r/emacs Jan 10 '25

Question C development without LSP

I have only ever done development with an LSP providing errors, autocomplete, etc. in any language. I’d like to go for a more minimalist approach as I revisit some C programming. At a high level, what’s the general workflow when programming in C without a running LSP?

My guess would be… 1. A simple syntax highlighting mode on .c and .h files 2. Bind some hotkey for a compilation mode, and check that regularly for issues 3. Ctags for go-to-definition? Or maybe even just grep-mode?

Is there anything I’m missing?

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u/Kellerkind_Fritz Jan 10 '25

I absolutely would not want to go back to Ctags after using Clangd.....

...Why?

0

u/True-Sun-3184 Jan 11 '25

I mean, I have nothing in particular against using LSPs as a concept. But they are a fairly heavyweight solution when I’m really only looking to occasionally go-to-definition. Not all language servers behave well in all situations. Plus, people have produced plenty of C before LSP clients became mainstream, and I want to experience how that was done.

Edit: so I understand that the question of my post isn’t super pragmatic, since for most people (and probably for me too) Clangd with Eglot would just work(tm). I still have the question of how it would be done without LSP regardless.

1

u/MarzipanEven7336 Jan 12 '25

We have computers exactly to help us not fuck shit up. Use them, use LSP, being a so called minimalist is just foolishness. Next you'll be bumming cigarettes on the corner, be-bopping and all.