C++ Dependencies Without the Headache: vcpkg + Copilot CLI

This article discusses how to streamline C++ dependency setup and maintenance using vcpkg and GitHub Copilot CLI. It provides insights into a terminal-first workflow for building a CLI app with CMake and MSVC.

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C++ dependency setup and maintenance still slows down many teams. In my Pure Virtual C++ 2026 session, I show a terminal-first workflow that ends with a working CLI app that formats and prints programming quotes, built with CMake and Microsoft C++ (MSVC) Build Tools. All of this is powered by GitHub Copilot CLI, which does the work of generating the code and project files, identifying appropriate open-source library dependencies, installing the vcpkg package manager, and integrating the libraries into the project.

GitHub Copilot CLI is the command-line implementation for GitHub Copilot, allowing you to run agents in a terminal window. You can use it as an AI chat interface, give it work to do semi- or fully autonomously, optionally across multiple parallel subagents. For C++ developers…

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