Best compiler (free)?

[sillymofo]

I'm tinkering with C++ (yes, very scary), and would like to know what's the best compiler that every one uses, and are they free?

 

[blackdogdeek]

i've heard only good things about gcc

 

[Chu]

Originally posted by: cr4zymofo
I'm tinkering with C++ (yes, very scary), and would like to know what's the best compiler that every one uses, and are they free?

If you have an editor in mind, then it depends on the platform.

Windows : Microsoft releases their compiler/libraries free of charge. Dig on their site. Their optomized 7.0 compilers really do kick a lot of ass despite the horrors of the 6.0 release, and they have a free beta version of Visual Studio 2005 / C++ edition. Worth checking out.

*NIX : gcc + emacs/vi. Can't go wrong.

 

[dighn]

n/m didn't realize vc++ 7's compiler is free now

 

[Descartes]

Microsoft Visual C++ for free
.NET for free

 

[yukichigai]

You can also get Bloodshed, A.K.A. Dev-CPP/Dev-C++. You can google it. Works great, except for some specific problems with dirent.h. (It's set up for linux/unix systems, but Dev-C++ runs on Windows)

 

[sillymofo]

Thanks.

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: Descartes
Microsoft Visual C++ for free
.NET for free

Cool1

Does that include the development interface?

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: Descartes
Microsoft Visual C++ for free
.NET for free

Cool1

Does that include the development interface?

From common sense, I would say no.
From the Q&A, I'd definitely say no. See the last sentence:

You might also wish to evaluate and upgrade to Visual Studio .NET Professional, which includes many additional tools and features for C++ developers, including a professional debugger and code editor.

 

[notfred]

There are two C++ compilers that people really use:
The one in MS Visual Studio for Windows software
gcc for every other OS.

 

[tkdkid]

The .net sdk doesn't include an ide. However, here is a free one:

SharpDevelop

 

[Chu]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: Descartes
Microsoft Visual C++ for free
.NET for free

Cool1

Does that include the development interface?

No, but there is a free beta for VS2005 C++ edition that does include the IDE. Say what you want about microsoft -- but Visual Studio is the best IDE out there by far, and I've tried everything from Forte to Eclipse.

I've heard good things about the beta -- but it won't install on my computer (stalls at 100% )

 

[sdaccord01]

how do you use tthe visual C++ toolkit compiler with textpad?

 

[DaveSimmons]

If you decide you want to dive deeply into Windows C++ development, it's probably worth paying for the full Visual C++. Being able to use the debugger to single-step through code and see the state of variables and memory is a great learning tool (and bug-finding tool).

The class browser and resource editor are also quite useful, and the wizards (especially ClassWizard) earn their keep too.

 

[Insomnium]

Has anyone tried using this latest C++ compiler with previous MSVC++ IDEs and tools? I've been using Microsoft Visual C++ Professional 6.0 for a while now, and was wondering if it was possible/feasible to simply update the compiler and linker to this latest version and still keep using the 6.0 ide and tools without breaking anything. Anyone know if this is possible??


And to answer the original question: on a windows box, i'd go with Microsoft's Free C++ compiler as my first choice, Borland's free C++ compiler as 2nd choice, and then GCC.

Have fun tinkering

 

[dfi]

I assume what you really want is an integrated development environmnt (IDE) with a compiler. I just posted about the ide dev-c++, which comes with gcc (using mingw32), yesterday. Here's a few c++ IDEs that I've used: msvc++ 6, .net (briefly), eclipse + cdt, borland c++builderx, and dev-c++. Here's how I rank them and why:

1. Dev-c++ - seems to have all the features of MSVC++ 6, but is snappier. And it's free. Does't remind me that I need to upgrade my computer.
2. MSVC++ 6 - my first c++ ide. It's good but there are a few compiler quirks.
3. .Net - didn't really get too much time to use it... seemed like MSVC++ 6, but with more crud tacked on that I didn't use to make it slower.
4. Borland C++BuilderX - free and not bad, definitely not the fastest of the bunch and missing my fav feature - auto-completion.
5. Eclipse - makes 'watching paint dry' seem like a fast-paced action sport. Nice interface though.

dfi

 

[drag]

GCC is Free. As in freedom. You can redistribute, reverse engineer, and modify it.

Microsoft's compiler is free in cost only.

 

[civad]

gcc