C/C++ Can Xcode be used to compile C++ programs for a Mac from a Linux system?

[daniel_i_l]

I use linux on a pc and one of my friends who uses a mac wants me to write a small app for him. It doesn't need any GUI of anything, just a few lines in C++ with a bitmap image for input and an output to a text file.
Is there a way for me to compile it in linux so that he'll be able to use it with his mac? He isn't very computer literate so I don't want him to have to do a lot of tweaking.
Thanks.

 

[chroot]

In general, you cannot compile it on a Linux machine and then run it on a Mac. The Mac should already have the GNU compiler collection installed on it, though, so you should be able to compile it on the Mac with the same commands you would use on the Linux box.

- Warren

 

[waht]

If you compile using gcc on the linux box, should it not work on unix since the two are similar?

I remember running a small program on Solaris that was compiled in ubuntu.

 

[mXSCNT]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_compiler#GCC_and_cross_compilation

or you could just use the gcc on his mac, which would probably be easier and less error prone than trying to cross compile. (I think macs come with gcc. If not, you might first need to install the developer tools from his os x install disks)

 

[MATLABdude]

XCode is Apple's Development Suite (free through Apple Developer, and I think it's still included--but not installed--on the OS X DVD, up to Leopard, OS X 10.5)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xcode
http://developer.apple.com/TOOLS/xcode/

I think (but am not positive) that it includes GCC, and a whole lot of other things. However, it should be able to compile your (very basic, and non-system specific) C++ code to at least a terminal program. Barring that, there're Widgets like QT, wxWidgets, and GTK+ which would allow you to develop cross-platform (to a point) GUI programs.