Visual Studio, Directories and Environment Variables

Visual Studio 2010 does not allow setting user-specific paths to include files and libraries at the global level but instead these paths must be set in the user property sheet VC++ Directories which is automatically added to every project. Go to Properties->Configuration Properties->VC++ Directories and there you'll find various paths:

• Executable Directories - path that corresponds to environmental directory PATH
• Include Directories - path that corresponds to environmental directory INCLUDE
• Reference Directories - path that corresponds to environmental directory LIBPATH
• Library Directories - path that corresponds to environmental directory  LIB
• Source Directories
• Exclude Directories

The fact that Visual Studio treats these paths as if they were set in environment variables allows us to use the same semantics used when setting environment variables. E.g. we can reference value of some arbitrary environment variable in the path. For example, if WINDDK_PATH is environment variable which value is path to Windows DDK, we can reference its value as $(WINDDK_PATH). Path to DDK API headers in Include Directories is then $(WINDDK_PATH)\inc\api.

NOTE 1: Value of arbitrary environment variable named ENV_VAR can be echoed in Command Prompt window by executing "echo %ENV_VAR%" command.

NOTE 2: Visual Studio/Command Prompt  must be restarted in order to fetch latest changes in environment variables.