This plugin enables quick CMake project switching in CLion via:
- Project tool window context action for any CMakeLists.txt, “Pin to CMake Mux”
- New CMake mux panel to manage pinned projects
- Popup action to easily switch projects via keyboard shortcuts
- Automatic CMake preset enabling for selected projects
All this enables switching between multiple CMake projects more convenient compared to the standard CLion experience.
By default, CLion uses the CMakeLists.txt in your project root as the top-level CMake file. To switch, you can
right‑click another CMakeLists.txt and choose “Load CMake Project.” If you switch frequently, repeating this manual
step becomes tedious.
This plugin adds a shortlist of user-defined projects. Double‑click any item to load it (equivalent to “Load/Reload CMake Project”).
Additionally, while CLion automatically imports any CMake presets it finds for a particular project location, they start disabled. The plugin lets you define regular expressions per project shortcut to automatically enable matching presets after switching.
When you right‑click any CMakeLists.txt, the plugin provides a “Pin to CMake Mux” in the context menu.
Adding a CMakeLIsts.txt to the mux requires a nickname:
The plugin also provides a panel where you can manage your pinned CMake projects.
The panel lists pinned projects and highlights the active one with a yellow arrow. Double‑click any project to load it using CLion’s “Load CMake Project.” The “Enable CMake presets for ” panel lets you specify any number of regular expressions; presets whose names match are enabled automatically.
The action “Select CMake Mux Project...” can be bound to a custom keyboard shortcut.
Invoking the action/shortcut shows a popup with the first nine pinned projects. Press a digit to load the corresponding project, or use the arrow keys and Enter. Invoking the action/keyboard shortcut again will cycle through the next projects in the list.
Note
The plugin has no additional settings panel. It simply extends the CLion UI to streamline multi‑project CMake workflows.
The plugin will receive updates as long as CLion/Jetbrains continue to support the APIs and hooks used by the plugin. And if Jetbrains ever decides to add a similar features to CLion, this plugin will be obsolete. See this feature request for more details.