Debugging C++ in macOS

Cover photo by Clément H on Unsplash

Trying to figure out how to add user input while debugging C++ on macOS in VScode? You've come to the right place. I spent a load of time figuring it out so that you don't have to.

Aight, I'll make this post a tl;dr and give references for further reading at the bottom.

Step #1

Update your tasks.json file (In case you don't know what that is, I suggest you head over here and then get back) with the following piece of code.

{"label": "Open Terminal",
"type": "shell",
"command": "osascript -e 'tell application \"Terminal\"\ndo script \"echo hello\"\nend tell'",
"problemMatcher": []
}


Now just run this task before running the c++ file, and in the launch.json, set

externalConsole: true

Your tasks.json should look something like this now.

Step #2

Now hit

cmd + shift + P

and type in ">run tasks" without the quotes of course.

And you should see something like this.

Click on

open terminal

and it launches a terminal. Smash the allow button once twice or as often as it asks and you're set.

Boom.

You'll have the terminal launched, and now when you run the actual g++-10 debug and run task, it should work fine.

See how the editor is in debug mode, and the terminal on the left is ready to accept input.

Hopefully this helped :)

In case you'd like to know more about this issue, head over here