vs_buildtools.exe --norestart --passive --downloadThenInstall --includeRecommended --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.MSBuildTools

vs_buildtools.exe is a command-line tool used to install the Visual Studio Build Tools, which are necessary for building C++ projects. The command options used in the question are explained below:

--norestart: This option prevents the installer from automatically restarting the computer after installation.

--passive: This option makes the installation process non-interactive, meaning that no user input is required during the installation.

--downloadThenInstall: This option instructs the installer to download the necessary files before starting the installation process.

--includeRecommended: This option includes additional components that are recommended for the selected workloads. In this case, it includes the recommended components for building C++ projects.

--add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop: This option adds the Native Desktop workload to the installation. The Native Desktop workload includes tools and libraries for building native desktop applications, including C++.

--add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools: This option adds the Visual C++ Tools workload to the installation. The Visual C++ Tools workload includes the tools and libraries necessary for building C++ projects.

--add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.MSBuildTools: This option adds the MSBuild Tools workload to the installation. The MSBuild Tools workload includes the tools necessary for building projects using MSBuild, which is the build system used by Visual Studio.

By using these options with vs_buildtools.exe, you can install the necessary build tools for C++ development without the need for a full installation of Visual Studio. This is useful if you only need the build tools and not the entire IDE.