How can you compile for Windows ARM64EC architecture?

[HerrNamenlos123]

According to https://devblogs.microsoft.com/cppblog/arm64ec-support-in-visual-studio/, you can build for ARM64EC architecture, which seems to have many benefits over normal ARM64 architecture.

Is there a way to use this GH action to build for ARM64EC instead of normal ARM64? I did not see anything documented...

[pzhlkj6612]

Hi!

In GitHub-hosted runners, the "VC.Tools.ARM64EC" is installed in both Windows 2019 and 2022, so firstly you may need to try preparing the environment manually by writing CMD commands. If everything works well, you could consider using this action instead. This action internally calls "vcvarsall.bat" to prepare the environment for VC++ programming.

[pinal3083]

How ARM64EC can be used for developer command prompt? This link says need to use arm64.https://devblogs.microsoft.com/cppblog/arm64ec-support-in-visual-studio/

[pzhlkj6612]

Hi, @pinal3083.

Developer Command Prompt

If you are interested in using the Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt for compiling and linking source files for ARM64EC, you need to use the ARM64 Developer Command Prompt, and then run your cl and link commands separately:

vsdevcmd -host_arch=x64 -arch=arm64 // creates an ARM64 Developer Command Prompt from your default Developer Command Prompt

cl /arm64EC /c <args>

link /MACHINE:ARM64EC <args>

from: ARM64EC Support in Visual Studio - C++ Team Blog

Interesting, they are using vsdevcmd instead of vcvarsall.bat, I don't know so much about vsdevcmd.

@pinal3083, did you try building your program in Developer Command Prompt on your PC? Debugging CI in CI is a bit hard.