Released Qt Creator 20 — the new version of the IDE for developing applications on Qt, C++, QML, and related technologies. In the official announcement Qt Company highlights key innovations including support for AI coding agents, a new Zen Mode, support for the GN build system, and a set of enhancements for CMake, QML, Android, iOS, and remote development on Linux.
The main change in this release is the integration with AI agents via ACP Client. The new component adds a chat panel in Qt Creator with agents that can understand the codebase and perform actions on behalf of the developer: analyzing code, editing files, running commands, and initiating builds. Integration is built on Agent Client Protocol, and ready-made connection templates are sourced from the public ACP Registry. Among the supported configurations listed in the announcement are Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, and GitHub Copilot.
Key changes in Qt Creator 20
Support for AI agents via ACP Client.
The IDE now features a chat panel for connecting AI agents via the Agent Client Protocol. These agents can not only answer questions about the project but also perform tasks: edit files, run commands, and build. Connection is configured through the Extensions mode, and agent parameters can be set manually or chosen from ready-made templates.Extension MCP Server.
Qt Creator 20 enhances support for Model Context Protocol. The MCP Server now provides external AI tools with more information about the IDE's status and allows for additional operations. In the change log (the GitHub sources have not been synchronized yet), new tools for running commands, working with VCS, viewing open files, managing breakpoints, obtaining debug stack information, and searching actions in the IDE are listed. A settings page has also been added AI > MCP Servers and support for CORS for connections from web applications.Zen Mode for distraction-free work.
The new Zen Mode adds an item Tools > Zen Mode > Toggle Distraction Free Mode and separate buttons in the interface. Its purpose is to remove unnecessary elements and keep the code editor in focus. The mode is enabled as an extension.Update of C++ tools.
Clangd for C++ code model has been updated to LLVM 22.1.2, and the precompiled Clangd binaries now come with PGO optimization on all platforms. There is also the option to use an external compilation database instead of the automatically created one by Qt Creator, support for folding preprocessor branches, C++ style block comments, and #pragma regions has been added. The changelog specifically notes the support for std::size_t literals and C++23 preprocessor directives.Improvements in QML.
For QML, semantic highlighting from qmlls is now enabled by default. Additionally, the context menu displays refactoring actions available through the QML language server. This should make working with QML closer to how IDEs handle C++ code.Support for GN projects.
Qt Creator 20 has added an extension for working with GN / Generate Ninja. Once the extension is enabled, the IDE can open GN projects and work with them directly. This is important for projects where GN is used as the primary build description system.Improvements in CMake Presets.
Qt Creator now tracks changes in CMake Presets, supports the new vendor presets qt and compiler, and presets created for kits are marked as temporary and tied to a specific project. Support for CONAN_HOST_PROFILE and CONAN_BUILD_PROFILE variables has been added for integration with Conan.Changes in project and environment management.
In project settings, it is now possible to obtain environment variables from a text file or shell script. Additionally, parsing of file:// links in build output has been added, and a performance issue in Application Output.New Remote Debugger.
Added a launch configuration type Remote Debugger, similar in purpose to the scenario Debug > Start Debugging > Attach to Running Debug Server. This simplifies restarting and switching between different remote debugging configurations.Improvements in version control systems.
VCS actions are now available in more places within the interface, including Open Documents and editors. The file status is now displayed in the properties dialog, diff handling has been improved, and untracked files are now marked. A warning has been added for Git's submit editor regarding situations that may lead to loss of staged changes, and the dialog Continue Rebase is now harder to use accidentally for destructive operations.Improvements in Android development.
The Android Manifest editor is divided into separate interfaces for icons, splash screens, and permissions. In the menu Tools > Android there are now separate editors Icon Editor, Splashscreen Editor and Permissions Editor.Improvements for iOS and remote Linux development.
For iOS, limited access to the device's file system has been added from the File System view, Locator, and remote file dialogs, including the crash reports directory and developer application directories. For Remote Linux devices, Qt Creator now automatically connects to the target system before deploying and running the application.Improvements to the overall interface.
All search results are now highlighted in text views. The menu item File > Open File or Project is split into separate Open File and Open Project, while the old action is preserved and can be assigned to a hotkey.
Qt Creator 20 is available as an update through Qt Online Installer. The announcement also states that commercial offline installers are available via the Qt Account Portal, while open source builds are available on the downloads page Qt.
Download the source code and binary files
Source: linux.org.ru
