Visual Studio Code

While you’re free to use any code editor you’re comfortable with, I highly recommend using Visual Studio Code. It’s lightweight, beginner-friendly, and comes with powerful extensions that can streamline your workflow for CSCE240.

Extensions

I HIGHLY recommend you get the C/C++ extension by Microsoft. It’s going to add language support for C++ such as Intellisense which is going to help tremendously when developing your programs.

Click on your Extensions tab and enter c++ in the search bar. The extension should be the first to appear in the search results with over 70 million downloads.

Auto-Formatter

Remember in the Style Requirements page when I mentioned that some code editors can be configured to automatically format your code? Well VSCode just so happens to be one of those 😊 editors! You can setup auto-formatting the quick method by copying some code, or if you want to practice customizing your editor you can follow the slower method:

Note

I setup my environment using Windows WSL so images may show additional options that you may not see.

Quick Method

1. Create a folder called .vscode in your root folder

2. Create a file called settings.json and copy the following code:

   settings.json

   {
       "[cpp]": {
           "editor.formatOnSave": true, // formats on save
           "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-vscode.cpptools" // added by C++ extension
       },
       "C_Cpp.clang_format_fallbackStyle": "Google", // if no clang format file use Google
       "C_Cpp.formatting": "clangFormat" // looks for clang format file
   }

Slower Method

1. In VSCode, Click on File -> Hover Over Preferences, and Click Settings

   

2. Search for @lang:cpp format -> Click on the Workspace tab -> Check Editor: Format On Save.

   Note

   What we’re doing is customizing the language settings for C++ to automatically format any associated C++ files when the document is saved.

   

3. Search for c_cpp -> Click on Formatting under C/C++ -> Edit the C_Cpp: Clang_format_fallback Style to be Google

   

4. Finally scroll down to C_Cpp: Formatting and select clangFormat. Above that section is C_Cpp: Clang_format_style and its value should be file.

   

   Note

   What we did was change the default file formatter to clang and require it to check for a clang-format file that defines its styles. Since we won’t be using a clang-format file, then it will use the fallback styling preferences (which we changed to be Google).

5. You should now have a folder called .vscode in your root folder along with a file inside it called settings.json

   Check that the code in settings.json is similar to the following:

   settings.json

   {
       "[cpp]": {
           "editor.formatOnSave": true, // formats on save
           "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-vscode.cpptools" // added by C++ extension
       },
       "C_Cpp.clang_format_fallbackStyle": "Google", // if no clang format file use Google
       "C_Cpp.formatting": "clangFormat" // looks for clang format file
   }

Testing

Create a file called test.cc in the root folder. The following should be your current file structure:

• DirectoryCSCE240

  • Directory.vscode

    • settings.json
  • test.cc

Copy the code in the Before tab and use ctrl/cmd + s to save. Your code should of been formatted to look like the After tab’s code! Auto-formatting has now been 🚀 implemented! Though not perfect, it will handle most of those pesky style requirements.

Before

test.cc

// Before Saving
#include <iostream>

using std::cout;
using std::endl;

int main() {

  cout << "a very very long sentence that needs to be formatted in order to pass the Google Style Requirements" << endl;

  return 0;
}

After

test.cc

// After Saving
#include <iostream>

using std::cout;
using std::endl;

int main() {
  cout << "a very very long sentence that needs to be formatted in order to "
          "pass the Google Style Requirements"
       << endl;

  return 0;
}