Best FREE Windows C Compiler?

[Bulldog13]

Hello,

Quick question. I want to make the jump from Visual Basic to C/C++ as I want more low level programming. I have decided to start with C. What is the best free C/C++ windows compiler on everyone's opinion?

A quick google search refers "DJGPP", "LCC-WIN32", a Borland one, and "CYGWIN".

Any ideas?

Also can anyone recommend any good assembler books on the x86 platform? Preferably 32 bit. Should I learn 16 bit and then jump to 32 bit?

All advice welcome.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

I would assume cygwin and gcc, but I'm the wrong person to say

 

[PCHPlayer]

You can download the Microsoft C compiler for free. I don't know the link, but I downloaded it a while ago. As much as I dislike some M$ stuff, they do make pretty good compilers.

 

[JZilla]

Free books

Don't know if you are familiar with the following sites, but here goes:

Bloodshed
Cprogramming
Digital Mars Compiler

Enjoy!


Edit: I can't find the Microsoft compiler, if anyone can plz post a link.

 

[onelin]

I use DJGPP for gcc under windows. I also use MS VC++, but I paid for that.

 

[Nothinman]

Also can anyone recommend any good assembler books on the x86 platform? Preferably 32 bit. Should I learn 16 bit and then jump to 32 bit?

I would avoid assembly unless you really need it. All you'll end up doing is limiting yourself to x86 chips with no gains.

 

[thornc]

Here you go!!

Have fun....

 

[ComradeXavier]

I'd recommend GCC on CYGWIN as well, if you're up to a bit of a challenge to install it; GCC is an excellent compiler. Otherwise, your best bet is probably to track down the Microsoft C Compiler; like PCHPlayer said, you should be able to find it on MS's website somewhere.

 

[glugglug]

There is a free trial version of C++ Builder + Delphi. The difference between the trial version and the normal versions is nothing you compile in the trial versions will work outside the IDE, so you can't distribute it.

 

[manly]

If you don't want the Cygwin environment, try MinGW.

Or for Win32 development, get the Borland command-line C++ compiler: http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/bcpp.html.
I don't believe this is a trial edition that glugglug refers to (you can get trial versions of all their commercial software). I think this is just the compiler suite from BC++ 5.5.

Here's the most popularly referenced free text on x86 assembly:
Art of Assembly

While I wouldn't say it makes a whole lot of sense to jump from a very high-level language to assembly, the HAL dialect used in this text is quite accessible for programmers.

 

[Bulldog13]

I am going to start with Dev-C++. I got my "Hello World!" console program working. :beer:

The Art of Assembly 32 bit for Windows link of the page you linked doesn't seem to be working. Any others?

Anyone point me to any resources on "running program manipulation" (best term I can think of) in C? I really want to be able to dig in and alter running programs, see how they work, etc?

Thanks everyone for the resources.

 

[kleinesarschloch]

http://www.sandpile.org/ is invaluable for x86 assembler coding.