Setup Visual Studio Code for C++ on Mac

When starting with C++ development, there are several essential tools you'll need to get set up. This includes a C++ compiler and debugger, which may already be provided by your academic or work environment. If not, you can install them separately.

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is an editor that relies on command-line tools for much of the development workflow. It does not come with a built-in C++ compiler or debugger. However, it does offer extensions to support C++ development.

Installing the C/C++ Extension

To get started with C++ development in VS Code, you'll need to install the C/C++ extension. To do this:

1. Select the Extensions view icon on the Activity bar or use the keyboard shortcut (⌘ + Shift + X).

2. Search for 'C/C++' and select the Microsoft C/C++ extension from the search results.

3. Click Install to download and install the extension.

Once installed, when you open or create a *.cpp file, you'll have access to syntax highlighting, smart completions, and error checking, thanks to IntelliSense.

Configuring IntelliSense for Cross-Compiling

To support cross-platform C++ development on Windows, Linux, and macOS, the C/C++ extension uses Microsoft's C/C++ language plugin. This plugin is responsible for providing features such as automatic code completion and syntax highlighting.

However, when working with ARM programming, you'll need to configure IntelliSense to use specific include paths that are different from those provided by default. To do this:

1. Open the 'c_cpp_properties.json' file in the '.vscode' folder.

2. Update the 'includePath' setting by clicking on the lightbulb icon next to it.

The C/C++ plugin uses these include paths to locate all header files referenced in your program, allowing IntelliSense to provide accurate code completion and error checking.

Benefits of Proper Configuration

Properly configuring IntelliSense can help you write more quickly and with fewer errors. With automatic code completion, Visual Studio Code's C/C++ plugin makes educated predictions as you type, helping you complete your code efficiently.

In this article, we've shown how to use Visual Studio Code's Include Paths for C/C++ to support ARM programming. By following these steps, you can set up your development environment and start coding with confidence.

Setup visual studio code for c++ mac