Compilers

Your choice of compiler will partly depend on how much disk space you have, how good your Internet connection is and how much money you are willing to spend. Here are some considerations:

All the free compilers (mentioned in the next thread) can be downloaded over the Internet. Expect to use up between 20 and 100 MB of disk space. C++ compilers are serious software packages these days. Estimate how many hours this will take to download.

You can't learn C++ just from having a compiler. You need a tutorial. There are some fairly useable tutorials in the Internet, some with interactive exercises, some available for download. Prepare to use up some more disk space and/or a lot of online time downloading and/or viewing these tutorials. Alternatively, you could buy a book.

Check an online bookstore or, better yet, a real live bookstore near you for books on C++. Choose one that starts at the beginner level, teaches you stuff and has self-test exercises or something so you get lots of practice. Expect to spend between 20 and 100 Dollars.

Now that I've got you interested in books, you might as well save yourself the download and get a book with a C++ compiler on CD-ROM included with the book. That way, the book matches the compiler in those pesky details, and you have the compiler available for re-install any time, and no hours of downloading. By far the most recommended solution.

Having said that, C++ is a complicated and difficult language. Learn C++ if you want to become a highly paid professional programmer. Learn a different language if you only want to spend a few weeks with it. There's another thread in this topic where I discuss different computer languages at length.

Someone recently asked about compilers. Here are the free Windows C compilers I know of:

DJGPP, a free 32-bit development system for DOS by James G. Delorie at http://www.delorie.com. I downloaded it once to compile a text MUD, and it nearly blew my mind and filled my hard disk. Once I got it installed and running, it worked fine. This was years ago; I kind of get the idea it tends to be big and complicated. It still calls itself "... for DOS" so I don't know if it does Windows executables.

lcc, a free 32-bit C compiler for Windows and Wedit, a Windows-based IDE for it by Jacob Navia, Dave Hanson and Chris Fraser at http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~lcc-win32. This is my current favorite. The compiler is small and fast, the IDE is useable, it installs very easily and it comes with extensive helpful documentation, including the WinHelp file for the Windows API, which is a must if you're doing this kind of stuff. I've written about 3 rinky-dink Windows programs with it and had almost no problem. For a Windows hater, that's good.

gcc, the gnu C compiler, by (I think) the Free Software Foundation at http://www.gnu.org is not a Windows product; don't bother trying to download it if you don't have a Unix (Linux) box. But if you do, I recently read an article that says that gcc has cross-compatibility modes and files which allow you to build a Windows executable right under Linux. Maybe a worthwhile thing to try out if you, too, are a Windows hater.

The Borland C++ Compiler 5.5 is a commercial product by one of the market leaders which is now being given away at http://www.borland.com/bcppbuilder/freecompiler/. This is not a labor of love stitched together in someone's garage, it's a program that was originally intended to compete with Microsoft's Visual C++. They claim to be ANSI compliant, do templates, STL and other stuff. The reason it's being given away probably has a lot to do with marketing. They want you to register with them. It's free, but they want your name, email and underwear size.

THE PROGRAMMER GENERAL ADVISES THAT HAVING A C COMPILER DOES NOT MAKE YOU A C PROGRAMMER; IN FACT IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU AN EXPERT AT ANYTHING, NOR WILL IT MAKE IT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND ISHTAR'S CODING. DOWNLOADING AND INSTALLING THE COMPILER WILL FILL UP YOUR HARD DISK AND POSSIBLY YOUR WINDOWS REGISTRY. COMPILING C PROGRAMS WILL FILL YOUR SCREEN WITH ERROR MESSAGES THAT WILL MAKE YOU TEAR YOUR HAIR OUT. RUNNING YOUR OWN FIRST C PROGRAMS ENTAILS A HIGH RISK OF HALTING OR CRASHING YOUR COMPUTER, TRASHING YOUR CONFIGURATION OR FORMATTING YOUR DISK.

Having said that, if you really want to learn C, then having a compiler will help you get the essential practice. But you will need help: There are a number of tutorials on the Web, though I would rather recommend a good book. Some books come complete with a cheap version of a compiler like C++ Builder on a CD-ROM, so you won't have to fry your phone line and waste years of your youth downloading the compiler from the Net.

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