portable python detection

.github/workflows/msbuild.yml

@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ jobs:
       with:
         submodules: recursive
     - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-      id: cp310
+      id: cpy
       with:
-        python-version: '3.10'
+        python-version: '3.14'
 
     - name: Add MSBuild to PATH
       uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v2
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Build
       working-directory: ${{env.GITHUB_WORKSPACE}}
+      env:
+        # setup-python installs into the tool cache, not C:\Python3XY, so point
+        # python.props straight at that root via the override env var.
+        SPLITGATE_PYTHON_DIR: ${{ env.pythonLocation }}
       run: Tools/build.bat
 
     - name: Upload Release Artifact

.vscode/settings.json

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+    "files.associations": {
+        "format": "cpp",
+        "chrono": "cpp"
+    },
+    "search.exclude": {
+        "**/Internal/external/pybind11/**": true,
+        "**/vcpkg_installed/**": true,
+        "**/x64/**": true
+    },
+    "files.watcherExclude": {
+        "**/Internal/external/pybind11/**": true,
+        "**/vcpkg_installed/**": true,
+        "**/x64/**": true
+    }
+}

Internal/Internal.vcxproj

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     <CharacterSet>Unicode</CharacterSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.props" />
+  <Import Project="$(ProjectDir)python.props" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionSettings">
   </ImportGroup>
   <ImportGroup Label="Shared">
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@
   <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
     <LinkIncremental>false</LinkIncremental>
-    <IncludePath>$(ProjectDir)\external\pybind11\include;C:\Python310\include;C:\Python313\include;$(IncludePath)</IncludePath>
+    <IncludePath>$(ProjectDir)\external\pybind11\include;$(IncludePath)</IncludePath>
     <LibraryPath>$(ProjectDir)external\discord-rpc\lib\;$(LibraryPath)</LibraryPath>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Label="Vcpkg">
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@
       <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
       <EnableUAC>false</EnableUAC>
       <AdditionalDependencies>d3d11.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
-      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>C:\Python310\libs;C:\Python313\libs</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
+      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>%(AdditionalLibraryDirectories)</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemGroup>

