Thread: Looking for C++ and C compiler

  1. 03-26-2010 #1
    darsunt
    darsunt is offline
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    57

    Looking for C++ and C compiler

    Hi everyone.

    I'm looking for a C++ compiler. I don't want to get into installing and configuring something like gcc, but I don't want to put out too much cash either.

    I used to work on a 2003 version of .NET. I'm hoping to get something less complex. I want to start contributing some work to open source projects.

    I'm looking at microsoft visual studio 2008 for $700. Is there something out there less expensive, less complex?
  2. 03-26-2010 #2
    ManyTimes
    ManyTimes is offline
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Norway
    Posts
    25
    CodeBlocks?
    http://www.codeblocks.org/

    MS tools are only good for MS stuff, but if any, VS 2008 Express or wait a bit for 2010?

    Else; eclipse is really neat.
    http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/moreinfo/c.php
    Last edited by ManyTimes; 03-26-2010 at 01:21 PM.
  3. 03-26-2010 #3
    laserlight
    laserlight is offline
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    28,413
    I do not really understand your concern about gcc. You could use an express edition of a Microsoft compiler for free, but you're still going to have to install it and do a little configuration.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
  4. 03-26-2010 #4
    darsunt
    darsunt is offline
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    57
    Thanks for the info. I will sit back and consider my options.

    I guess I'm a bit lazy. I build my own hardware (very time consuming) and figure it will take me plenty of work getting back into C++ and understanding some open source projects that I hope to participate it. So I'm thinking to go the easy route with getting the compiler. I've heard that gcc installation is a bit tricky, might take me a couple of days.
  5. 03-26-2010 #5
    tabstop
    tabstop is offline
    and the Hat of Guessing tabstop's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    14,336
    Quote Originally Posted by darsunt View Post
    Thanks for the info. I will sit back and consider my options.

    I guess I'm a bit lazy. I build my own hardware (very time consuming) and figure it will take me plenty of work getting back into C++ and understanding some open source projects that I hope to participate it. So I'm thinking to go the easy route with getting the compiler. I've heard that gcc installation is a bit tricky, might take me a couple of days.
    Hang on. Are we talking Windows? It's been a while, but I recall installing gcc on this (Windows) machine taking approximately 2 minutes. (You don't have to compile gcc from scratch, yourself, starting with punch cards, if you don't want to.) Get the codeblocks + gcc combo and run.
  6. 03-26-2010 #6
    bernt
    bernt is offline
    Just a pushpin. bernt's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    426
    I want to start contributing some work to open source projects.
    Chances are those projects use GNU for their build process. I've seen several move to CMake but you'll be hard-pressed to see an open source project that doesn't support the ./configure && make method of building.

    I've heard that gcc installation is a bit tricky, might take me a couple of days.
    I beg to differ. MinGW Automated Installer.
    Consider this post signed
  7. 03-26-2010 #7
    jeffcobb
    jeffcobb is offline
    Registered User jeffcobb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Henderson, NV
    Posts
    875
    and on Debian-based Linux it is no harder than apt-get install build-essential...pulls down and installs GCC et al along with debuggers and some other binutils type tools.
    C/C++ Environment: GNU CC/Emacs
    Make system: CMake
    Debuggers: Valgrind/GDB
  8. 03-26-2010 #8
    darsunt
    darsunt is offline
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    57
    Thanks for the info. I will check it out.
  9. 03-26-2010 #9
    darsunt
    darsunt is offline
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    57
    Thanks

    I installed the compiler with MinGW, with the minimum of fuss, just added to the PATH variable.

    Only place that stuck me for awhile was I forgot one had to run the executable after creating it.
« Previous Thread | Next Thread »
Popular pages Recent additions subscribe to a feed