How to add json file to compile with everything else Visual Studio 2019 and 2022

Question

Hello, I am having trouble using Visual Studio Community 2019 and 2022.

In my code I am trying to read and write a json file but I keep getting parse errors because the json file is not included with the exe when compiling? Here is my code.

How can I fix this? I thought the problem was with the 3rd party json software I use but it is not, it does have something to do with compiling the code.

Thank you!

Answer 1

Alright, here is the answer. At first I was having problems with fstream not reading my json file etc. so I thought the problem was that the json file was not added to the project and so fstream couldn't read the file, but I was wrong.

The real question was what do I put as the relative path to my json file? at the root of my project I have the Debug/ folder with the exe, and at the root I have a folder called data/ that has the file I want fstream to read. I thought the relative path to the json was to go ../data/ my json file but that was not the correct answer, what is the correct answer was to just do data/ my json file because the exe's relative path starts at the root of the project.

Tl;dr: If you are using fstream and vs community, the relative path starts at the root of the project, most likely if you build x86, just behind the Debug/ folder.

I hope I make sense, and thanks for your help!

Answer 2

Hi, @John Le Roux

I tested the sample in my PC, changed the \ to / in file.cpp, and it now works.

Best regards,

Minxin Yu

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Answer 3

It works now, but what do I put as the relative path to the json file if I don't want to use the actual path? @Minxin Yu

Answer 4

You could get teh current executable path by using "GetModuleFileName()".. then append the path to your json file.

-SM

Answer 5

Can you give an example of that? @SM I don't know how to use GetModuleFileName(), I have tried std::cout << GetModuleFileName(); to see the current path so I can find where the relative path to the file is but it didn't work.