microsoft / microsoft/vscode-cpptools

Header-only fallback incorrectly occurs when system headers are opened using compileCommands

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Feature: Compile Commands investigate: repro Language Service
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Description

Use test.cpp

#include <string>

int main()
{
    std::string s;
}

with some compile_commands.json like

[
    {
        "directory": "<dir>",
        "command": "C:\\PROGRA~2\\MICROS~3\\2017\\ENTERP~1\\VC\\Tools\\MSVC\\1416~1.270\\bin\\Hostx86\\x86\\cl.exe -c sub.cpp",
        "file": "sub.cpp"
    }
]

Then use Go to Definition on std::string.

Bug: The TU for xstring gets opened as a header only fallback instead of using the existing TU for sub.cpp.

This bug doesn't repro when using the CMake Tools configurationProvider.

Bug2 in https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-cpptools/issues/5506 is related.

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Research direction

Reproduce the issue with test.cpp, the shown compile_commands.json entry for sub.cpp, and Go to Definition on std::string. Trace why xstring is opened as a header-only fallback instead of using the existing sub.cpp translation unit; done means the compile_commands path resolves the existing TU, matching the CMake Tools configurationProvider behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
devtools
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
42/100

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