Question

How do YOU reduce compile time, and linking time for VC++ projects (native C++)?

Please specify if each suggestion applies to debug, release, or both.

Answer 1

It may sound obvious to you, but we try to use forward declarations as much as possible, even if it requires to write out long namespace names the type(s) is/are in:

// Forward declaration stuff namespace plotter { namespace logic { class Plotter; } }  // Real stuff namespace plotter {     namespace samples {         class Window {             logic::Plotter * mPlotter;             // ...         };     } } 

It greatly reduces the time for compiling also on others compilers. Indeed it applies to all configurations 🙂