Advantages of microsoft visual studios
I was pondering purchasing VC (and visual studios in general), but I have a working Eclipse IDE, so I was wondering if you guys who are more experienced coders would be able to tell me if its worth it to fork out the money for VC, or if I'm better off just saving my cash and using Eclipse.
So what are the most important advantages of VC? Are any of these advantages on other freeware programs? And lastly, what does VC NOT have (if anything)?
Last edited by Daftatt; 05-19-2011 at 10:13 AM.
Well I think you can only really compare Eclipse with the free Visual Studio Express.
Whether it's worth the money is entirely up to you - is there something it does that you desperately need and can't do without?
As for comparing one VS with another, see the feature grid here
Compare Visual Studio 2010 Products | Microsoft Visual Studio
Visual C++ Editions
If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.
Just to list a few other popular and free IDE's that are developed for C(++) coding:
Code::Blocks
Qt creator
Here is a link to Visual studio express that Salem talked about:
http://www.microsoft.com/express/Windows/
Resource editing would be nice... VS free versions don't have it, most free IDEs don't have it...and even the ones that do have it are usually missing key components like Message Table Editors. Anyone who's tried to build a dialog in an RC file using a text editor will understand that frustration.Originally Posted by Salem
Usually you don't need them resources files if you use a third-party library.
There are third party resource editors that are better than what is in MSVS. I have had significant troubles with the one that is in MSVS and have since stopped using it.
If you are not missing anything (which is why you are asking us), why pay $$?
It's not like a one time deal thing. You can use Eclipse now, and buy it if and when you find out you need something MSVS offers that Eclipse and Express don't have.
Don't fork out cash just for the sake of forking out cash. Cash is nice to have around.
Have you ever added a custom Icon to a program?
Then, yes, you need resource files.
And this constant blather of yours about third party libraries is wearing a little thin... really... you're starting to sound like a script-kiddie... You claim to be a Windows programmer yet you assiduously avoid any contact with the operating system itself... It just doesn't make any sense to me.
Last edited by CommonTater; 05-19-2011 at 06:00 PM.
Yes there are... and they aren't cheap either... The free ones all seem to be lacking at least one or two crucial features... and forget about finding a free standing Message Table editor.
The only one I've seen that really does it all is POIDE... which comes with Pelles C...
Is there no program that will just add an icon to any executable for you? (Just curious. I have never done any Windows programming beyond compiling my cross-platform code on Windows)
Yes... Google for "Resource Hacker" ...
Every windows program or dll can have a "resources section" that contains built in data for the program... You can imbed stuff like Icons, Bitmaps and Sounds your program will use. But it's also used for the essentials as well... Keyboard Accelerators, Message Strings, Error Message Tables, Dialog Boxes, Manifests... and more. When you're running a windows program and it pops up a little window asking for more information or allowing you to change settings... that will almost certainly be stored in the Resource section of the program.
You won't get very far in windows programming without using resources (either visibly through source code, or transparently through Elysia's beloved their party libraries).
That doesn't mean what you think it means.you're starting to sound like a script-kiddie
Assuming you don't mind having ".Net 4 Runtime" installed, there are free ones more fully featured than the one included with "Microsoft Visual Studio". If memory serves, it was written by a "Microsoft Partner". (It stuck because he was bragging about it.) I'll see if I can find it.The free ones all seem to be lacking at least one or two crucial features
The icons you see while browsing with "Explorer" or whatever is just an entry in the "Portable Executable" file format. A lot of tools can change it.Is there no program that will just add an icon to any executable for you?
Soma
Keyboard AcceleratorsMessage StringsDialog BoxesO_oManifests
None of those things require a "Windows" resource file at any level.
Soma
On those rare, rare, rare instances when I needed to use an external resource editor, this was it.
Originally Posted by brewbuck:
Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.
If you are planing to build exclusively for Windows, I'd say you are better off dropping Eclipse since you'll gain a better compiler than the current GCC port to windows.
If you do want to develop cross platform, I'd suggest that if you decide to keep Eclipse, at least also keep a copy of Visual Studio Express (which is free) or the Windows Platform SDK (which is also free), so you use that to compile your C or C++ projects under Windows.
I would drop Eclipse just on principle. But that's me. Because I can't stand the darn thing. However, if you do like it I'd consider purchasing VS only if there was a very good reason to do so. Prices aren't exactly cheap. The Professional version is the first adequate choice, but will cost you around 700 USD.
Originally Posted by brewbuck:
Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.
