Thread: C-Free - anyone using it?

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    C-Free - anyone using it?

    Is anyone using this compiler? A lot of people use Dev-C++ but what about this one? anyone?

  2. #2
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    First off, there is a difference between a compiler and an IDE, and C-Free is an IDE.

    A lot of dev-c++ refuseniks go for http://www.codeblocks.org/, which really is $0.

    I'd suggest you start with a few free ones, so that when you come to evaluate ones which cost money, you'll be in a better position to make a much more informed choice.

    It's like choosing a car, you can read all the reviews and opinion, but you don't really know anything until you take a test drive.
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    Sorry, thanks yes it is an IDE. But it doesn't appear to be that popular.

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    Malum in se abachler's Avatar
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    Well, personally I hate Dev-C++'s IDE. I use K&R style source formatting, with a few minor differences, but Dev-C++ refuses to get the tabs right. Visual studio has the best IDE IMHO, although my personal copy of it is quite old (4.0), so at home I end up using VS 4.0 to write the code, then compile it with Dev-C++. A bit of a pain, but cheaper than shelling out half a grand or more for VS 2005 Professional. At work I get my choice of any compiler I want, including VS 6.0, 2003, 2005, and probably 2007 when it comes out. Oddly enough Dev-C++ wont run on my work computer (cuz its a Xeon), and Code::Blocks wont run on my home system (cuz its Vista). Ive also used LCC, which has a nice enough IDE, but its compiler is a bit dated. I think it caps at Pentium or Pentium Pro, but the great thing is it produces .asm files and you can compile them after you hand optimize the assembly. Something that VS++ and the others seem to have forgotten programmers actually do.

    So in the end, check otu all the free compilers and IDE's. For starting out, the IDE is probably yoru biggest issue. You want somethign you feel comfortable with. I only bought VS 4.0 because I got it off eBay for like $20, so you migth search there, a few copies turn up now and then. Its good enough for simple applications (no Direct3d support).

    BTW, if you check eBay, make sure you read the entire post, as there are many people selling academic versions as the 'Full Retail', which it is not. Unlike the retail versions, the academic version license is non-transferable. Not an issue if you only intend to use it for private projects, but if you intend to sell the programs, you must have a copy of the actual retail version.
    Last edited by abachler; 06-04-2007 at 04:03 PM.

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    Registered User Frobozz's Avatar
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    Why don't you just use Visual C++ Express 2005? Or are there features missing you can't do without? Also I suspect you could get Visual C++ 6.0 from eBay if you wanted a copy.

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    Cat without Hat CornedBee's Avatar
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    You can set nearly all compilers to emit assembly listings. But such listings are used only to inspect what the compiler is doing, to find missed optimization opportunities. Real hand-written assembly is typically written from the ground up, because the snippets needing hand-optimization should be small enough that it isn't really additional work.
    Manually editing compiler-emitted files is, if these files are expected to get compiled again, of course just wasted time.
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  7. #7
    Malum in se abachler's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frobozz View Post
    Why don't you just use Visual C++ Express 2005? Or are there features missing you can't do without? Also I suspect you could get Visual C++ 6.0 from eBay if you wanted a copy.
    I have VC 6.0 at work, in fact its what im using right now. A quick check of eBay shows that everyone wants about $400 for it, so my guess is thats why there are no (or 1 false) bids for them.

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    Malum in se abachler's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CornedBee View Post
    Manually editing compiler-emitted files is, if these files are expected to get compiled again, of course just wasted time.
    Not true. check out how the compiler implements the ZeroMemory() function some time. It literally loads the 0x00000000 value into a register every time, rather than loading it once, then usign it to blit each mem location.

  9. #9
    Anirban Ghosh
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    wxDevC++
    CodeBlocks

    I use these! But CODE BLOCKS seem to be father of all editors! Awesome!

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    Massively Single Player AverageSoftware's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by anirban View Post
    But CODE BLOCKS seem to be father of all editors! Awesome!
    No, I believe that's vi.

    For the record, Xcode gets my vote for best IDE.
    There is no greater sign that a computing technology is worthless than the association of the word "solution" with it.

  11. #11
    Cat without Hat CornedBee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by abachler View Post
    Not true. check out how the compiler implements the ZeroMemory() function some time. It literally loads the 0x00000000 value into a register every time, rather than loading it once, then usign it to blit each mem location.
    So you manually edit the output after every single compilation, instead of just using a function that is NOT broken?

    Also, in my system, ZeroMemory is a macro that expands to a call to memset(), and that is already implemented in assembly.
    All the buzzt!
    CornedBee

    "There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be, any programming language in which it is the least bit difficult to write bad code."
    - Flon's Law

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