Lite Dev-C++

A lightweight C/C++ editor for macOS, built with Rust and inspired by Dev-C++.

Open folders, edit C/C++ files, and build and run programs without installing a heavyweight IDE.

Download the latest release

Features

• Lightweight native macOS application.
• Folder-based workflow with a built-in file tree.
• Editing for common C/C++ source and header files.
• Syntax highlighting, automatic indentation, and paired brackets and quotes.
• Configurable C and C++ compiler commands.
• One-click build and run with compiler output shown inside the app.
• System terminal support for programs that read from standard input.

Quick Start

1. Install the Xcode Command Line Tools if they are not already available:

   xcode-select --install

2. Download Lite-Dev-Cpp-macOS-universal.zip from the latest release, extract it, and open the app.

3. Open a folder, select a C or C++ source file, then click Build & Run.

Note

Lite Dev-C++ does not include a C/C++ compiler. The Xcode Command Line Tools provide clang and clang++ on macOS.

Compiler Configuration

The compiler commands can be changed in the top toolbar. Click Save Config to store them in the macOS application configuration directory:

~/Library/Application Support/dev.LiteDevCpp.Lite-Dev-C++/config.toml

Default configuration:

[compiler]
c_compiler = "clang"
cpp_compiler = "clang++"

Supported Files

Lite Dev-C++ can open and edit .c, .cpp, .cc, .cxx, .h, .hpp, .hh, and .hxx files. Builds are available for .c, .cpp, .cc, and .cxx source files.

Build artifacts are written to a temporary application directory instead of beside the source file, so existing project files are not overwritten.

Current Limitations

Lite Dev-C++ is an early, minimal editor rather than a full IDE. It does not yet include:

• A debugger.
• Project templates.
• Full code completion or integrated clangd diagnostics.
• Multi-file project build configuration.
• macOS code signing and notarization.

Because the current macOS release is unsigned, macOS may require you to approve the app manually in System Settings → Privacy & Security before opening it.

Development

The application is written in Rust with egui/eframe. To run it from source:

cargo run

License

Lite Dev-C++ is available under the MIT License.