Setting up pugixml 1.15 in Visual Studio 2022 using CMake

• Install pugixml using this guide: How to install pugixml 1.15 using CMake and Visual Studio 2022 for Desktop
• Run Visual Studio
• Click on the "Create a new project" button:

• Click on the "CMake Project" and click on the "Next" button:

• Type a project name, set a project location, check the "Place solution and project in the same directory" checkbox, and click on the "Create" button:

• Wait a few seconds for configuration
• Run the project by click on the empty green triangle (or Ctrl+F5):

• The program prints "Hello CMake" to the console:

• Double click on the "CMakePresets.json" file:

• Add the "pugixml_DIR" variable for "Debug" and "Release":

        {
            "name": "x64-debug",
            "displayName": "x64 Debug",
            "inherits": "windows-base",
            "architecture": {
                "value": "x64",
                "strategy": "external"
            },
            "cacheVariables": {
                "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Debug",
                "pugixml_DIR": {
                    "value": "E:/libs/pugixml-1.15-msvc/win/debug/lib/cmake/pugixml",
                    "type": "PATH"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "x64-release",
            "displayName": "x64 Release",
            "inherits": "x64-debug",
            "cacheVariables": {
                "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Release",
                "pugixml_DIR": {
                    "value": "E:/libs/pugixml-1.15-msvc/win/release/lib/cmake/pugixml",
                    "type": "PATH"
                }
            }
        },

• Double click on the "CMakeLists.txt" file:

• Add this code to the "CMakeLists.txt" file:

find_package(pugixml)
target_link_libraries(hello-pugixml PRIVATE pugixml::pugixml)

• Create a simple XML file with the "users.xml" name inside of the "hello-pugixml/out/build/x64-debug" folder with the following content:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<people>
  <person>
    <name>Alice</name>
    <age>30</age>
  </person>
  <person>
    <name>Bob</name>
    <age>25</age>
  </person>
  <person>
    <name>Charlie</name>
    <age>35</age>
  </person>
  <person>
    <name>David</name>
    <age>28</age>
  </person>
  <person>
    <name>Eve</name>
    <age>22</age>
  </person>
</people>

• Replace the "hello-pugixml.cpp" file content with this one:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <sstream>
#include <string>
#include <pugixml.hpp>
 
std::string readFile(const std::string& path)
{
    std::ifstream f(path);
    if (!f.is_open())
    {
        std::cout << "Failed to open the file: " << path << std::endl;
        return "";
    }
    std::stringstream sstr;
    f >> sstr.rdbuf();
    std::string content = sstr.str();
    f.close();
    return content;
}
 
int main()
{
    // Read the XML-file content
    std::string fileContent = readFile("users.xml");
 
    // Create the pugi document
    pugi::xml_document doc;
 
    // Load the XML source
    pugi::xml_parse_result result = doc.load_string(fileContent.c_str());
    if (!result)
    {
        std::cerr << "Parse error: " << result.description() << std::endl;
        return 1;
    }
 
    // Get names and ages and print them
    auto root = doc.first_child();
    auto people = root.children();
    for (pugi::xml_node person : people)
    {
        std::string name = person.child("name").text().as_string();
        int age = person.child("age").text().as_int();
        std::cout << name << ": " << age << std::endl;
    }
 
    return 0;
}

• Press Ctrl+F5 to run the application
• You see this result:

Alice: 30
Bob: 25
Charlie: 35
David: 28
Eve: 22