The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5)

C++ IDE on Windows

My CS classes require all code to be compiled with gcc. I'd rather not deal with headaches resulting from writing my code in Visual Studio and then trying to get it to run with gcc. So I installed Services for UNIX on my laptop, and I'm ready to go.

I was thinking about using TextPad as my editor, and then using the command line to compile, but I decided to see if I'm overlooking a simpler solution. I'm looking for an IDE that will handle my make files and headers and such for me, while using gcc that's up and running. Any ideas?

Thanks!

nathan
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

I forgot to mention I'd like a debugger - that's the main reason I want something more than TextPad.

nathan
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

If you *must* compile under unix while working with an Windows client, try this:
http://home.worldonline.dk/viksoe/bvrde.htm

I haven't used it, but some people whom I respect a lot swear by it.

RP
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

I've just helped out a friend on a similar project. He did'nt want to pay for Devstudio so in the end I set him up with Dev-CPP and he is more than happy

http://sourceforge.net/projects/dev-cpp/

http://www.bloodshed.net/

Paul

PaulT
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Eclipse + CDT works great for me. Set a small tutorial at:
http://www.cs.umanitoba.ca/~eclipse/7-EclipseCDT.pdf

Dragos
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Use Visual C, just don't create any projects, instead open a new file. The only thing you have to change to get it to compile under gcc is the 'using namespace std' lines and the include lines. For lab assignments, you're not going to grow out of a single file. So this way you can get it up and working in MSVC6, and then port the two-or-three lines needed to make it compile in gcc properly.

Or you can just open the file in MSVC6 and save it, switch windows and compile it with gcc in a DOS window, if you get gcc installed on your machine, like they said above.

pds
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Emacs! It works for Don Box...

Michael Kale
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

install cygwin, and the Borland's CBuilderX Personal edition. Both are free.

Happy to be working
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Use the command line to compile, and edit in a plain text editor. You will learn more that way. Thats why you went to school in the first place, right?

The problem with using Visual C++ on your school projects is that it does too much for you. You have the problems porting when you let it do all of those things.

So my suggestion is to compile with gcc, and debug with gdb or the graphical frontend, ddd. ddd works wonders, it really does.

Learn how to write and use your own makefiles, and debug without a wizbang IDE. It will make you a better developer in the long run.

-Andrew
-Only "partially" annoyed at the 4th year CS students he knows that don't know how to call functions correctly, or how to rename a file in unix, etc etc.

Andrew Hurst
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

By the way nathan, nothing against you in particular, but I just noticed I got a little irritated thinking about some of my previous fellow students.

Use Visual C++ if you like, but I suggest the command line way for learning. And Visual C++ or another IDE for professional develoment.

Andrew Hurst
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

thanks for the responses, everyone.

I'm going to use Visual Studio as a glorified text editor, and then drop into the shell to compile. I tried a number of editors, and I just like the feel of Visual Studio.

I'll do the makefiles by hand as well. Andrew has a point - I might as well get my money's worth and learn all I can.

nathan
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

http://home.worldonline.dk/viksoe/bvrde.htm

That looks pretty cool. I have to try that out.

christopher baus (www.baus.net)
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

> For lab assignments, you're not going to grow out of a single file.

I don't know where you went to school, but I had projects that were more like 50 files.

christopher baus (www.baus.net)
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

> My CS classes require all code to be compiled with gcc.
>
> I was thinking about using TextPad as my editor, and
> then using the command line to compile, but I decided
> to see if I'm overlooking a simpler solution.

Take a look at Zeus for Windows:

http://www.zeusedit.com/lookmain.html

> I'm looking for an IDE that will handle my make files
> and headers and such for me, while using gcc that's
> up and running. Any ideas? I forgot to mention I'd
> like a debugger.

Zeus comes with a tutorial on how to setup mingw (GCC
port to windows) to compile, link and debug a windows executable all from within the editor/IDE.

Zeus is shareware and costs at about the same as
TextPad, but it will run fully-functional for 60 days.

Jussi
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

I'll second the recommendation for Dev-CPP. The IDE and integrated debugger are good, and it uses GCC for its compiler. I use it for all of my Windows development, especially because I'm usually porting an application I've already written for UNIX.

Clay Dowling
Wednesday, May 26, 2004

You can try Magic C++ instead. A handy visual remote Unix and Linux C/C++ IDE under windows just like VC++. You'll get something fairly easy to use. You can edit the source codes and debug it handily with this VC++ like IDE :-)

Magic C++ download site:
http://www.magicunix.com

8route
Monday, June 14, 2004