Moves vcpkg list to a text file and updates the appveyor job and readme to use it.

.appveyor.yml

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ clone_depth: 5
 environment:
   APPVEYOR_SAVE_CACHE_ON_ERROR: true
   CLCACHE_SERVER: 1
-  PACKAGES: berkeleydb boost-filesystem boost-multi-index boost-signals2 boost-test boost-thread libevent openssl rapidcheck zeromq double-conversion
   PATH: 'C:\Python37-x64;C:\Python37-x64\Scripts;%PATH%'
   PYTHONUTF8: 1
   QT_DOWNLOAD_URL: 'https://github.com/sipsorcery/qt_win_binary/releases/download/v1.4/Qt5.9.8_x64_static_vs2019.zip'
@@ -15,7 +14,7 @@ environment:
   QT_LOCAL_PATH: 'C:\Qt5.9.8_x64_static_vs2019'
   VCPKG_INSTALL_PATH: 'C:\tools\vcpkg\installed'
 cache:
-- C:\tools\vcpkg\installed
+- C:\tools\vcpkg\installed -> build_msvc\vcpkg-packages.txt
 - C:\Users\appveyor\clcache -> .appveyor.yml, build_msvc\**, **\Makefile.am, **\*.vcxproj.in
 - C:\Qt5.9.8_x64_static_vs2019
 install:
@@ -23,25 +22,27 @@ install:
 # Disable zmq test for now since python zmq library on Windows would cause Access violation sometimes.
 # - cmd: pip install zmq
 # Powershell block below is to install the c++ dependencies via vcpkg. The pseudo code is:
-# 1. If the vcpkg install directory exists assume dependencies are installed and do nothing. To
-#    force a fresh install of the packages delete the job's appveyor cache.
-# 2. Otherwise:
+# 1. Check whether the vcpkg install directory exists (note that updating the vcpkg-packages.txt file
+#    will cause the appveyor cache rules to invalidate the directory)
+# 2. If the directory is missing:
 #    a. Update the vcpkg source (including port files) and build the vcpkg binary,
-#    b. Install the required packages.
+#    b. Install the missing packages.
 - ps: |
-      cd c:\tools\vcpkg
+      $env:PACKAGES = Get-Content -Path build_msvc\vcpkg-packages.txt
+      Write-Host "vcpkg list: $env:PACKAGES"
       if(!(Test-Path -Path ($env:VCPKG_INSTALL_PATH))) {
+          cd c:\tools\vcpkg
           $env:GIT_REDIRECT_STDERR = '2>&1' # git is writing non-errors to STDERR when doing git pull. Send to STDOUT instead.
-          Add-Content "C:\tools\vcpkg\triplets\$env:PLATFORM-windows-static.cmake" "set(VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE release)"
           git pull origin master
           .\bootstrap-vcpkg.bat
+          Add-Content "C:\tools\vcpkg\triplets\$env:PLATFORM-windows-static.cmake" "set(VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE release)"
           .\vcpkg install --triplet $env:PLATFORM-windows-static $env:PACKAGES.split() > $null
+          cd "$env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER"
       }
       else {
-        Write-Host "vcpkg packages already installed (to reinstall purge appveyor job's cache)."
+        Write-Host "required vcpkg packages already installed."
       }
-      .\vcpkg integrate install
-      cd "$env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER"
+      c:\tools\vcpkg\vcpkg integrate install
 before_build:
 - ps:  clcache -M 536870912
 # Powershell block below is to download and extract the Qt static libraries. The pseudo code is:

build_msvc/README.md

@@ -51,10 +51,10 @@ Building
 The instructions below use `vcpkg` to install the dependencies.
 
 - Install [`vcpkg`](https://github.com/Microsoft/vcpkg).
-- Install the required packages (replace x64 with x86 as required):
+- Install the required packages (replace x64 with x86 as required). The list of required packages can be found in the `build_msvc\vcpkg-packages.txt` file. The PowerShell command below will work if run from the repository root directory and `vcpkg` is in the path. Alternatively the contents of the packages text file can be pasted in place of the `Get-Content` cmdlet.
 
 ```
-PS >.\vcpkg install --triplet x64-windows-static boost-filesystem boost-multi-index boost-signals2 boost-test boost-thread libevent openssl zeromq berkeleydb rapidcheck double-conversion
+PS >.\vcpkg install --triplet x64-windows-static $(Get-Content -Path build_msvc\vcpkg-packages.txt).split()
 ```
 
 - Use Python to generate `*.vcxproj` from Makefile
@@ -68,13 +68,13 @@ PS >py -3 msvc-autogen.py
 - Build with Visual Studio 2017 or msbuild.
 
 ```
-msbuild /m bitcoin.sln /p:Platform=x64 /p:Configuration=Release /t:build
+msbuild /m bitcoin.sln /p:Platform=x64 /p:Configuration=Release /p:PlatformToolset=v141 /t:build
 ```
 
 - Build with Visual Studio 2019 or msbuild.
 
 ```
-msbuild /m bitcoin.sln /p:Platform=x64 /p:Configuration=Release /p:PlatformToolset=v142 /t:build
+msbuild /m bitcoin.sln /p:Platform=x64 /p:Configuration=Release /t:build
 ```
 
 AppVeyor

build_msvc/vcpkg-packages.txt

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+berkeleydb boost-filesystem boost-multi-index boost-signals2 boost-test boost-thread libevent openssl rapidcheck zeromq double-conversion