Although most C/C++ developers use popular integrated development environments like Visual Studio, versatile code editors like Sublime text is also taking its place among professional C++ programmers. By default, you get basic syntax highlighting while writing C++ code in this popular code editor. But, there are several powerful and feature-packed plugins one can use to enrich the C++ code writing experience within Sublime Text. Some of these add-ons are targeted for C code while other packages cover both C and C++ code. You can combine two or more plugins to tweak and customize the environment as per your requirements. All these extensions are open source and can be fine-tuned quite easily after forking on GitHub. I've thoroughly tested these C/C++ packages in Sublime Text 3 and found them working seamlessly without any issues. Most of these extensions also work fine on Sublime Text 2 without any issues. So, if you're a coding ninja, do take advantage of these powerful C/C++ extensions.
Sublime Text packages are mainly intended to be customized with the use of separate override files so that your changes aren't lost when packages are updated. Sublime Text Plugins All Web Developers Should Try. Talking about the code editor's extensibility, it would be useful to list a few of the best Sublime Text Plugins out there and how. Package Control. One way of installing Sublime Text plugins is by downloading files and copying them to the packages directory. However, you should go through that process exactly once, because.
C++ Starting Kit - This plugin covers C, C++ and C++ 11 with enhanced syntax highlighting supporting all the latest standards. It also includes customizable syntax definition for C++ code facilitating fine-tuning the highlighting for the personalized environment. It also has a powerful feature that allows you to define custom build sequence for g++ compilers making it one of the best plugins for professional C++ developers. It also includes a nice bundled color scheme theme for the C/C++ code which can easily override the current theme (if required) within your code editor.
C Improved - Though the name suggests that it includes features related to C but that's not truth. It includes support for C++ and Objective-C as well. If you write complex multi-line macros in your code, this extension parses and highlights them accurately for better readability. Hardcore programmers working with Linux kernel code will be impressed by this add-ons ability to format and highlight such code in the best possible way. The same feature is also supported for Windows drivers source code. Its another handy feature highlights only standard functions calls to make them stand out in code.
C++11 - As the name implies, this plugin is a complete package for correct syntax highlighting for C++11 code base. It's lightweight and works perfectly with large and complex code. If you only work with C++11, you must use this plugin for better code readability. It can work both with version 2 and 3 without any issues. Since this extension entirely works on its own, it has no dependency on other plugins to make it work smoothly. You can combine this plugin with other relevant extensions to further customize the coding environment. This flexible and powerful plugin is worth a try.
CppBuilder - Developers who use GNU Make system for compiling and building their C++ projects will find this add-on extremely useful. Once installed and configured, this plugin can automatically create a project folder for you along with the required Makefile to build and run the application. It has several handy keyboard shortcuts to speed up the file making and building process. Through the universal project settings file, you can completely customize the project building process to match your needs. It can be used for a large project as well as for a single C++ file. I've tested it with ST3 on Linux.
CMakeSnippets - This is yet another powerful and flexible plugin for professional developers working on large projects with CMake project building environments. It provides handy snippets, shortcuts and several other features to let you build configuration and build files for large projects. Since this extension has no support for syntax highlighting of CMake files, one must install an additional plugin to get that feature. It supports code snippet completion for several popular tool chains easing the build process. Do once try it if you regularly use CMake build system for your projects.
Clang Format - This is one of my preferred Sublime Text plugins for beautifying the C or C++ code. Its syntax highlighting system is based on Clang format which is further enhanced to give you better readability and code scanning experience. It includes several keyboard shortcuts as well as a command palette for quickly accessing various options and features. This plugin is only available for ST3 and works on almost all popular platforms. Users can also customize the entire formatting styles through a single settings file giving you enough flexibility to make it behave as you want it to.
C++ Snippets - If you eat and breathe C++, this plugin is a must. It includes lots of handy and commonly used C++ snippets to speed up the coding process. Available for both ST2 and ST3, it is one of the widely used C++ plugins for Sublime Text. It also has detailed documentation which helps you take full advantage of the plugin's functionality. Once you get hang of this plugin, you'll never try any other option. It also includes handy preprocessor snippet shortcuts to quickly add these macros in your code. If you're using this powerful package, do share your experience with us about its innovative usage.
