# Generating a MY\_APP.vcxproj.user file

**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/generating-a-my-app-vcxproj-user-file/10498
**Category:** Code
**Tags:** os:windows
**Created:** [March 26, 2024, 11:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/generating-a-my-app-vcxproj-user-file/10498 "2024-03-26T23:10:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Mark](https://discourse.cmake.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Mark](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/Mark)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2024, 11:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/generating-a-my-app-vcxproj-user-file/10498/1 "2024-03-26T23:10:59Z")

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I’m trying to use CMake to configure some parameters for the Visual Studio debugger to make it easier to start a debug session. I have the following code in a file that is included in the top CMakeLists.txt file. The included file is located in a subdirectory of the folder containing the top CMakeLists.txt file.

```cmake
add_executable(MY_APP)
set_target_properties(MY_APP PROPERTIES
    VS_DEBUGGER_COMMAND "$(TargetPath)"
    VS_DEBUGGER_WORKING_DIRECTORY "$(ProjectDir)"
    VS_DEBUGGER_COMMAND_ARGUMENTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test_vectors/input/input.pcm output.pcm"
)

```

I am using CMake version 3.23.1 and the Visual Studio 15 2017 generator. I have searched through numerous posts, the online documentation and books. My understanding is that by setting these properties, a MY\_APP.vcxproj.user file will be created in the binary directory with those properties configured. However, no MY\_APP.vcxproj.user file is created. Is this supposed to work that way? If so, what am I missing?

Thanks,

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### Author: ![ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2024, 3:40am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/generating-a-my-app-vcxproj-user-file/10498/2 "2024-04-11T03:40:03Z")

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I don’t think it ends up in the `.user` file but instead the main `MY_APP.vcxproj` file. Do your settings show up there?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Mark](https://discourse.cmake.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Mark](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/Mark)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/generating-a-my-app-vcxproj-user-file/10498/3 "2024-04-18T15:08:19Z")

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Yes, the settings are showing up in the .vcxproj. And they are working. If you set them or modify them manually, Visual Studio then creates a .user file, which is why I was expecting to find them there.

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### Author: ![ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2024, 4:50pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/generating-a-my-app-vcxproj-user-file/10498/4 "2024-04-18T16:50:05Z")

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I think that is the split between “what the project specifies” and “the user modifies things on top of the project” and allows for committing the “core” project files to VCS and custom settings to sidecar without interfering.