C++/CLI Support

Search and navigation

Since C++/CLI is a bridge between the languages, JetBrains Rider provides cross-language navigation features to improve interoperability:

• Find Usages and Go To Declaration work between C++/CLI and C#.

• When looking for derived symbols from C++/CLI code, JetBrains Rider will find symbols in C# code in addition to symbols in C++/CLI.

• Go to Base Symbols and Go to Derived Symbols work on imported CLR entities.

Go to Derived Symbols also works for get/set functions inside C++/CLI properties and add/remove functions inside C++/CLI events.

Gif

Code analysis

JetBrains Rider includes a set of inspections for C++/CLI-specific language constructions:

• You’ll get a warning if there is missing virtual specifier for an interface member, or it does not have public accessibility.

  

• JetBrains Rider inspects the way you allocate memory and suggests a quick-fix to replace gcnew with new when the target type is not valid. It also works for replacing new with gcnew.

  

• JetBrains Rider warns you when you try to use the C++ final specifier on a managed class or interface, with a quick-fix to make it sealed instead.

  

There are also a few helpful quick-fixes for C++/CLI. For example, the safe_cast operator in C++/CLI is especially useful when downcasting from a base class to a derived one: safe_cast performs a dynamic check and throws InvalidCastException if the conversion fails. You can use a quick-fix to convert a C-style cast to a safe_cast.

Inlay hints

In addition to parameter name and type name hints, JetBrains Rider provides type conversion hints for C++/CLI boxing conversions, which result in an allocation on the managed heap. Such hints for standard conversions are disabled by default, but you can enable them on the Editor | Inlay Hints | C++ | Type Conversion Hints page of JetBrains Rider settings Ctrl+Alt+S.

Formatting style

Additional formatting settings allow you to configure style for C++/CLI generic constraints: select the preferred indentation, add spaces where needed, and force line breaks ( Editor | Code Style | C++).

generic <class ItemType>
where ItemType:IItem
ref class Stack {};

generic <class ItemType>
    where ItemType : IItem
ref class Stack {};

Postfix completion

Some C++ postfix templates are specially designed to produce C++/CLI code when invoked in its context.

• Use .gcnew to produce instantiation expression for a type.

• Use .safe_cast to surround expression with .safe_cast.

Known issues and limitations

• #using directives are not supported.

• Rename refactoring will not update function calls outside C++/CLI code.