How to use Intel C/C++ Classic Compiler in VSCode debugger?

Question

I'm setting up a C environment on a Mac to implement some numerical codes for my phd. I'm using the Intel C/C++ Classic compiler instead of the default clang.

So far, I manage to generate some debugging information evoking a command like icc -std=c17 -o code -g code.c

When I call the Run and Debug option in VSCode it show 2 options to me: C++(GDB/LLDB) and C++ (Windows). When I click the first one it shows 2 more options: C/C++: clang build and debug active file or C/C++: gcc build and debug active file. It does not show anything related to the Intel Classic Compiler. How do I use this compiler to debug with Intel C/C++ Classic compiler inside the VSCode environment?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I think you are mixing compiling and debugging up, according to the documentation, choosing C/C++: gcc build and debug active file from the list of detected compilers on your system is just helping you to generate some configuration like this:

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "type": "shell",
      "label": "C/C++: g++ build active file",
      "command": "/usr/bin/g++",
      "args": ["-g", "${file}", "-o", "${fileDirname}/${fileBasenameNoExtension}"],
      "options": {
        "cwd": "/usr/bin"
      },
      "problemMatcher": ["$gcc"],
      "group": {
        "kind": "build",
        "isDefault": true
      },
      "detail": "Task generated by Debugger."
    }
  ]
}

If you want to debug in VSCode, what you need to do is simply adding this configuration to your launch.json:

{
    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "(gdb) Launch",
            "type": "cppdbg",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/code",
            "args": [],
            "stopAtEntry": false,
            "cwd": "${fileDirname}",
            "environment": [],
            "externalConsole": false,
            "MIMode": "gdb",
            "setupCommands": [
                {
                    "description": "Enable pretty-printing for gdb",
                    "text": "-enable-pretty-printing",
                    "ignoreFailures": true
                },
                {
                    "description": "Set Disassembly Flavor to Intel",
                    "text": "-gdb-set disassembly-flavor intel",
                    "ignoreFailures": true
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}