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Natvis Comes to Linux and macOS: Visualize Your C++ Types Without Writing a Single Data Formatter - The JetBrains Blog

Blog post from JetBrains

Post Details
Company
Date Published
Author
Sasha Korepanov
Word Count
1,514
Company Posts That Month
9
Language
American English
Hacker News Points
-
Post removed?
No
Summary

The recent update in Rider 2026.2 brings the powerful Natvis visualization tool to Linux and macOS, allowing developers to describe how their C++ types should appear in the debugger using simple XML, eliminating the need for complex data formatters previously required on these operating systems. This extension of functionality, previously exclusive to Windows, enhances the debugging experience by simplifying the representation of data structures like stacks, arrays, linked lists, and trees, making it easier to maintain and understand code. While Natvis offers broad compatibility with many existing C++ ecosystems, including game development engines like Godot and Unreal Engine, it currently relies on the standard LLDB expression evaluator on Linux and macOS, which may present challenges with more complex visualizations. However, developers can integrate Natvis with existing LLDB data formatters without conflict, allowing for a gradual adoption of this tool to improve project visibility and debugging efficiency.

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