Internal/python.props

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
+  <!--
+    Resolves the Python root used to compile/link the embedded interpreter
+    (pybind11 + <Python.h>). Any CPython 3.x works; the newest one found wins.
+
+    Resolution order:
+      1. /p:PythonRoot=<dir>            (explicit MSBuild property)
+      2. %SPLITGATE_PYTHON_DIR%          (environment variable override)
+      3. Well-known install locations, newest version first:
+           C:\Python3XY
+           %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Python\Python3XY   (per-user installer)
+           %ProgramFiles%\Python3XY                   (all-users installer)
+
+    To support a version not listed below, just add a <PythonCandidate> line.
+  -->
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <!-- 1/2. Explicit override (env var or /p:SPLITGATE_PYTHON_DIR) wins. -->
+    <PythonCandidate Include="$(SPLITGATE_PYTHON_DIR)\" Condition="'$(SPLITGATE_PYTHON_DIR)' != ''" />
+
+    <!-- 3. Well-known locations, newest first. Each line = one version, 3 tiers. -->
+    <PythonCandidate Include="C:\Python314\;$(LOCALAPPDATA)\Programs\Python\Python314\;$(ProgramW6432)\Python314\" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="C:\Python313\;$(LOCALAPPDATA)\Programs\Python\Python313\;$(ProgramW6432)\Python313\" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="C:\Python312\;$(LOCALAPPDATA)\Programs\Python\Python312\;$(ProgramW6432)\Python312\" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="C:\Python311\;$(LOCALAPPDATA)\Programs\Python\Python311\;$(ProgramW6432)\Python311\" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="C:\Python310\;$(LOCALAPPDATA)\Programs\Python\Python310\;$(ProgramW6432)\Python310\" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="C:\Python39\;$(LOCALAPPDATA)\Programs\Python\Python39\;$(ProgramW6432)\Python39\" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="C:\Python38\;$(LOCALAPPDATA)\Programs\Python\Python38\;$(ProgramW6432)\Python38\" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="C:\Python37\;$(LOCALAPPDATA)\Programs\Python\Python37\;$(ProgramW6432)\Python37\" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="C:\Python36\;$(LOCALAPPDATA)\Programs\Python\Python36\;$(ProgramW6432)\Python36\" />
+
+    <!-- 4. Fallback: read the path the official installer records in the registry
+         (catches non-standard install folders). Per version: HKCU, native HKLM,
+         and WOW6432Node HKLM so a 32-bit Python is found from a 64-bit MSBuild.
+         Missing keys expand to empty segments and are dropped. -->
+    <PythonCandidate Include="$(registry:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.14\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.14\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Python\PythonCore\3.14\InstallPath@)" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="$(registry:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.13\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.13\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Python\PythonCore\3.13\InstallPath@)" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="$(registry:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.12\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.12\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Python\PythonCore\3.12\InstallPath@)" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="$(registry:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.11\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.11\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Python\PythonCore\3.11\InstallPath@)" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="$(registry:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.10\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.10\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Python\PythonCore\3.10\InstallPath@)" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="$(registry:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.9\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.9\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Python\PythonCore\3.9\InstallPath@)" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="$(registry:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.8\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.8\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Python\PythonCore\3.8\InstallPath@)" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="$(registry:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.7\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.7\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Python\PythonCore\3.7\InstallPath@)" />
+    <PythonCandidate Include="$(registry:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.6\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.6\InstallPath@);$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Python\PythonCore\3.6\InstallPath@)" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+  <Target Name="ResolvePython" BeforeTargets="ClCompile;Link">
+    <!-- Honor an explicit /p:PythonRoot=... ; just normalize the trailing slash. -->
+    <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(PythonRoot)' != '' and !HasTrailingSlash('$(PythonRoot)')">
+      <PythonRoot>$(PythonRoot)\</PythonRoot>
+    </PropertyGroup>
+
+    <!-- First candidate that actually contains Python.h wins (batched, empty-guarded). -->
+    <PropertyGroup>
+      <PythonRoot Condition="'$(PythonRoot)' == '' and Exists('%(PythonCandidate.Identity)include\Python.h')">%(PythonCandidate.Identity)</PythonRoot>
+    </PropertyGroup>
+
+    <Error Condition="'$(PythonRoot)' == ''"
+           Text="No CPython 3.x installation found. Install Python (official installer) or set the SPLITGATE_PYTHON_DIR environment variable to your Python root (the folder containing include\ and libs\)." />
+
+    <Message Importance="high" Text="Splitgate: using Python at $(PythonRoot)" />
+
+    <ItemGroup>
+      <ClCompile>
+        <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>$(PythonRoot)include;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      </ClCompile>
+      <Link>
+        <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>$(PythonRoot)libs;%(AdditionalLibraryDirectories)</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
+      </Link>
+    </ItemGroup>
+  </Target>
+</Project>

README.md

@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@
   • Use the `Ins` button to show/hide the gui
 
 ## Compile
-To compile the project make you you have [Visual Studio 22](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/it/downloads/), [vcpkg](https://vcpkg.io/en/getting-started) integrated with `MSBuild` and Python 3.13 installed
+To compile the project make sure you have [Visual Studio 22](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/it/downloads/), [vcpkg](https://vcpkg.io/en/getting-started) integrated with `MSBuild` and any [Python](https://www.python.org/downloads/) 3.x installed
 
 > [!IMPORTANT]
-> Internal.vcxproj expects python path to be `C:\Python313`, either match it or update header import configuration
+> `Internal` embeds Python (via pybind11 + `<Python.h>`), so a Python 3.x installation is required to compile.
+
+`Internal/python.props` auto-detects the newest Python installed in a standard location (`C:\Python3XY`, `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Python\Python3XY`, or `%ProgramFiles%\Python3XY`), falling back to the install path recorded in the registry — no configuration needed for a default install.
+
+If Python is installed somewhere custom that isn't picked up, set the `SPLITGATE_PYTHON_DIR` environment variable to your Python root (the folder containing `include\` and `libs\`), or pass `/p:PythonRoot=<dir>` to MSBuild. Whichever version is selected must match the `python3XY.dll` present at runtime.
 
 - Install `Internal` dependencies:
   ```sh