C++NamespaceTool - And last but not the least, this handy Sublime Text extension allows you to tame C++ namespace usage. For very large projects, namespace usage can be often confusing for new developers. This plugin helps you correctly refactor namespaces to easily control the code base. It has both keyboard shortcuts as well as context menu options to easily insert correct namespace declarations in the file. Developers can also customize both keyboard shortcuts as well as the context menu to access frequently used options in an easy way. It is available both for ST2 and ST3.
A recap and showcase of 25 Sublime Text 3 packages I use on a day to day basis as a developer who uses multiple technologies.
Quick Jump: What Do I Use Sublime For?|Package List|Theme|General Packages|Web Development Packages|System Admin and Operations Packages|Linters|Screenshots|Set Everything Up in Seconds
I no longer use this set up
In Nov 2017 I finally made the switch to VSCode because the pros out weighed the cons.
See my VSCode set upAdobe 8 0 free download. It's 2017, so chances are you know more than 1 programming language and most web based projects tend to require looking at a number of different file types.
If you're wondering why I use Sublime, then check out my post on Why Sublime Text 3 Is Still My Preferred Code Editor.
Update:It's 25+ packages now and I've also included a link directly to my Sublime Text 3 Packages GitHub repo so you can set everything up in seconds if you want to.
What Do I Use Sublime For?
I find myself bouncing around projects while doing consulting work and these are the main file types I deal with:
Programming Languages and Web Frameworks
- Python / Flask
- Ruby / Ruby on Rails
- Elixir / Phoenix
Templating Languages
- Jinja2
- ERB
- Liquid
- EEx
General Web Development
- HTML
- CSS
- SCSS
- JavaScript
- JSON
General System Admin and Operations Tasks
- Git
- .env
- Bash
- YAML
- Markdown
- INI
- Docker
- nginx configs
Package List
Each package is linked to its official GitHub repo and the link name is the package name itself if you want to install it directly with Package Control.
There's screenshots at the bottom of the post as well as a way to install everything quickly.
Theme
When it comes to my code editor's theme, looks do matter.
Theme - Boxy
Boxy comes with a number of color variations, awesome sidebar icons and more. I personally use the Boxy Ocean color variant as you'll see in the screenshots section.
General Packages
Here's a list of packages that are useful no matter what stack you use.
Terminal
Rather than try to mimic a terminal inside of Sublime this handy package lets you launch your system's terminal through Sublime.
You have the option of using a hotkey to launch a terminal at the path of the current file you're editing, or you can right click anywhere in your sidebar.
Gist
In about 60 seconds you'll be set up to be able to post both public or private gists. You can gist a full file, or selected text.
It even supports updating gists and multiple files.
GitGutter
Sublime Text 3 Best Packages
Ever wondered which lines in a file are different vs what's been commit to git?
If so, this is the package for you because it will render icons in your gutter to show you different types of changes.
The default sidebar right click menu in Sublime is decent but this package takes it to the next level by supplying a number of handy features.
Zeal
Requires installing Zeal (check the link below)
Zeal is a free offline documentation viewer. You can find documentation for about 200 technologies and it stays up to date. You can pick what you want installed.
This package integrates things with Sublime so all you have to do is mouse over a function or word in your editor and hit a hotkey to launch its documentation.
If you're on OSX you can use Dash instead.
MarkdownEditing
Without question, this is the best Markdown experience I've seen in any editor.
It's one of the more interesting Sublime packages I've seen because it alters the code editing experience in a fun but familiar way.
WordCount
When writing blog posts it's useful to know how many words your article is.
This package does that along with calculating how many pages it is and even includes an average read time too. It's quite intelligent for picking out words from Markdown and is very configurable.
Smart Title Case
When writing blog posts or guides I often prefer a certain type of title case.
