JetBrains CLion C/C++ development tool

Among countless IDEs (Integrated Development Environments), JetBrains CLion has become the preferred tool for C/C++ developers with its powerful functions and flexible operability.

JetBrains CLion For Mac v2024.3.4 brings the following updates:

1. Deeper integration of CLion Nova (ReSharper C++/Rider C++ language engine) : This version implements many of the new language engine features that users are most looking forward to, such as remote development through JetBrains Gateway, Code With Me collaborative development, AI features, etc., and the new engine has become the default option for new CLion users.
2. Full-line code completion for C++ : CLion 2024.2 introduces a new type of code completion that works entirely locally, providing single-line suggestions based on the current file context. These suggestions are provided by a language model running on your machine, without sending any code to the internet.
3. Zephyr West support : CLion now fully supports Zephyr West, allowing you to open Zephyr projects in the IDE and use Zephyr’s West tools to build, run, and flash them. The bundled plugin also provides support for the Kconfig language, which is widely used not only in the Zephyr project but also in the Linux kernel and other projects.
4. Debugger performance improvements : CLion 2024.2 includes several improvements to the debugger, such as faster node expansion in GDB, more pretty-printers for complex data types, and fixes for debugging on Windows using WSL and GDB Multiarch.
5. User experience changes : These include a new Preview option for codebase elements in the Search Everywhere dialog, automatic detection of system proxy settings enabled by default, a new layout for the Customize Main Toolbar dialog, and more.
6. String variable visualizers : String variable visualizers for JSON, XML, HTML, JWT, and URLs make debugging and browsing complex data formats easier.
7. VCS improvements : These include modernization of the Local History dialog UI, and Local History operations can now be applied to multiple files or directories simultaneously.
8. Remote development enhancements : Any setting changes made in your locally installed IDE are automatically synchronized with the remote IDE through the JetBrains client, ensuring your development environment remains consistent. Reverse port forwarding has also been added for remote development, and screen sharing in Code With Me now redirects to the browser, and you can select a specific window to share.
9. Web development enhancements : You can now run and debug TypeScript files in any JetBrains IDE with web development capabilities without additional setup. We also have improved support for major web frameworks, including Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, and Astro.

One netizen, “CodeGuru,” had an enthusiastic review of this:

“CLion frees me from the tedious details of programming, allowing me to focus on innovation and problem solving. It is a must-have tool for C/C++ developers. – CodeGuru”

CLion features and functions

CLion is a cross-platform IDE designed specifically for C and C++ programming languages. It takes full advantage of the IntelliJ platform and integrates many developer-favorite features, such as code completion, smart prompts, and refactoring tools.

Key Features of CLion

• Intelligent C/C++ code editor: code completion, navigation, refactoring, etc.
• Static code analysis: real-time code checking based on Clang
• Integrated debugger: supports GDB/LLDB, remote debugging
• Unit testing: supports multiple frameworks such as Google Test
• CMake support: provides CMake syntax highlighting, automatic completion, etc.
• Document support: Doxygen documentation can be previewed
• Remote development support: remote compilation and debugging
• Plugin system: supports plugins for various languages and frameworks

The update content of JetBrains CLion For Mac v2024.1.3 includes improvements and new features in many aspects:

Code Analysis and Navigation : The new version enhances code analysis and navigation capabilities, and improves development efficiency through improved debugger presentation and in-editor type hints   .

1. Dynamic Analysis Tools : CLion 2024.1.3 integrates improvements to Valgrind Memcheck, which allows for better export and import of detection results for memory issues. Additionally, support for Google’s sanitization tools has been enhanced, providing support for ASAN, TSAN, MSAN, and UBSAN.
2. Compiler tool support : The new version adds support for Gradle C++ projects, allowing users to open and manage Gradle projects directly in CLion. At the same time, CMake macro configuration has been improved, making external tool configuration more convenient.
3. IDE performance optimization : The new version introduces a Lexer-only indentation processor and a series of UI freeze fixes, improving the editor’s responsiveness and overall performance.
4. Other improvements : bundled LLDB 6.0 and CMake 3.12, improved version control system (VCS) support, added support for MacBook Touch Bar, etc.

