CLion 2024.1 Help

File Watchers

The page is available when the File Watchers plugin is enabled. For more information about configuring File Watchers, refer to File Watchers.

You can also configure a custom File Watcher to run any other third-party tool.

File watchers track changes into your files and run a configured tool on every change. CLion provides predefined File Watcher templates for a number of popular third-party tools (compilers, compressors, prettifiers, and others). You can also configure a custom File Watcher to run any other third-party tool.

Item

Tooltip and Shortcut

Description

the Add button

Add Alt+Insert

Click this button to open the Choose template popup and select the relevant type of File Watcher. After that CLion opens the  New Watcher dialog for customizing the predefined File Watcher according to the settings of the current project.

the Edit button

Edit Enter

Click this button to update the settings of the selected File Watcher in the Edit Watcher dialog. The update is applied to the current project File Watcher only, it does not affect the predefined CLion-level template.

the Remove button

Remove Alt+Delete

Click this button to remove the selected File Watcher. The File Watcher is no longer applied to the files in the current project. Note that this action does not affect the corresponding predefined template which is still available at the CLion level.

the Previous occurrence button   the Next occurrence button

Up Ctrl+Alt+Up

Down Ctrl+Alt+Down

Use these buttons to change the order of File Watcher in the list. This determines the order of launching File Watchers, if more than one are enabled.

copy

Copy

Use this button to create a copy of the selected File Watcher.

import

Import

Click this button to import an existing File Watcher and add it to the list of available File Watchers.

export

Export

Click this button to export the selected watchers to watchers.xml file, located under the user's home.

Last modified: 25 June 2024