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Faster Visual C++ for Linux 1.0.5
It appears to be an incremental update, but the new features make all the difference when it comes to speed.
- By Michael Domingo
- 09/21/2016
It might seem like the newest release of Visual C++ for Linux extension is an incremental update, but the new features make all the difference when it comes to better performance. New is a Makefile project template that supports external builds, more refined remote file copy management, compiler commands that can be overridden, and a slew of debugging improvements.
The changes come on the heel of a major release of the extension back in March, feature details of which you can find here (that link is worth reading, as it also provides a sample Linux build using the extension).
The Visual C++ for Linux extension is aimed at C++ developers who want to write code targeting Linux servers, desktops and devices. Developers can manage connections within the VS environment, copy and remote build sources and then launch an application with the debugger.
With the dot release, the new Makefile project template supports the use of external build systems: make, gmake, CMake, bash script, and others. From the C++ property pages, you set up IntelliSense paths, then add semicolon-separated commands on the property page to start the remote build.
New remote file copy management capabilities gives developers the ability "to specify at the file and project level whether or not a file should be remotely copied," notes Marc Goodner, a Microsoft senior program manager, in a blog. "This means you can use your existing build mechanisms just by mapping your existing sources locally and adding them to your project for editing and debugging."
Another new feature is the ability to override compiler commands on the remote machine straight from the Property Pages. "That will enable you to point to specific versions of GCC if needed or even point to an alternate compiler like clang," explains Goodner.
And finally, there are a slew of new debugging improvements: new gdb mode, ability to override debugger command, support for additional gbd commands that can be passed to the debugger, to name a few.
To view a comprehensive list of new features and enhancements since March, see the end of Goodner's blog for a feature history.
About the Author
Michael Domingo is a long-time software publishing veteran, having started up and managed several developer publications for the Clipper compiler, Microsoft Access, and Visual Basic. He's also managed IT pubs for 1105 Media, including Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine and Virtualization Review before landing his current gig as Visual Studio Magazine Editor in Chief. Besides his publishing life, he's a professional photographer, whose work can be found by Googling domingophoto.