Cannot open include file with Visual Studio

Question

I have recently gone from Code::Blocks to Visual Studio, and in Code::Blocks one could just add a class and then include it straight away. However, whenever I do the same in Visual Studio with the following statement:

#include "includedFile.h"

or

#include "include/includedFile.h"

It doesn't work and instead I get the error:

cannot open include file: 'includedFile.h'; no such file or directory.

Is there some box or setting that I have to tick? Or do I have to add each header as a dependency manually?

Here is the code for the class in question:

Public.h:

    #pragma once
    class Public
    {
        public:
            static const int SCREEN_WIDTH=1000;
            static const int SCREEN_HEIGHT=1250;
            Public(void);
            ~Public(void);
    };

Public.cpp:

    #include "Public.h"


    Public::Public(void)
    {
    }


    Public::~Public(void)
    {
    }

How it is being included:

    #include "Public.h"

Answer 1

Go to your Project properties (Project -> Properties -> Configuration Properties -> C/C++ -> General) and in the field Additional Include Directories add the path to your .h file.

And be sure that your Configuration and Platform are the active ones. Example: Configuration: Active(Debug) Platform: Active(Win32).

Answer 2

I had this same issue going from e.g gcc to visual studio for C programming. Make sure your include file is actually in the directory -- not just shown in the VS project tree. For me in other languages copying into a folder in the project tree would indeed move the file in. With Visual Studio 2010, pasting into "Header Files" was NOT putting the .h file there.

Please check your actual directory for the presence of the include file. Putting it into the "header files" folder in project/solution explorer was not enough.

Answer 3

You need to set the path for the preprocessor to search for these include files, if they are not in the project folder.

You can set the path in VC++ Directories, or in Additional Include Directories. Both are found in project settings.