Using Visual Studio Command Prompt Tools Everywhere

Question

How can I use the tools included in the VS command prompt (Programs | MS Visual Studio 2008 | Visual Studio Tools | Visual Studio 2008 Command Prompt) from any command prompt (ie without calling vcvarsall.bat) or program?

Solution

The easiest way to do this is to add the PATH, INCLUDE, LIB and LIBPATH environment variables that are listed in the vsvarsXX.bat file for VS2005 on a 32 bit Intel box.

Here's the sample for vsvars32.bat:

@SET VSINSTALLDIR=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8
@SET VCINSTALLDIR=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC
@SET FrameworkDir=C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework
@SET FrameworkVersion=v2.0.50727
@SET FrameworkSDKDir=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0
@if "%VSINSTALLDIR%"=="" goto error_no_VSINSTALLDIR
@if "%VCINSTALLDIR%"=="" goto error_no_VCINSTALLDIR

@echo Setting environment for using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 x86 tools.

@rem
@rem Root of Visual Studio IDE installed files.
@rem
@set DevEnvDir=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE

@set PATH=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\BIN;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\Tools;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\Tools\bin;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\PlatformSDK\bin;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0\bin;C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\VCPackages;%PATH%
@set INCLUDE=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\ATLMFC\INCLUDE;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\INCLUDE;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\PlatformSDK\include;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0\include;%INCLUDE%
@set LIB=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\ATLMFC\LIB;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\LIB;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\PlatformSDK\lib;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0\lib;%LIB%
@set LIBPATH=C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\ATLMFC\LIB

@goto end

:error_no_VSINSTALLDIR
@echo ERROR: VSINSTALLDIR variable is not set. 
@goto end

:error_no_VCINSTALLDIR
@echo ERROR: VCINSTALLDIR variable is not set. 
@goto end

:end

Pick and fill in the values from there.

Comments

[Ori Shavit]

That's exactly what I was looking for.