Thread: Compiler Reviews!

The managed code thing is only if you're coding for .NET.

Didn't I say .net?

Yes, I was talking about managed code, among many other things.

For example the String datatype (i believe it's actually an object).
In fact the entire string library in java is methods and subclasses of the String object, instead of an #include <string> you simply use methods belonging to the object. C++ .net copied this from java, so you have stuff like:

String line1 = "40";
int x = line1.toInt32();

(that might not be exactly right, but you get the idea)

There's a lot of other .net specific nifty stuff. If you're interested, buy Microsoft Visual C++ .NET Step by Step. It's a great book, and I got a copy on ebay for $10. (Don't buy it in a bookstore, it's a $40-$50 book.)

I really like .NET and Visual Studio 2003, however I would not advice anyone to use managed extensions ( aka C++.NET ) on their own. There is no recognizable speed difference between .NET languages when you use .NET features like strings. And learning all the different features takes as long as learning C#.

Managed Extensions for C++ is really like cutting down a tree with a razor blade. You won't get more control than that and it will be a perfect cut. But the guy with the chainsaw next to you will have cut down the rest of the forest with a satisfying result while you chopped your single tree perfectly.

Managed Extensions have their uses if you rely heavily on macros which are not implemented in other languages yet. Or if you have to write managed wrappers for unmanaged code. But these are exceptions and as a standalone, I'd look into C# when using .NET.

I downloaded the 80MB october 2003 update for the MSDN 2003, and it says it can't install because "the program to be upgraded may be missing, or the upgrade patch may update a different version of the program". I have MSDN 2003 installed, I just don't know how to update it. I would also like to update VS .net 2003 to the latest, but I don't know how to scan it for what updates it needs either! Sorry if the answers are obvious, but I've tried looking myself. I feel ashamed lol. Anyhow, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

RadAsm is a great vc like IDE for assemblers but it can be configured to work with any compiler. It's available at
http://radasm.visualassembler.com/