This package will convert 'This is a pretty cool title' to 'This Is a Pretty Cool Title' based on the NY Times manual of style. You just select the title and hit a hotkey, it couldn't be easier.
Web Development Packages
Most of these packages are front end and template related.
Gutter Color
Requires installing Imagemagick (check the README linked above)
It's useful to be able to see what colors your CSS and SCSS are at a glance. This package draws a color preview in the gutter when it find a line that contains a color.
HTML5
This package adds syntax coloring and snippet support for HTML5 elements.
Bootstrap 3 snippets
I don't know about you, but I always end up referencing Bootstrap's documentation for certain components.
That lifestyle is a thing of the past because this package adds a bunch of snippets to easily access every Bootstrap 3 component.
SCSS
This package adds syntax coloring and snippet support for SCSS.
Jinja2
This package adds syntax coloring and snippet support for Jinja2.
ERB Snippets
This package adds syntax coloring and snippet support for ERB.
Elixir
This package adds syntax coloring and snippet support for Elixir and EEx.
System Admin and Operations Packages
Having a neck-beard isn't mandatory to enjoy these packages.
Sublime Text Plugins
DotENV
This package adds syntax highlighting support for .env files.
INI
This package adds syntax highlighting support for INI files.
Dockerfile Syntax Highlighting
This package adds syntax highlighting support for Docker files.
nginx
This package adds syntax highlighting support for nginx config files.
Linters
A linter helps you detect errors and warnings in your code base.
SublimeLinter
This package is more like a base framework for other packages to use. This is the de facto standard linting base package to use with Sublime.
You would combine this package with specific linters (listed below).
SublimeLinter-shellcheck
Requires installing shellcheck (check the README linked above)
This linter will check your bash scripts for syntax errors and visually warn you if it finds anything questionable.
SublimeLinter-html-tidy
Requires installing tidy (check the README linked above)
This linter will check your HTML for syntax errors and visually warn you if it finds anything questionable.
SublimeLinter-csslint
Requires installing csslint (check the README linked above)
This linter will check your CSS for syntax errors and visually warn you if it finds anything questionable.
SublimeLinter-contrib-scss-lint
Requires installing scss_lint (check the README linked above)
This linter will check your SCSS for syntax errors and visually warn you if it finds anything questionable.
SublimeLinter-jshint
Requires installing jshint (check the README linked above)
This linter will check your JavaScript for syntax errors and visually warn you if it finds anything questionable.
SublimeLinter-json
Requires installing jshint (check the README linked above)
This linter will check your JSON for syntax errors and visually warn you if it finds anything questionable.
SublimeLinter-flake8
Requires installing flake8 (check the README linked above)
This linter will check Python files for syntax errors and visually warn you if it finds anything questionable.
SublimeLinter-rubocop
Requires installing rubocop (check the README linked above)
This linter will check Ruby files for syntax errors and visually warn you if it finds anything questionable. Acrobat reader latest version for windows 8 1 free download.
Package Control Sublime 3
SublimeLinter-contrib-elixirc
Requires installing Elixir (check the README linked above)
This linter will check Elixir files for syntax errors and visually warn you if it finds anything questionable.
Screenshots
Text is nice to read, but being able to see how these packages work without having to install them yourself is even better.
Here's a few screenshots that show off some of the packages:
Jinja
In addition to syntax highlighting it also includes a bunch of snippets.
JavaScript linting
Pay close attention to the status bar text. That is happening in real-time.
Markdown
The text is auto-centered for less distractions while writing.
Zeal
Highlight a keyword and hit a hotkey. It pops up for any language / keyword!
Python
Notice the lack of a colon is causing the linter to yell at us.
Git Gutter
Changes to the file which differ from the git history will show up in the gutter.
Terminal
Launch a terminal at the current file or anywhere in the sidebar (hotkeys work too).
Set Everything Up in Seconds
If you like what you see, you can set all of this up in seconds by heading over to my Sublime Text 3 Packages GitHub repo. Follow the instructions in the README file.
What's your favorite Sublime Text 3 package? Let me know below.
