First of all, I want to note I love C++ and I'm one of those people who thinks it is easier to code in C++ than Java. Except for one tiny thing: libraries.

In Java you can simply add some jar to the build path and you're done.

In C++ you usually have to set multiple paths for the header files and the library itself. In some cases, you even have to use special build flags. I have mainly used Visual Studio, Code Blocks and no IDE at all. All 3 options do not differ much when talking about using external libraries.

I wonder why was there made no simpler alternative for this? Like having a special .zip file that has everything you need in one place so the IDE can do all the work for you setting up the build flags. Is there any technical barrier for this?