How to create an empty project

[357mag]

I've learned how to create C++ Projects following the wizard to make a Win32 Console Application. That's not too hard but I'd like to learn how to create an empty project but I've having trouble. Here is what I did:

1. Go into File - New Project. Highlight Empty Project.
2. Give the project a name like "Welcome To Programming." Click OK.
3. Go into Project - Add New Item. Highlight Code. Highlight CPP File.
4. Give that a name like "Welcome To Programming." Then click Add.
5. At this point I'm looking at a bare .cpp code window. There is nothing in it.
6. Now I start typing in usual simple code stuff.

Now I can build it successfully and I can compile it successfully but when I try to run it it says:

No debugging information. Debugging information for Welcome To Programming.exe cannot be found or does not match. Binary was not built with debug information.

What am I doing wrong? I'm using Visual Studio 2005.

Wait... I see a window on my taskbar that looks like the program has in fact run. So I guess it ran but what is with that message about having no debugging info?

[357mag]

Ah...it turns out that Microsoft shut off debugging when you make an empty project so I found a series of steps to follow to turn off optimization and turn on debugging.

It would be stupid though if you gotta go through these steps each and every time you write a new program.

[jonnin]

Ah...it turns out that Microsoft shut off debugging when you make an empty project so I found a series of steps to follow to turn off optimization and turn on debugging.

It would be stupid though if you gotta go through these steps each and every time you write a new program.

The wizard default projects are good enough for almost any personal project, and can be edited into what you need for most professional ones as well. Those have a debug and release build that are pretty good to start with. Only the blank one left for the user to follow steps setting it up. If you don't want to set some 100 options, twice if you want a debug and release build, then don't use the blank one.