From 2154f3b738306d2c45fb5243bb5c0eb9f3d1044e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: sdarwin <samuel.d.darwin@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2026 09:19:24 -0600
Subject: [PATCH] Fix search for clang-win assembler

---
 doc/src/history.adoc    |  5 +++++
 src/tools/clang-win.jam | 29 ++++++++++++++++++++---------
 2 files changed, 25 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/src/history.adoc b/doc/src/history.adoc
index 4c091c8dad..f726c8b5de 100644
--- a/doc/src/history.adoc
+++ b/doc/src/history.adoc
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 * *New*: Add minimal https://ecostd.github.io/[EcoStd] support. Minimal being
   self introspection information output.
   -- _René Ferdinand Rivera Morell_
+* Fix `clang-win` toolset initialization error, `missing argument native` from
+  `path.make`, on machines where `vswhere` does not find a Visual Studio
+  installation. The VS detection now includes Build Tools installs
+  (`vswhere -products *`), and a missing VS install is no longer a hard error.
+  -- _Sam Darwin_
 
 == Version 5.5.3
 
diff --git a/src/tools/clang-win.jam b/src/tools/clang-win.jam
index 86df5aee94..28eff36b87 100644
--- a/src/tools/clang-win.jam
+++ b/src/tools/clang-win.jam
@@ -140,15 +140,26 @@ rule init ( version ? : command * : options * )
             local vswhere = [ os.environ "ProgramFiles(x86)" ] ;
             vswhere ?= [ os.environ "ProgramFiles" ] ;
             vswhere = "$(vswhere)/Microsoft Visual Studio/Installer/vswhere.exe" ;
-            local vspath = [ SPLIT_BY_CHARACTERS [ SHELL
-                "\"$(vswhere)\" -latest -requires Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64 -property installationPath"
-                ] : "\r\n" ] ;
-            vspath = $(vspath[1]) ;
-            .notice "$(arch)-$(addr):" "using VS tools in '$(vspath)'" ;
-            local msvcpath = [ path.glob [ path.make "$(vspath)\\VC\\Tools\\MSVC" ] : * ] ;
-            msvcpath = [ path.glob "$(msvcpath[-1])/bin" : Host* ] ;
-            msvcpath = [ path.glob "$(msvcpath)" : * ] ;
-            .notice "$(arch)-$(addr):" "using msvc tools in" "'$(msvcpath)'" ;
+            local vspath ;
+            if [ path.exists $(vswhere) ]
+            {
+                # The "-products *" also finds Build Tools installs, which
+                # vswhere skips by default. Quoting the "*" is for when we are
+                # a Cygwin build, to bypass /bin/sh.
+                vspath = [ SPLIT_BY_CHARACTERS [ SHELL
+                    "\"$(vswhere)\" -latest -products \"*\" -requires Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64 -property installationPath"
+                    ] : "\r\n" ] ;
+                vspath = $(vspath[1]) ;
+            }
+            .notice "$(arch)-$(addr):" "using VS tools in '$(vspath:E=)'" ;
+            local msvcpath ;
+            if $(vspath)
+            {
+                msvcpath = [ path.glob [ path.make "$(vspath)\\VC\\Tools\\MSVC" ] : * ] ;
+                msvcpath = [ path.glob "$(msvcpath[-1])/bin" : Host* ] ;
+                msvcpath = [ path.glob "$(msvcpath)" : * ] ;
+            }
+            .notice "$(arch)-$(addr):" "using msvc tools in" "'$(msvcpath:E=)'" ;
             local vsasmpath = [ path.glob "$(msvcpath)" : "$(target-assembler).*" ] ;
             if $(vsasmpath)
             {