vcxproj

vcxproj is the project file format used by Microsoft Visual Studio to store C++ projects. The .vcxproj file is an XML-based manifest that describes the files included in a project, the build configurations (such as Debug and Release), the platforms (such as Win32 or x64), and the various compiler, linker, and tool settings. It is designed to be consumed by MSBuild, the build engine used by Visual Studio, rather than being a simple, human-editable list.

A vcxproj file generally contains an outer Project element and includes sections such as PropertyGroup and ItemGroup. PropertyGroup nodes define configuration-specific and platform-specific settings, including configuration type, platform toolset, include directories, preprocessor definitions, output paths, and runtime library choices. ItemGroup nodes enumerate the project items, such as ClCompile for C++ source files, ClInclude for headers, None for miscellaneous files, and Resource for resources. There may also be ItemGroup entries for ProjectReferences and other dependencies.

The file relies on imports to define common properties and build targets, typically pulling in Microsoft.Cpp.Win32.props and Microsoft.Cpp.Win32.targets (or their equivalents for other toolsets). This structure delegates much of the default behavior to MSBuild and the Visual Studio toolchain, while still allowing direct editing of the file for advanced configurations.

Vcxproj files are usually paired with a solution file (.sln) that aggregates one or more projects. Visual Studio also uses a companion vcxproj.filters file to organize files in the Solution Explorer without affecting the actual file system layout.

Older Visual Studio versions used vcproj format; many workflows now use vcxproj, with conversion tools available in the IDE. Editing of vcxproj is possible but typically managed through the IDE or MSBuild, not manual edits.