How to Set Up Visual Studio Code for C++ on Mac

As a developer, switching from Notepad++ to Visual Studio Code (VS Code) can be an exciting experience. Since Microsoft released VS Code, I've been using it on my Windows machine instead of Notepad++. In this article, we'll explore the steps to set up VS Code for C++ development on Mac.

Firstly, let's talk about the latest updates in the VS Code extension. Version 1.2.0 brings several exciting changes, including support for a new 'console' launch config property for cppvsdbg and replacing the legacy 'externalConsole' property. Additionally, we now ship a native ARM64 clang-format binary with the extension for ARM64 Windows devices.

The update also includes the following features:

* A command to generate EditorConfig contents from your code formatting settings (vcFormat) #6018

* Clang-format has been updated to version 11

* The tool now uses system defines returned by the compiler instead of hardcoded system defines based on a host OS

This means that when you open your project in VS Code, you'll get IntelliSense for your target platform instead of macOS. For instance, if you're developing on a Mac and your project targets Linux, the C++ extension will query the compiler using the Compiler path, Compiler arguments, and IntelliSense mode settings in your IntelliSense configuration.

In addition to these changes, Microsoft has also addressed GitHub issue #1083 posted September 2017 titled 'Support cross-compilation configurations for IntelliSense.' This update allows developers to customize the way IntelliSense works when coding for different platforms.

To set up VS Code for C++ development on Mac, follow these steps:

1. First, install the C/C++ extension from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace.

2. Next, create a new file in your project directory and add the following code:

```c

#include

int main() {

std::cout << 'Hello, World!' << std::endl;

return 0;

}

```

3. Save the file with a `.cpp` extension (e.g., `hello.cpp`).

4. Open the Command Palette in VS Code by pressing `Ctrl + Shift + P` and type 'C++: Edit Configurations' to open the C++ configurations file.

5. In the C++ configurations file, add the following code:

```json

{

'configurations': '

{

'name': 'cppvsdbg',

'type': 'cppvsdbg',

'request': 'launch',

'program': '${workspaceFolder}/hello.cpp',

'args': '',

'stopAtEntry': false,

'cwd': '${workspaceFolder}'

}

```

6. Save the C++ configurations file.

7. Open the Command Palette again and type 'C++: Run' to run your code.

That's it! You're now ready to start developing in C++ using VS Code on Mac. With these steps, you should be able to set up your environment and start coding with ease.

Note that this is just a basic setup and there are many more settings and configurations you can customize to suit your needs. However, this should give you a good starting point for getting started with C++ development in VS Code on Mac.

How to setup visual studio code for c++ on mac