Support "Run without debugging"

[HorstBaerbel]

I'm running VSCode 1.17.02 on Ubuntu 16.04 x64 and cpptools 0.14.

Could you please add information about how to launch an application w/o debugging (CTRL+F5) to the VSCode C++ docs and maybe post a complete tasks.json / launch.json example here? I've read a couple of issues now and can't quite make launching work...
I use make to build my projects. I put

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Launch",
            "runtimeExecutable": "MYEXECUTABLE",
            "program": "${workspaceRoot}/MYOUTPUT.FILE",
            "preLaunchTask": "Make"
            }
    ]
}

into launch.json. My tasks.json looks like this:

{
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
        {
            "taskName": "Make",
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "make",
            "args": [""],
            "group": "build",
            "presentation": {
                "reveal": "always",
                "panel": "dedicated"
            },
            "problemMatcher": {
                "owner": "cpp",
                "fileLocation": ["relative", "${workspaceRoot}"],
                "pattern": {
                    "regexp": "^(.*):(\\d+):(\\d+):\\s+(warning|error):\\s+(.*)$",
                    "file": 1,
                    "line": 2,
                    "column": 3,
                    "severity": 4,
                    "message": 5
                }
            }
        }
    ]
}

The binary file is built successfully via CTRL+SHIFT+B, but when launching via CTRL+F5 I get the message "No executable targets are available". I guess vscode does not know what output file make generates...

[agauniyal]

Just create another task that runs builds and runs executable :|

[HorstBaerbel]

And connect that to CTRL+F5 through the key bindings? Might work, but how is it actually meant to be done?! What about my launch.json example? Should that work? Why not? The docs are lacking there imo... :/

[agauniyal]

No you cannot connect it to CTRL + F5 but you'd be able to run it with CTRL+SHIFT+B if you set it default build task which I've done :)

[HorstBaerbel]

Thanks for the workaround, but I suspect there must be an actual solution to the problem...

[pieandcakes]

@HorstBaerbel We haven't implemented Launch without Debugging. I'll mark this as a feature request but you may either do it as @agauniyal suggested with a batch file or from the Terminal within VSCode.

[HorstBaerbel]

Thanks. Will try the "build-and-run" version then for the moment...

[jcrawford]

I would also love to see a Launch Without Debugging feature added to vscode.

[chuxubank]

In some cases, you can use Code Runner an alternative.

[swharden]

Isn't CTRL+F5 already the default key binding for Start (without debugging) (workbench.action.debug.run)? It seems to work for me out of the box too: F5 launches with debugging, CTRL+F5 launches without.

EDIT: In my case I don't think debugging is actually ever running properly, but at least CTRL+F5 is still "running without debugging". The only difference I see is that the call stack shows threads when I F5 but not when I CTRL+F5...

Visual Studio Code Default Key Bindings:
https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/keybindings#_debug

My launch.json file:

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "(Windows) Launch",
            "type": "cppvsdbg",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/main.exe",
            "args": [],
            "stopAtEntry": false,
            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/data/",
            "environment": [],
            "externalConsole": true,
        }
    ]
}

My tasks.json file:

{
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
        {
            "label": "build",
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "g++",
            "args": [
                "-g", "${workspaceFolder}/src/main.cpp", "-o", "${workspaceFolder}/bin/main.exe"
            ],
            "group": {
                "kind": "build",
                "isDefault": true
            }
        }
    ]
}

My version of VS Code:

Version: 1.27.1 (system setup)
Commit: 5944e81f3c46a3938a82c701f96d7a59b074cfdc
Date: 2018-09-06T09:21:18.328Z
Electron: 2.0.7
Chrome: 61.0.3163.100
Node.js: 8.9.3
V8: 6.1.534.41
Architecture: x64

[roachsinai]

@pieandcakes maybe a week ago, Ctrl+F5 do the same with Start without debugging. Don't why doesn't work now.

[pieandcakes]

@roachsinai We haven't done work enable that scenario and we haven't shipped an extension update since 0.20.1 which shipped a few months back. Did you apply a VS Code update?

[roachsinai]

Yes, update it at 2019-01-09...