CDT Cloud Blueprint: Detaching Views

Looking for a modern, web-based IDE for C/C++ development or aiming to develop a custom C/C++ tool? Dive in! In this article we will demonstrate advanced workbench layouting capabilities of CDT Cloud Blueprint including detaching views to a secondary window.

Before we dive into the specifics, let’s make sure you have all the information you need for trying it out: CDT Cloud Blueprint is available as a downloadable desktop application or as a web-based IDE, which you can try online instantly without any installation.

CDT Cloud Blueprint is not only a tool you can use, it also can serve as a basis to build your own custom C/C++ tools. In this article, we focus on workbench layouting capabilities in CDT Cloud Blueprint that helps users to efficiently use their available screen space. With the recently added support of detachable views, CDT Cloud Blueprint is also well suited for multi monitor set-ups.

The CDT Cloud workbench provides maximum flexibility in terms of view and editor layout. You can drag views and editors to any position within the workbench, including the quick access toolbars left and right. You can also split editors, e.g. to compare files.

CDT Cloud particularly also allows users to detach terminals and web views from the main window and place them where you want, including a second screen. This used to be a common feature of desktop tools, such as the classic Eclipse CDT. However, web-based IDEs often do not support this anymore. CDT Cloud, however, does support this much requested feature in the desktop version and also in the browser version (see screenshot below).

Detachable views play a critical role in enhancing the efficiency and usability of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), particularly in complex development contexts like that of C/C++ programming. The nature of C/C++ development often involves managing multiple views simultaneously, e.g. during debugging or tracing sessions. Please note that several existing views within CDT Cloud, such as TraceCcompass and the Memory Inspector, are currently transitioning to an implementation as WebViews to enable being detached from the main window, too. The detachable view support is technically provided by CDT Clouds underlying platform: Eclipse Theia.

Please remember: you can download CDT Cloud and install it or you can try it online, both for free! Follow us on Twitter to get notified about future articles.

If you are interested in building a C/C++ tool (online or offline) or migrating an existing one to a modern technology stack, EclipseSource has many years of experience in developing custom C/C++ tools. We can assist you in the conception phase, and also the design and the development of your toolchain. Please have a look at our service offering for tools and web-based tools.