From zero → a working CLion C++ on the Mac

Install Apple Command Line Tools (CLT)

• compilers (clang, clang++)
• build tools (make, ld, etc)
• debuggers (LLDB)
• version control (git)
• SDK (software development kit) and headers (standard libraries and .h files)
• Misc tools (cpp, etc)

CLT does NOT include an IDE (editor, project manager, etc).

• One can integrate it into a full-fledged IDE (such as CLion or Eclipse) or a more lightweight extensible source code editor such as VSCode.
• As an alternative to CLT, you can install XCode, the native Apple full IDE
  • A full install of XCode takes up 10+Gb of disk space, and is probably an overkill for what we need.
• CLion seems to be the simplest way to go; it's also cross platform.

xcode-select --install

• If you have several windows open, the popup may be hidden behind them. Use ⌘-Tab until you see the icon for installing Command Line Tools:
  

Verify

xcode-select -p          # should print a path under /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools
clang --version          # Apple clang
clang++ --version

sudo xcode-select --switch /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools

Install CLion

• Download/install CLion from JetBrains.
  • Once you've been vetted and cleared for the JetBrains Educational Package you will be provided with links to download the various packages; you are looking for CLion.

Launch CLion

• CLion will auto-detect:
  • Compiler: /usr/bin/clang, /usr/bin/clang++
  • Debugger: /usr/bin/lldb
  • CMake: bundled with CLion
• You can confirm via: File → Settings → Build, Execution, Deployment → Toolchains.
  • When I installed, I saw cc and cc++ for the C compiler, C++ compiler; that's fine

  Create a “Hello C++” project

  • New Project → C++ (Executable) → CMake
  • Keep defaults (uses CMakeLists.txt).
  • CLion creates main.cpp and a simple CMakeLists.txt.
    • The code prints Hello world and a sequence of numbers.
  If you want to write some code of your own, create another project and use the following, simple Hello world program:

  #include <iostream>
  
  using namespace std;
  
  int main() {
  	cout << "Hello world!" << endl;
  }
  

  Build & run

  Click the Build hammer icon (or Build → Build Project). Click Run (green triangle). You should see “Hello, World!” in the Run tool window.