These improvements are designed to provide a more efficient development experience and more powerful tool support, helping developers improve work efficiency and code quality.

What’s new in CLion 2024.1?

CLion 2024.1 is a major update that brings many improvements and enhancements to developers. Here are the main changes and new features in CLion 2024.1:

CMake Updates

In CLion 2024.1, the CMake editing experience has been significantly improved. CLion now provides live templates that automatically generate common CMake target types (such as executables and libraries). This makes creating new targets easier and faster. In addition, CLion now provides code completion for target names, which makes it easier to find and edit files and operations associated with targets. You can even quickly navigate to the code location where the target is defined by clicking on the target name. In addition, CLion also provides a Find Usages feature, which makes it easy to view all references and uses of the target in the project.

Debugging enhancements

Debugging is a crucial part of the development process, and CLion 2024.1 enhances integration with the debugger backend to provide a better debugging experience. You can now debug multi-process targets in CLion, which is extremely useful for debugging parallel and multi-threaded applications. Additionally, CLion 2024.1 bundles the latest version of GDB 14.1, delivering improved performance and stability. CLion also offers an option to improve GDB indexing for more efficient and faster debugging.

Meson support

CLion 2024.1 further improves support for the Meson build system. CLion now offers a Meson tool window with useful commands and options for managing and building Meson projects. Additionally, CLion’s New Project Wizard now includes the option to create a Meson project, making initializing a new Meson project simpler and more intuitive.

Version control system improvements

CLion 2024.1 also enhances support for version control systems. You can now perform in-editor code reviews in CLion, making it easier to collaborate on code reviews with your team. CLion also adds a new CI status check feature in the Git tool window, allowing you to quickly see if your code has passed CI system checks. CLion also offers improvements to help you prevent large files from being committed to version control systems, which can negatively impact your codebase’s performance.

IDE UI Updates

CLion 2024.1 introduces several user interface improvements to enhance the developer experience. First, the sticky lines feature pins key code structure elements (such as classes and functions) to the top of the editor while scrolling, ensuring you always have important code context when browsing large files. Secondly, CLion now offers the option to shrink the entire IDE, allowing you to adjust the size of IDE elements for better readability and usability based on your preferences and needs.

Summarize:

CLion 2024.1 is a major update, bringing many practical features and improvements for developers. From more powerful CMake support and multi-process debugging capabilities to enhanced support for Meson and improvements to version control systems, CLion 2024.1 provides a better development experience and more efficient workflow. Furthermore, CLion 2024.1 further improves the usability and customizability of the user interface with sticky rows on scroll and the option to shrink the entire IDE.

Whether you’re a new developer or a seasoned pro, CLion 2024.1 will be a powerful assistant in your daily development work. Whether you’re writing CMake scripts, debugging applications, building Meson projects, or managing version control, the features and improvements in CLion 2024.1 will save you significant time and effort, boosting your development efficiency. Download CLion 2024.1 now to experience all the new features and improvements!

CLion 2023.1 Updates

Version 2023.1 adds the following new features:

• Enhanced debugging function: support assembly code debugging, thread control, etc.
• Integrated vcpkg package manager: simplifies C++ dependency management
• C++20 module support improvements
• CMake integration enhancements: syntax highlighting, command documentation, etc.
• New user interface: simpler and more modern interface

Advantages of CLion

Compared with other C/C++ IDEs, CLion has the following advantages:

• Cross-platform, available on Windows, Linux, and MacOS
• Deep support for C++ language and CMake
• Powerful debugging function, supporting multiple debugging scenarios
• The UI is simple and modern, providing a good user experience
• Based on IntelliJ, the overall performance optimization is very good

CLion has become the preferred IDE for many C/C++ developers, which can improve the efficiency and quality of C/C++ development.

