The new remote development workflow is now bundled into CLion and available from CLion’s Welcome screen. Use a powerful remote machine to execute all IDE operations and to build, run, and debug code – all while running the IDE on a local thin client.

Cloud dev environments featured in Space can now be used with CLion to speed-up onboarding, get a ready-to-use IDE in seconds, and manage your development resources efficiently. Learn more about Space dev environments.

Learn more about remote development with the thin client or consider the other types of remote configurations available in CLion.

When working with the Docker toolchain, you can now provide additional container settings, such as port and volume bindings, and so on.

The Valgrind memcheck tool for detecting memory-usage problems now works with the Docker toolchain.

CLion now automatically creates CMake Profiles for configure presets (it was only available for build presets before). The change makes the configuration process easier and allows the removal of redundant build presets.

CLion now also works with the --preset argument passed to the cmake command. The data from the preset is loaded into build type, toolchain, and build directory settings.

CMake generators are now easier to configure in CLion with the new and updated options:

• Use default – for new projects, this option now takes the build tool configured for the toolchain selected in the corresponding CMake Profile.
• Let CMake decide – this option means CLion won’t be favoring any CMake generator explicitly, meaning that CMake will decide what generator to use.

CMake scripts are now formatted more accurately:

• if() .. endif(), else() and elseif(), endforeach(), endfunction(), endmacro(), and endwhile() are aligned correctly.
• It is now possible to fold blocks for these commands.
• Brace pairing and code block highlighting are available for these commands as well.

The CUDA-GDB debugger can now be used in CLion. To make it work, you’ll need to specify the cuda-gdb binary in the debugger setting of your current toolchain, and use the following compiler option:

add_compile_options(-G) to add CUDA debug symbols.

The option to show both decimal and hex values in the debugger now works for LLDB on Windows (Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | Debugger | Data Views | C/C++ | Show integers as hex values and Display alongside the original value).

The Embedded GDB Server configuration can now reset the device at different stages:

• Before or after the download (i.e. flashing MCU ROM or writing to RAM).
• Always (both before and after).
• Or never.

Macros now work in Embedded GDB Server configuration fields.

Intention action suggestions are available via Alt+Enter (alternatively, click the bulb icon). In the suggestions list, now you can also see a preview of the result of the selected action. The preview is available for De Morgan's laws, invert if condition, merge if-else, merge nested if, Clang-Tidy, MISRA, Clazy, split into declaration and assignment, split into separate declarations, and a few other actions. Learn more.

The accuracy of the code analysis engine in CLion was increased by addressing a selection of issues, for example:

• Condition is always false/true checks now work correctly with types and narrowing conversion.
• CLion no longer marks fields as unused if they have non-trivial destructors.

CLion now displays a user-friendly wstring alias as a type hint for the std::basic_string<wchar_t> type.

CLion 2022.1 added parameter info for struct literals and initializer list, as well as made parameter hints more informative for the emplace, emplace_back/emplace_front, and make_unique/make_shared functions.

New formatter options for structured bindings were added to Spaces and Wrapping and Braces sections.

When creating a new C++ class, you can now specify the namespace where you’d like the new class to be located. You can write in any existing or nonexistent namespace (which will be created along with the new class), a nested namespace, or even an anonymous (unnamed) namespace if you enter a blank space in this field.

A new stub project generator for Rust projects will help you even if you don’t have the Rust plugin installed. It will help you install the plugin and navigate you through project creation.

Docker containers are one of the most popular and easiest ways to set up an environment and start working with it. Instead of using Remote toolchain for Docker in CLion, you can now use the native Docker toolchain. It avoids redundant source code synchronization, as the project folder is simply mounted to the container.

CLion also bundles the Docker plugin, which brings the Services tool window and many docker-specific actions to the IDE.

In some cases the environment in which the compiler runs is initialized via script. It can initialize compiler environmental variables, customize the PATH variable, and more.

Use Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | Toolchains and select Add environment | From file in CLion to source such a script for the toolchain you are using.

A new System toolchain on Windows, similar to the same toolchain type on Linux and macOS, allows configuring CMake, compiler, and debugger executables without selecting a predefined environment (like MinGW, Cygwin, WSL, or Visual Studio). This might be used for the ARM toolchain or other embedded toolchains on Windows.

A new UI for setting the CMake generator was added to the CMake Profile settings page (Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | CMake). Users can use the default value for the toolchain selected or set any generator from the predefined list.

When the UI field is used, CMake options on the same page are updated automatically and vice versa.

Heavily templated standard library types, or types with global and obvious namespace specifiers, can produce long entries in the variables view during debugging.

To improve the debugging experience, CLion now performs some additional processing to render types in the variables view in a more readable and friendlier way:

• Strip auxiliary namespaces, global and function scope specifiers, and standard library ABI version namespaces.
• Simplify standard library types by replacing standard library types with more readable aliases.
• You can also remove types completely from the presentation. This can help focus on the variable values.

A new View as Array… action is now available for any pointer variable and adds a watchpoint that renders a pointer value as array. The action is available in the context menu in the variables view. All you need to do is specify the size of the array.

As part of the ongoing debugger UI redesign, Evaluate expression is now integrated right in the Debug tool window. This makes it more discoverable and easy to use.

