The best IDE for a low-spec PC

[z05DSL3A]

Life is strange...just dropped in to see what was going on here while I wait for some downloads.

I have a PoS laptop with an AMD E1-1500 APU and 4GB of ram. I decided to see if CLion would run well enough on it (never used it before)...Visual Studio 2019 runs like a dog.

[deleted account xyzzy]

@Grey Wolf, I am not surprised. It is MS after all. :Þ

[z05DSL3A]

Furry Guy, VS is still my go to on my main box but not on a low spec laptop.

Re CLion: Looks like I need to setup WSL and a toolchain...

[deleted account xyzzy]

If you read my previous comment you'd see MSVC is also on my use list. I was simply acknowledging how much "ooomph" it takes compared to other IDEs by way of a tongue in cheek left-handed compliment.

I haven't tried CLion, mostly because it is a "free" 30 day trial. Code::Blocks and VS2017/2019 Community are not paid products.

[z05DSL3A]

Sorry, just thought my post might have given the impression that I don't like VS.

I've been watching Jason Turner and was intrigued with CLion...and I have time on my hands...

Edit: bit annoying it doesn't seem to allow my to use CMake and Clang that are installed on Windows.

[deleted account xyzzy]

The only impression your initial comment made, at least to me, was you don't like running MSVC on a seriously low-spec laptop since it is slower than whale snot. :)

A ongoing subscription fee based compiler is just not in my budget, even if only $8.90 a month for an individual license.

Don't let me stop you from having some fun, though. :D

[bld]

I guess that I'll just stick to compiling my programs online. It's not like I'm going to use my hello world programs for anything.

[highwayman]

I wonder if there are online C++ to WASM compilers you could use...

[malibor]

VS Code is great for laptops and low spec PC's.

How good or bad it will be for you depends on amount and quality of extensions and features you enable/install.

For example using some powershell modules that extend git such as coloring and similar is not 100% needed, and if your project is big it will surely hinder performance..

Biggest problem with low-spec PC is not just code editor but also size of a project, ie. large project will slow down intellisense and intellisense will in turn slow down your PC.

At a minimum you should add your project directory and SDK to Windwos defender exclusion list, because defender will consume up to 1GB memory just to scan your always changing stuff, it will also slow down debugging, and intellisense especially.

[jonnin]

vscode is 'nice but annoying'. It constantly tries to hide the code with pop up areas that move your code so that you can't see it anymore or shift is to the side to make room and blocks off the bottom etc. That may be something you can option away with some effort; I haven't given it a full shakedown, but my first impression is 'annoying' and 'busybody'.

[malibor]

The biggest problem I have with VS Code is debugging experience, it feels so disintegrated compared to VS.

Also you have to manually create and maintain your build configuration.
VS Code is just a better Vim overall, and unless one really can't use real IDE there is no reason to boggle with code editors.

It depends on code you're working, for example for scripting it's a perfect solution and better suited than IDE.

It constantly tries to hide the code with pop up areas that move your code so that you can't see it anymore

That's indeed true, one needs to take care about position of mouse pointer, to avoid annoying little pop ups :)

That may be something you can option away with some effort

Pretty much everything can be customized in great detail, yes it just take time to make it behave how you like.

[jonnin]

yes it just take time to make it behave how you like.
I want it to behave like notepad ++ :P