Visual Studio code editor play button not working

[Saqlain532]

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### Hi! I am a beginner of learning code in vs code for c and cpp language play button isn't working . It gives errors after clicking it . Although I can run code manually . I searched alot in chatgpt copilot etc and done the steps but yet the problem not solved . Help me to fix it .I am facing error- {The terminal process "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe '/d', '/c', 'gcc -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -Wshadow -Wformat=2 -Wcast-align -Wconversion -Wsign-conversion -Wnull-dereference -Wunused-variable -Wdouble-promotion -Wmissing-declarations -fsanitize=address -fsanitize=undefined -fsanitize=leak -ftime-report --std=c17 -g3 -O0 -O2 -fstack-protector -fno-strict-aliasing -IC:\Users\saqlain mu\Downloads\c files/include -I/usr/include -I/usr/local/include -c function_ref.c -o .\build\Debug\function_ref.o && gcc -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -Wshadow -Wformat=2 -Wcast-align -Wconversion -Wsign-conversion -Wnull-dereference -Wunused-variable -Wdouble-promotion -Wmissing-declarations -fsanitize=address -fsanitize=undefined -fsanitize=leak -ftime-report --std=c17 -g3 -O0 -O2 -fstack-protector -fno-strict-aliasing -IC:\Users\saqlain mu\Downloads\c files/include -I/usr/include -I/usr/local/include .\build\Debug\function_ref.o -o .\build\Debug\outDebug.exe'" terminated with exit code: 1.

• Terminal will be reused by tasks, press any key to close it.}
  The message displayed-the executable you want to debug does not (yet) exist .you need to build it first
  Although I am also working on python and it is working for python

[thegr8Arin]

Hi @Saqlain532,

Thank you for reaching out! I understand that you're having trouble with the "play button" (Run/Debug button) in Visual Studio Code (VS Code) for C/C++ programs, while it works fine for Python. Let’s troubleshoot and resolve this issue step by step.

1. Check Your Build Configuration
   The error indicates that the build process is failing. Ensure that your tasks.json file (located in the .vscode folder) is correctly configured to compile your C/C++ code. Here’s an example configuration for tasks.json:

**json**
{
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
        {
            "label": "build",
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "gcc",
            "args": [
                "-Wall",
                "-Wextra",
                "-Wpedantic",
                "-Wshadow",
                "-Wformat=2",
                "-Wcast-align",
                "-Wconversion",
                "-Wsign-conversion",
                "-Wnull-dereference",
                "-Wunused-variable",
                "-Wdouble-promotion",
                "-Wmissing-declarations",
                "-fsanitize=address",
                "-fsanitize=undefined",
                "-fsanitize=leak",
                "-ftime-report",
                "--std=c17",
                "-g3",
                "-O0",
                "-O2",
                "-fstack-protector",
                "-fno-strict-aliasing",
                "-IC:\\Users\\saqlain mu\\Downloads\\c files\\include",
                "-I/usr/include",
                "-I/usr/local/include",
                "-c",
                "${file}",
                "-o",
                "${fileDirname}\\build\\Debug\\${fileBasenameNoExtension}.o",
                "&&",
                "gcc",
                "-o",
                "${fileDirname}\\build\\Debug\\outDebug.exe",
                "${fileDirname}\\build\\Debug\\${fileBasenameNoExtension}.o"
            ],
            "group": {
                "kind": "build",
                "isDefault": true
            },
            "problemMatcher": ["$gcc"],
            "detail": "Generated task by VS Code"
        }
    ]
}

Make sure:
The paths in the args section match your file locations.

The build/Debug directory exists in your project folder.

2. Install Required Tools
   Ensure you have the necessary tools installed:

GCC Compiler: Install MinGW or another GCC-compatible compiler for Windows.

C/C++ Extension: Install the C/C++ extension in VS Code.

3. Check Your launch.json Configuration
   The launch.json file (also in the .vscode folder) should be configured to use the executable built by the tasks.json file. Here’s an example:

**json**

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Debug C/C++",
            "type": "cppdbg",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${fileDirname}\\build\\Debug\\outDebug.exe",
            "args": [],
            "stopAtEntry": false,
            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
            "environment": [],
            "externalConsole": false,
            "MIMode": "gdb",
            "miDebuggerPath": "gdb",
            "setupCommands": [
                {
                    "description": "Enable pretty-printing for gdb",
                    "text": "-enable-pretty-printing",
                    "ignoreFailures": true
                }
            ],
            "preLaunchTask": "build"
        }
    ]
}

Ensure:

The program path matches the executable generated by the build task.

The preLaunchTask matches the label in your tasks.json file ("build" in this case).

4. Manually Build the Project
   Before running the debugger, try building the project manually:

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).

Run Tasks: Run Build Task (or select the build task from the terminal dropdown).

Check for any errors in the build process and fix them.

5. Check File Paths and Permissions
   Ensure there are no spaces or special characters in your file paths that might cause issues.

Make sure you have write permissions for the build/Debug directory.

6. Test with a Simple Program
   To rule out issues with your current project, create a simple "Hello, World!" program and try running it using the play button. For example:

**c**
#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    printf("Hello, World!\n");
    return 0;
}

7. Update VS Code and Extensions
   Ensure that VS Code and all extensions (especially the C/C++ extension) are up to date.

Next Steps
Try the steps above and let me know if the issue persists.

If the problem continues, share the updated tasks.json and launch.json files, as well as any error messages from the build process.

Let me know how it goes!

Best regards,
Aryan.