vcpkg Wrapper for MATLAB®

This toolbox wraps vcpkg - Open source C/C++ dependency manager from Microsoft® for MATLAB projects that use vcpkg manifest mode to define their C/C++ dependencies. The wrapper selects host and target triplets and configures compiler paths automatically. Install vcpkg and a supported compiler, and set VCPKG_ROOT to the vcpkg installation folder. The wrapper adds that folder to the system path when building dependencies.

Setup

Use MATLAB Package Manager (MPM) only in MATLAB R2026b or newer. For MATLAB R2020b through R2026a, use the standard .mltbx toolbox installation described below. Releases distribute a single .mltbx installer for MATLAB R2020b or newer, including the MPM package definition, runtime code, and Getting Started guide.

MPM installation (MATLAB R2026b+)

With an internet connection and access to the File Exchange repository, install the package from MATLAB:

mpminstall vcpkgWrapper

For an editable developer installation, keep the clone in a permanent location and pass the toolbox folder as the package root. Its definition is toolbox/resources/mpackage.json:

pkg = mpminstall("C:/path/to/vcpkg-Wrapper-for-MATLAB/toolbox", ...
    Editable=true, InPlace=true, Prompt=false);

Toolbox installation (MATLAB R2020b+)

The .mltbx method is preferred for offline computers and is also supported in MATLAB R2020b or newer.

Download the .mltbx installer from GitHub Releases or File Exchange. For an offline computer, download it on a computer with internet access and transfer the installer to the offline computer. Double-click it in MATLAB, or run:

matlab.addons.toolbox.installToolbox("vcpkgWrapper-X.Y.Z.mltbx");
vcpkg.getToolboxRoot()

Replace X.Y.Z with the downloaded release version. For example, tag v1.2.3 produces vcpkgWrapper-1.2.3.mltbx.

Install the wrapper once in a MATLAB environment. MPM and the toolbox installer use the same package UUID. When switching installation methods, remove the previous installation through its package manager first. Both methods expose the runtime folder automatically. For development from a clone, opening VcpkgToolbox.prj configures the source, helper, and test paths; no startup scripts are required.

MathWorks Products (https://www.mathworks.com)

Requires MATLAB release R2020b or newer

• MATLAB®

3rd Party Products

• vcpkg; set VCPKG_ROOT to its installation folder.
• A supported C/C++ compiler; configure it with mex -setup C++.

The MPM definition explicitly declares "dependencies": []: the wrapper does not require any other MATLAB packages. MATLAB itself is covered by the release compatibility constraint. External vcpkg and the compiler must be installed separately; MPM does not install them. Simulink Real-Time and its target support packages/toolchains are optional, required only for the corresponding embedded target builds. C/C++ libraries in a consumer's vcpkg.json (and the fmt sample under tests) are managed by vcpkg, not by the wrapper's MPM dependency list.

Getting started

The instructions for use are located in the Getting Started documentation and are part of the shipping toolbox.

Dynamic and static builds

Host libraries are built dynamically by default, preferring a Release-only triplet when available. Set the optional scalar logical argument buildDynamic to false to build static host libraries. Supported embedded target builds always use static libraries, regardless of this option.

% Build dynamic host libraries only (the default linkage).
vcpkg.buildVcpkgDeps('path/to/manifest', 'buildHostOnly', true)

% Build static host libraries only.
vcpkg.buildVcpkgDeps('path/to/manifest', ...
    'buildHostOnly', true, 'buildDynamic', false)

% Build dynamic host dependencies and static embedded target libraries.
vcpkg.buildVcpkgDeps('path/to/manifest')

When no supported embedded target is detected, dependencies are built for the host using the selected linkage. Host builds explicitly select the same triplet for both --triplet and --host-triplet.

vcpkg.getHostTriplet() selects dynamic host libraries with a preference for Release-only builds; vcpkg.getHostTriplet(false) selects static Release-only host libraries. With the default buildRelease=true, the host triplets are:

Host/compiler	Dynamic (default)	Static
Windows / MSVC	x64-windows-release if available, otherwise x64-windows	x64-windows-static-md-release
Windows / MinGW	x64-mingw-dynamic-release	x64-mingw-static-release
Linux	x64-linux-dynamic-release if available, otherwise x64-linux-dynamic	x64-linux-release
macOS / Intel	x64-osx-dynamic-release if available, otherwise x64-osx-dynamic	x64-osx-release
macOS / Apple silicon	arm64-osx-dynamic-release if available, otherwise arm64-osx-dynamic	arm64-osx-release

Host triplets must be available in the installed vcpkg's triplets or triplets/community folder. Static Release-only and MinGW Release-only builds require the corresponding -release triplet; they have no fallback.

Applications using dynamic libraries must make the corresponding shared libraries available at runtime.

Both buildDynamic and buildRelease accept scalar values that MATLAB converts to logical. Numeric 0 selects false; nonzero numeric values select true.

Release-only builds

The optional scalar logical argument buildRelease defaults to true, selecting a matching host triplet ending in -release when available. These triplets set VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE to release and skip Debug libraries. If no dynamic Release triplet exists in the installed vcpkg, the wrapper warns and uses the dynamic Debug/Release triplet. Set VCPKG_ROOT to the vcpkg installation so both triplet folders can be searched. Set buildRelease to false to select Debug and Release host builds explicitly:

% Build dynamic Debug and Release host libraries.
vcpkg.buildVcpkgDeps('path/to/manifest', ...
    'buildHostOnly', true, 'buildRelease', false)

% Build static Debug and Release host libraries.
vcpkg.buildVcpkgDeps('path/to/manifest', ...
    'buildHostOnly', true, 'buildDynamic', false, 'buildRelease', false)

% Query the static host triplet for Debug and Release builds.
vcpkg.getHostTriplet(false, false)

x64-linux-release, x64-osx-release, and arm64-osx-release build static dependency libraries with a dynamic C runtime (VCPKG_CRT_LINKAGE). Dependency library linkage is controlled separately by VCPKG_LIBRARY_LINKAGE; these triplets therefore apply to buildDynamic=false.

On MSVC, static Debug/Release builds use x64-windows-static-md when available, otherwise the built-in x64-windows-static triplet, which also uses a static C runtime.

The existing embedded target overlays always build static Release-only libraries for either buildRelease value. No host overlay triplets are added by the toolbox.

vcpkg diagnostics

Set vcpkgDebug to true to pass --debug to vcpkg and enable its diagnostic output. The default is false. Library build configuration is controlled separately by buildRelease.

vcpkg.buildVcpkgDeps('path/to/manifest', 'vcpkgDebug', true)

The option previously named debug is now named vcpkgDebug; update existing calls accordingly.

For MATLAB toolbox developers

See the development guide for testing, building, and releasing the toolbox.

Community Support

MATLAB Central