CLion, a cross-platform integrated development environment (IDE) for C and C++, is renowned among developers for its intelligent coding assistance and code analysis. The recently released CLion 2023.1 not only further enhances these core features but also introduces numerous new features, significantly improving the developer debugging experience.

Major Updates

Debugger Updates

The CLion 2023.1 debugger integrates a range of powerful new features, including:

• Low-level assembly code exploration : Even if source code is available, you can drill down into the low-level assembly code to get more internal information about how the program runs.
• Process Finding and Attaching : The redesigned “Attach to Process…” dialog makes it easier to find and attach processes.
• Multithreaded application debugging : You can now suspend or resume the operation of a single thread, allowing you to debug multithreaded applications more effectively.

vcpkg integration

With the growing popularity of the vcpkg package manager among C++ developers, CLion now integrates with it to help install and update vcpkg and its packages. Furthermore, CLion provides quick-fix suggestions when you try to add header files of a package that is not installed or use a package in a CMake script that is not installed.

Clangd Indexer

To speed up the “Find Usages” operation and make it produce more accurate results in C++ code, CLion 2023.1 introduces a new Clangd-based indexer. Please note that this feature is still in its early experimental stages.

New UI Beta

The UI design of CLion 2023.1 version is clearer and simpler. Now you can access and use the powerful features of CLion more conveniently.

Features Detailed

The following table lists some of the key features and improvements in CLion 2023.1:

Features/Improvements	describe
Debugger enhancements	Includes on-demand disassembly, attaching to a process during debugging, suspending or resuming individual threads, memory views, and more.
vcpkg integration	CLion suggests quick-fixes when you try to add header files of a package that is not installed or use a package in a CMake script that is not installed.
Clangd-based indexer	This new feature is designed to speed up the “Find Usages” operation and enable it to produce more accurate results in C++ code.
New UI Beta	A clearer, simpler user interface makes features easier to access and use.
C++ language support	Added support for C++20 modules, more flexible refactoring options, and simpler Clang-Tidy configuration.
Support for QML	Added support for QML syntax, QML formatter, and other related settings.
Filter in Profiling and Coverage	In the analyzer, filter the Call Tree results and filter the code coverage results.
Output terminal in console	CLion can now emulate a terminal in the output console, making it easy to execute various terminal commands.

Here are some of the core features of CLion:

1. Smart Editor : CLion’s smart editor helps you write code more efficiently. It provides real-time syntax and error checking, automatic code formatting, and powerful code navigation and search capabilities.
2. Code Analysis : CLion can perform in-depth analysis of your code, identify possible errors and problems, and provide repair suggestions.
3. Powerful debugging tools : CLion has built-in GDB and LLDB debuggers, which can perform multi-threaded debugging and memory analysis.
4. Integrated version control : CLion supports various version control systems such as Git, Subversion, and Mercurial.
5. Compatibility : CLion supports Windows, Linux, and macOS, making it easy to develop on these three major operating systems.

Languages and technologies supported by CLion:

Language/Technology	Support
C / C++	✔️
CMake	✔️
Python	✔️
XML/XSL	✔️
HTML/CSS/JS	✔️
YAML	✔️
JSON	✔️

Reviews of CLion

CLion has earned widespread acclaim from developers for its powerful functionality and excellent user experience. Its intelligent editor and in-depth code analysis significantly improve coding efficiency and quality. Its integrated debugger also makes it easier to identify and resolve issues.

However, it should be noted that CLion may have some performance issues when running large projects. In addition, although CLion has a large number of configuration options, it also means that it takes some time to familiarize yourself with and customize these settings.

Overall, CLion is an excellent C/C++ IDE. Whether you’re new to programming or a seasoned veteran, CLion provides essential tools and features to make your development work easier and more efficient. If you’re still searching for the right C/C++ development tool, CLion is definitely worth a try.