What are the Best Software Options for Programming in C/C++ Language?

[brad sue]

Hi,
Can someone explained me something.
I need a software to program in C (++) language.
I would like to know which software to download / buy:

Microsoft Visual C OR Visual studio or they are the same?

Can you explained me what to do?

Thank you
B

 

[franznietzsche]

What kind of programming are you doing? I imagine that if you're asking, this isn't major professional work. Is it for class? If so, there are several free compilers and IDEs out there that would save you a sweet couple of hundred bucks over buying either of those.

 

[-Job-]

I have MS Visual Studio .net 2003, and it allows you to code in many languages, VB, J#, C# and of course C++. MS Visual C++ is a subset of MS Visual Studio so both tools will allow you to do what you want, but you'll have more options/capabilities with Visual Studio which you may or may not need.
That said, i recommend, if you are a student at some university, that you check with your department of Engineering. Many universities, through cooperation with Microsoft's MSDNAA, just give out free Microsoft software of which Visual Studio is an example (that's how i got my copy of it not to mention all my server software, talk about loading up ).
By the way, do you want to program in C or C++?

 

[brad sue]

What kind of programming are you doing? I imagine that if you're asking, this isn't major professional work. Is it for class? If so, there are several free compilers and IDEs out there that would save you a sweet couple of hundred bucks over buying either of those.

Yes it is for a class for next semester.
I am trying to anticipate a little bit. Please can you give me some good free compilers and IDEs?

Thank you

B

 

[franznietzsche]

Yes it is for a class for next semester.
I am trying to anticipate a little bit. Please can you give me some good free compilers and IDEs?
Thank you
B

Personally I like Dev-C++, for either C or C++. Although as Job said you might want to check with your campus's Comp Sci department as you might be able to get Visual Studio for free. I know my campus doesn't have it, but we're 90% *nix systems in the Comp Sci department, all Solaris, Debian, and Fedora, so it would be rather useless to us.

You can get Dev-C++ http://www.bloodshed.net/download.html" .

 

[brad sue]

I have MS Visual Studio .net 2003, and it allows you to code in many languages, VB, J#, C# and of course C++. MS Visual C++ is a subset of MS Visual Studio so both tools will allow you to do what you want, but you'll have more options/capabilities with Visual Studio which you may or may not need.
That said, i recommend, if you are a student at some university, that you check with your department of Engineering. Many universities, through cooperation with Microsoft's MSDNAA, just give out free Microsoft software of which Visual Studio is an example (that's how i got my copy of it not to mention all my server software, talk about loading up ).
By the way, do you want to program in C or C++?

Yes, I am a student . As you suggested me, I am going to check tomorrow on campus for MS free complilers. (I aslo waiting some online free compilers from Franznietzsche).

I wil begin with some C programming and then we will see some C++.

Thanks a lot

B.

 

[brad sue]

Personally I like Dev-C++, for either C or C++. Although as Job said you might want to check with your campus's Comp Sci department as you might be able to get Visual Studio for free. I know my campus doesn't have it, but we're 90% *nix systems in the Comp Sci department, all Solaris, Debian, and Fedora, so it would be rather useless to us.
You can get Dev-C++ http://www.bloodshed.net/download.html" .

Thanks a lot!

 

[neurocomp2003]

if microsoft goes to your school besure to check it out they may give you free demo versions.

 

[dduardo]

As a beginner I doubt you need an IDE. You could code in notepad if you wanted to. My school's Comp Sci department uses Linux/Unix and students need to ssh into the server and type their code in Pico or Vi and then compile with GCC. You could also write the code locally on your computer and sftp to the server and then compile it. The coding situation depends on the school you go to so it is best to ask the professor what you'll need.

 

[-Job-]

That's what i had to do as well.

 

[neurocomp2003]

gotta love turbo C editor =]

 

[Sir_Deenicus]

Visual Studio is a development environment (sort of like a super text editor whose specific use is in writing computer programs vs Word whose use in in general documents) that allows you to debug your code, create and organize projects with multiple source files, auto complete and indent, syntax highlighting etc. It is really good. Visual C++ is Microsoft's current version (2005) of C++ (compiler, linker etc) and its current implementation is arguably among the most standard's compliant compilers out there. I believe it has surpassed the gcc in that area now.

Also the new version of http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/visualc/" is free for the next year. Try it, its quite cool. :D

 

[dduardo]

Visual C++ is Microsoft's current version (2005) of C++ (compiler, linker etc) and its current implementation is arguably among the most standard's compliant compilers out there. I believe it has surpassed the gcc in that area now.

That's funny. I used to use VC++ many moons ago and it was nothing but trouble. I have not doubt they they have fixed bugs but VC++ is nowhere near the level of capabilities of the GCC.

 

[Sir_Deenicus]

That's funny. I used to use VC++ many moons ago and it was nothing but trouble. I have not doubt they they have fixed bugs but VC++ is nowhere near the level of capabilities of the GCC.

You underestimate microsoft then. You probably used Visual C++ 6.0 no? Well that version was only 60% standards compliant. The current incarnation, 8.0 (MSVC 2005) is at least over 98% compliant. Which is more that GCC 3.x which weighs in at ~95%. Do a search on boost regression tests, microsoft .net compiler standards compliance etc. to get an idea of how things have changed.

 

[dduardo]

1) Where are you getting your numbers from?
2) GCC 4.x.x has been out for some time now. OSX 10.4 uses it and many others (KDE, Fedora, etc)

 

[Dr Transport]

Watcom has another freebie compiler that is worthwile. Has a couple of quirks that are different from Microsoft.

 

[neurocomp2003]

i still use vc6.0 WOOHOO.

 

[Sir_Deenicus]

1) Where are you getting your numbers from?
2) GCC 4.x.x has been out for some time now. OSX 10.4 uses it and many others (KDE, Fedora, etc)

As early as http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/04/05/VisualC2005/"

The introduction of the Visual Studio® .NET 2003 C++ compiler was a mouthwatering experience for enthusiasts of the C++ language. With 98 percent conformance to the ISO C++ standard, Visual C++® .NET 2003 was truer to these standards than any previous version and incorporated language support for features such as partial template specialization. It also included enhanced buffer security checks and improved compiler diagnostics.

http://boost.sourceforge.net/regression-logs/"

 

[dduardo]

1) I'll take that 98% with a grain of salt. When has microsoft ever been looking to be standards compliant? Unless their goal is to muck up the standard with their own standards.

2) So what seeing in the regression logs? VC++ isn't even being tested.