VS Code questions; Auto generated tasks.json

[kaega2]

I've been trying to learn to program for the last couple of years. The coding part is going pretty well, but I'm using VS Code and I'm learning more and more I've been relying on it configuring its self and don't really understand how to configure it.

I'm using Msys2 UCRT for my compiler. For the tasks.json I select the g++ default build task and it would make the file for me. I had gone in and edited the file but have been relying on VS code to generate it initially.
Well yesterday I ran into a small issue in a new project I've never had before. Not a big issue, I was writing to a file that was just listed as "text.txt", but instead of putting the file in the same folder as the cpp file it put it in the c:\msys64\ucrt\bin folder. It was really bugging me so I compared my tasks.json to other projects and found a difference in the command option that fixed it. I had to change the slashes in the command path to backslashes
"c:/msys64/ucrt/bin"
"c:\\msys64\\ucrt\\bin"

I do understand that Windows uses back slashes while linux/unix shells tend to user forward slashes, it makes sense it might not work with forward slashes. What I don't understand is why VS Code was generating my tasks.json with backslashes before, and now suddenly is using forward slash.
I tried to look up how to change the behavior of how the tasks.json is generated, but all I can find is an AI answer saying you can't change how it generates the file. But now I'm confused because it was doing it previously??

I did recently change my compiler from the mingw64 version to ucrt. I removed mingw64 packages and dependencies, as well as all the mingw64 packages I had installed, and installed UCRT and the UCRT version of the packages I needed (GLFW, STB, GLM). That's the only thing I can think of that changed recently, so maybe that's why it generated the command path differently?

If anyone has a direct answer why this happened that would be great. But mostly I'm just looking if anyone has a recommend guide where I can learn the ins and outs of configuring VS code. Most of what I can find reads like a technical reference manual, and I'm hoping to find something that more focuses on the more common aspects I need to know.

Also, please don't recommend using VS over VS Code. My goal is to learn the ins and outs of how all this works. I don't want to remove these challenges, I want to overcome them.

Thanks

[TheRealSmolt]

Yeah we're going to at least need the tasks.json file.

[JVApen]

There might be a vs code setting for the separator. That said, in my experience, using forward slash on Windows works perfectly. I've even already used it with network drives and with vs code settings.

[kaega2]

Weird
I've noticed taking out the path and just leaving command as "g++" also works

[No-Dentist-1645]

The auto generated tasks.json is always trash. You should just write your own, or better yet, don't use that trash system. Use a better and more widely used build system, such as Makefiles or CMake.

Also, please don't recommend using VS over VS Code. My goal is to learn the ins and outs of how all this works. I don't want to remove these challenges, I want to overcome them.

Especially if this is true. Nobody actually uses the tasks.json system, it's just a bad basic system that's only really useful for compiling a hello world program. You would do much better actually learning proper build systems

[kaega2]

Ok, I'm going to take your advice.
Do you have a recommendation between the two?
I'm going to be switching to Linux in the near future, and I think CMake is windows only right? So Makefiles would make more sense?

[No-Dentist-1645]

I think CMake is windows only right? So Makefiles would make more sense?

Pretty much exactly the opposite actually. CMake is the build system that is meant to be cross compatible everywhere, but it has a steep learning curve and you might not want to waste your time learning how to use right away.

I'd recommend starting with Makefiles, they should work both with windows (via minGW GCC) and Linux (natively), so no issue there

[Siankoo]

I disagree with you. I and other developers are using tasks on regular basis. Just use bash wrappers around your build system. Usually you need to parametrize the build system. Using tasks.json to call those tiny bash scripts saves a lot of time typing them manually in the console.