project Outline instead of replacing the existing one. #4343
• Remove internal stack traces from the Output pane when a subprocess fails. Error messages now show only human-readable information; stack traces are still available in debug-level logging. #4807
• Fix duplicate launch configurations in the ctest debug picker when both .vscode/launch.json and a .code-workspace file exist. #4586
• Users can now debug with or without launch configurations from the test explorer. cmake.ctest.neverDebugTestsWithLaunchConfiguration can be set to true to bypass the quick pick menu where the launch configuration is selected. #4790
• Fix cmake.buildTask build failures not aborting debug launches. When ${command:cmake.launchTargetPath} is used in launch.json, a failed build now correctly prevents the stale executable from being launched. #3389
• Fix bookmarked targets running a full build instead of building only the specific target when triggered from the Bookmarks view. #4771
• Fix build errors not being added to the Problems tab when using cmake.buildTask: true. The build task's pseudoterminal now feeds output to the diagnostic parser so compiler and linker errors are properly surfaced. #4489
• Fix cmake.compileFile command truncating long compile commands at ~1024 characters on macOS. The command is now sent to the terminal in chunks to avoid VS Code terminal buffer limitations. #4470
• Fix cmake.compileFile truncating compile commands longer than 4096 bytes due to the PTY input buffer limit. The compiler is now spawned directly via proc.execute() behind a pseudoterminal, bypassing the shell entirely so argument lists of any length are passed intact. #4836
• Fix configure/build sometimes using stale preset values when unsaved changes to included preset files are auto-saved before configure. The extension now explicitly refreshes presets from disk after saving, instead of relying solely on the asynchronous file watcher. #4502
• Fix overly aggressive preset reloading on every build/debug/launch. Preset reapplication now only runs when cmake.configureOnEdit is enabled and preset files had unsaved changes, instead of unconditionally re-reading all preset files. #4792
• Reduce overly verbose logging when CMake configure or build fails. The Output panel no longer floods with duplicated output, and the channel is only revealed on error rather than unconditionally. #4749
• Fix building a target no longer revealing the output panel. The build now respects the cmake.revealLog setting to show the output channel at the start of a build. #4885
• Fix Test Results panel not hyperlinking file paths for GoogleTest failures. The default cmake.ctest.failurePatterns now includes a pattern matching GoogleTest's file:line: Failure output format. #4589
• Fix wrong path created for artifact when parsing code model using CMake File API. #3015
• Fix garbled characters (Mojibake) in the Output panel when MSVC outputs UTF-8 (e.g., with /utf-8) on non-UTF-8 Windows systems. When cmake.outputLogEncoding is auto, the build output is now validated as UTF-8 before falling back to the system code page. #4520
• Fix workspace path displayed with a leading slash on Windows when running CMake build tasks. #4438
• Fix CMakePresets.json discovery failing in multi-folder workspaces when the presets file is in a subdirectory specified by cmake.sourceDirectory. #4727
• Fix initial kit scan ignoring cmake.enableAutomaticKitScan: false on first workspace open, and prevent redundant concurrent scans in multi-project workspaces. #4726
• Fix cmake.installPrefix not being passed to CMake as CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX when using presets. #4358
• Fix CPack commands not appearing in the command palette when not using CMake Presets. Also fix CPack environment variables not being set up in non-preset mode. #4453
• Fix extension not switching to preset mode after "CMake: Quick Start" generates a CMakePresets.json, causing variant selection to have no effect. #4569
• Fix spurious preset reloads triggered by unrelated file system events such as builds, git commits, and cmake.copyCompileCommands. Migrated file watching from chokidar to VS Code's built-in FileSystemWatcher API, which also resolves high CPU usage on Apple M1. #4703 #2967
• Clarify that semicolons in cmake.configureSettings string values are escaped, and array notation should be used for CMake lists. #4585
• Fix "CMake: Quick Start" command failing silently when no folder is open. Now shows an error message with an option to open a folder. #4504
• Fix "CMake: Run Without Debugging" not changing the working directory when the build directory changes. #4549
• Fix build/debug/launch target selection not working when CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE is not set in the preset or is changed in CMakeLists.txt. #4219
• Fix CMake script path links not working in CHS/CSY/FRA/PLK locales due to localized quotes. #4383
• Fix user-level tasks defined in ~/.config/Code/User/tasks.json causing infinite spinner. #4659
• Fix CMake: Set Build Target command not showing available targets when using presets with defined targets. #4509
• Fix cmake.compileFile failing to find compilation info when using presets without CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS. #4484
• Fix "Copy Value" in CMake debugger copying variable name instead of value. #4551
• cmakeDriver: Fixes getCompilerVersion by using compilerPath instead of compilerName. #4647 @lygstate
• Add support for Visual Studio 2026 generator. #4637
• Fix $comment not being accepted inside a cacheVariable object in CMake presets. #4600
• Fix kits from cmake.additionalKits not being shown when cmake.showSystemKits is false. #4651
• Fix "Scan for Kits" failing to invoke vcvarsall.bat when Visual Studio is installed in a non-ASCII directory path, by forcing the generated batch script to use UTF-8 codepage. #4623 @Sp3EdeR
• Fix how jobs is handled in build presets. Also update how cmake.parallelJobs is handled as a fallback when a build preset does not define jobs. #4176
• Fix diagnostics to handle when there isn't a command in the error output. PR #4765
• Fix bug in which running "CMake: Build" would always run "CMake: Clean Rebuild" when cmake.buildTask is enabled #4421 @RedSkittleFox
• Fix issue with hover provider not checking for undefined. #4812
• Fix bug in which CTest is unable to run large amount of tests in parallel due to regex exceeding command line length limits #4829 @theuke
• Fix malformed devcontainer.json used for working with GitHub Codespaces and similar environments #4588 @kaladron
• Fix hang in buildWithResult tool when there isn't a configure preset selected. #4857
• Fix hiding of tests if test suite name and target name are the same when setting "Test Suite Delimiter" to \ #4408 @ottmar-zittlau
• Fix backtick used instead of apostrophe in the cmake.outlineViewType setting description. #4876