CLion

Instructions on how to set up CLion with a ROS workspace.

CLion is a JetBrains Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for C++. While normally a paid product, like with other JetBrains IDE, CLion can be registered with a university email. Please also check the tutorial provided by JetBrains for setting up CLion with ROS.

Because CLion can load CMakeLists.txt project directly, and because it is a JetBrains product and naturally loads Python packages and modules, it fits nicely with ROS packages. In order for package indexing to work, however, some configuration is necessary.

• First, you must add a directory as a new project. This can either be the entire catkin workspace or the src folder in that workspace.

• In order to load the correct ROS environments, it's necessary to launch clion from the terminal, with the appropriate setup.bash (or setup.zsh) loaded.

C++ configuration

The generation path and the catkin build destination must be specified. In the File --> Settings dialog box, select the Build, Execution, Deployment --> CMake menu, and:

• add -DCATKIN_DEVEL_PREFIX:PATH=/path/to/catkin/workspace/devel to the CMake options field

• add /path/to/catkin/workspace/build to the Generation path field

C++ project settings

Python configuration

In order for CLion to index Python packages, you must point to the correct Python interpreter. Since ROS uses a Python 2 system interpreter, this needs to also be used for your project (in future ROS versions this will hopefully change). In the Build, Execution, Deployment --> Python Interpreter setting menu, if the correct interpreter is not automatically detected, click on the gear icon to add a new interpreter.

Python project settings

Load CMakeLists.txt

After the above configurations, you're ready to load ROS CMakeLists.txt projects. Navigate to the package that you want to work on, right click on the CMakeLists.txt file, and click Load CMake Project.

Load CMake project