FreeRTOS thread view was expanded by adding objects and heap views:

• The Task table shows a list of tasks with status information.
• The Queue table shows currently active queues, semaphores, and mutexes.
• The Timer table lists the software timers.
• The Heap Usage table shows the current heap usage and memory block allocation.

CLion 2021.3 adds type hints for deduced types to increase code readability. The new hints help with types for auto variables, in structured bindings, and for lambda return types.

You can disable or enable specific type hints in Settings | Editor | Inlay Hints | C/C++ or right from the hint’s context menu.

If the type hint includes the template instantiation, the template arguments can be collapsed by simply clicking on the angle brackets. Also, Ctrl+Click allows you to navigate to the declaration of the type you clicked on.

When exploring the structure of the file in the Structure tool window (Alt+7) or in the Structure pop-up (Ctrl+F12), you can distinguish functions with the same names more easily, as CLion now shows qualified names for the member functions there.

LLVM tools in CLion were upgraded to v14.0.0. This improves the accuracy of the Clangd-based language engine and updates bundled Clang-Tidy and ClangFormat executables. For Clang-Tidy, this also means there are a few new checks you’ll be notified about when CLion is first launched after the update.

CLion’s data flow analysis now treats different calls differently, and so has become more accurate. This specifically means that:

• CLion analyzes each function for each call site separately.
• Parameters and return values for different call sites are analyzed separately.

Sometimes, you may have several commits that are ready to ship while others are still a work in progress. In such cases, you may want to push only the ones you are confident about. The new Push All up to Here action allows you to push commits up to the one you have selected in the Log tab of the Git tool window.

Store your project build configuration in new and universal CMake Presets, and CLion will automatically detect and import the necessary CMake Build Presets.

It will notify you and suggest reloading the presets if any changes are introduced to them, either in the editor or externally.

You can manage the imported presets in Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | CMake.

Learn more

In the Before Launch section of the Run/Debug configuration, users can now specify CMake Target tasks, both built-in and user-specified. These tasks will be performed before starting the selected target.

CLion now automatically detects GNU Autotools, Kbuild, and PERL MakeMaker projects. When these projects are loaded as Makefile projects, CLion automatically detects preconfiguration scripts and executes them to get the Makefile and load the project from it.

If you open a project in CLion without loading the Makefile project model, you can still load it later. This might happen if your project requires some custom preconfiguration steps and no final Makefile is available until those steps are finished. To load it, call the context menu on the project's top-level Makefile and select Load Makefile Project.

When you use the Microsoft Visual C++ toolchain on Windows, CLion provides its own LLDB-based debugger. Data rendering in this debugger was improved in v2021.2:

• Natvis customization features such as Inheritable attribute, format specifiers, and CustomListItems are now supported.
• Built-in renderers were improved by adding one-line colored summaries for all structures not covered by Natvis, enabling formatting for wide/Unicode strings, and showing the [Raw View] for Natvis-generated values.

Learn more

Instead of the internal console used by CLion, on Windows, it’s now possible to switch to the cmd.exe console to run and debug applications. Use the Run in external console checkbox in Run/Debug configuration to change the behavior.

While stepping through assembly code, you can now add/remove breakpoints on instruction lines. For non-default configuration of these address breakpoints, use the right-click context menu menu.

To improve debugging with LLDB, LLDB v12.0 is now bundled. Remote debugging of any arbitrary executable from CLion is now possible with LLDB (in addition to GDB). Use the new Remote Debug configuration to provide arguments to connect to the remote host. On a remote host, you'll need to launch lldb-server/debugserver. Check out our web help for more details.

If you debug applications with FreeRTOS in CLion, a view with the task lists is now available. You can switch to the task you are interested in to explore task variables and more.

Learn more

Diagnose common cases of dangling pointers and escaping from a local scope by using static analysis. This capability is made possible by the Lifetime Safety proposal that CLion has partially implemented. GSL annotations are also supported to let you mark your code and make local analysis more accurate.

Cling is an interactive C++ interpreter built on top of Clang and LLVM. It allows you to run code without building the project, which can be especially useful for prototyping and learning C++.

Install Cling on your system and benefit from its integration with CLion:

• Start a new Cling session.
• Send included headers or selection to Cling.
• Send the current line to the Cling session via the code intention.

Learn more

Profiling is now possible in remote mode and on WSL. In both cases, the Perf backend is required. Find the instructions in our web help on how to install the Perf tool for your particular kernel release.

You'll also need to configure the path to the Perf tool in CLion Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | Dynamic Analysis Tools | Perf.

WSL configuration in CLion has become much easier, as you no longer need an SSH server inside a WSL distribution to work with WSL in CLion. CLion now uses a dedicated WSL API.

CLion now supports WSL whether it's installed from the Microsoft Store or a custom distribution.

Text search through file revisions in Local History appeared in CLion 2021.2, helping you locate the point you want to roll back to more easily.

In v2021.2, we expanded the list of possible pre-commit actions with the ability to execute tests. Tick the Run Tests checkbox and select the configuration to run.

We also added the ability to customize the Analyze code and Cleanup options by clicking Choose profile next to them.

Do you use the Toolbox App to manage CLion installations and updates? Now you won't miss any critical product updates from it. Your IDE will alert you if there is a new version available for download and give you the option to upgrade right from CLion.

You can now enjoy the CLion UI in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. The fully localized UIs are available as non-bundled language pack plugins, which can be installed in CLion from Settings | Plugins.