CLion
A cross-platform IDE for C and C++
Matt Godbolt
Compiler Explorer
CLion takes a lot of the toil out of C++, allowing me to concentrate on the interesting part: problem solving.
CLion takes a lot of the toil out of C++, allowing me to concentrate on the interesting part: problem solving.
A power tool
for a power language
Who wouldn’t like to code at the speed of thought while the IDE does all the mundane development tasks for them? But is that really possible for a tricky language like C++, what with its modern standards and heavily templated libraries? Why, yes, yes it is! See it to believe it.
Smart C and C++ editor
Code assistance
Read and write code effectively with an editor that deeply understands C and C++. Have completion results filtered by type in Smart Completion. Use Breadcrumbs to track your location inside the hierarchy of scopes. Gain insight into function calls thanks to parameter name hints. Find the context usages of a symbol or simply jump to it by typing its name. CLion will even make sure your code conforms to coding guidelines, including formatting, naming, and more.
Code generation
Generate tons of boilerplate code instantly. Override and implement functions with simple shortcuts. Generate constructors and destructors, getters and setters, and equality, relational, and stream output operators. Wrap a block of code with a statement, or generate a declaration from a usage. Create custom live templates to reuse typical code blocks across your code base to save time and maintain a consistent style.
Safe refactoring
Rename symbols; inline a function, variable, or macro; move members through the hierarchy; change function signatures; and extract functions, variables, parameters, or a typedef. Whichever automated refactoring you use, rest assured CLion will safely propagate the appropriate changes throughout your code.
Quick Documentation
Inspect the code under the caret to learn just about anything: function signature details, review comments, preview Doxygen-style documentation, check out the inferred type for symbols lacking explicit types, and even see properly formatted final macro replacements.
Code analysis on the fly
Create code that's beautiful and correct. With CLion, potential code issues are detected instantly, as you type...
...and can be fixed at the touch of a button, while the IDE correctly handles the changes.
CLion runs its code analysis, Data Flow Analysis, other Clangd-based checks, and Clang-Tidy to detect unused and unreachable code, dangling pointers, missing type casts, no matching function overload, and many other issues.
Integrated debugger
Investigate and solve problems with ease in CLion's friendly debugger, with GDB or LLDB available as the backend.
Attach to local processes or debug remotely. For embedded development, rely on OpenOCD and Embedded GDB Server configurations to do on-chip debugging with CLion.
Dive deeper with disassembly and memory views, and peripheral view for embedded devices.
Set breakpoints
Use line, symbol, exception, and conditional breakpoints to inspect your code’s execution. Log the events, remove breakpoints once hit, or disable them until another one is hit. All of this can be configured in a dedicated dialog.
Evaluate expressions
Make use of the Watches and the Variables views, or evaluate the result of a function call or some complicated expression when stopping at some execution point.
View values inline
Get a full view of your project with variables’ values shown right in the editor as you debug – with no need to switch to the Variables tab in the Debug tool window!
Fully Integrated C/C++ Development Environment
Project models
CLion uses the project model to inform its coding assistance, refactoring, coding style consistency, and other smart actions in the editor. Supported formats include CMake, Makefile, Gradle, and compilation database.
Keyboard-centric approach
To help you focus on code and raise your productivity, CLion has handy keyboard shortcuts for nearly all its features, actions, and commands.
Vim fans are welcome to install the Vim-emulation plugin.
Remote and collaborative work
After editing your code locally, build, run, or debug your application or unit tests locally, remotely, or on a chip.
Level up your collaboration game and work on a CLion project with your colleagues in real time.
Everything you need in one place
CLion includes all the essentials of everyday development: VCS (SVN, Git, GitHub, Mercurial, Perforce), Google Test, Catch and Boost.Test frameworks for unit testing, Doxygen, Database tools, and Markdown support.
What’s New in CLion 2023.2
Debugger update
Low-level debugging is easier with CLion 2023.2, which brings the ability to inspect the registers of the current frame. You can also see register values inlined right in the disassembly view. A major update to the Attach to Process dialog enables attaching to remote and WSL processes.
AI Assistant Limited access
CLion 2023.2 includes the AI Assistant feature, weaving it naturally into some of the core IDE user workflows. In C and C++, it explains the selected code, suggests how to better refactor the code fragment, or finds potential problems with it. It also generates commit messages and explains CMake errors.
New UI update
The new UI is designed to minimize distractions and help you stay focused. To fine-tune the UI to your needs and tasks, the main toolbar is now more customizable. The unique colored headers will also help you easily navigate between several open projects.
What our customers say
Jason Turner
C++ Weekly, CppCast, Trainer, Consultant"CLion has been indispensable for me when refactoring large codebases. The refactoring tools and the real-time feedback in the IDE about which lines still need to be updated are excellent time savers. Each release gets better and more responsive than the last!"
Prof. Dr. Rodriguez-Losada
Conan, JFrog"CLion is fantastic, finally the C++ high quality cross-platform IDE with CMake as first class build system we were waiting for."
Erkki Salonen
Software Developer"CLion’s powerful refactoring and code model that understands dependencies between items have already changed my software design process. One can dig out quite a bunch of bugs even before running the application."
Matthew Davey
dotBunny"Both of these tools (CLion and Rider) help our team on a daily basis, allowing developers to perform their tasks quickly and efficiently, all the while seamlessly integrating with numerous parts of our pipeline."