Need C++ compiler

G

globalgoon

Registered
Hi all,
I am very new to Mac OS and am also trying to teach myself C++
I was looking for suggestions for the most basic C++ compiler/linker/etc.
I have absolutely no experience with this stuff. I installed xcode 4 and eclipse, but I haven't been able to figure them out. I think I need to start even more basic.. just simple text editing compiling, and running for now. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Mike
 
You might do well to learn Xcode. There is no better developer environment on any platform. If you want to get very elementary, then you might use the Terminal to compile textbook-type C/C++ programs from the commandline. Start small. Compile the "Hello, World" program. You are not going to learn this stuff in an afternoon. Take your time.
 
To my knowledge you can use XCode to make c++ programs. Since Mac OSX' graphical user interface is meant to be accessed using Objective C, you can only built either console programs or X11 programs. It seems that Eclipse is not suitable for c++ development on Mac (debugger problems).
 
My recommendation is to skip Xcode and learn cc, gcc, or g++ on the command-line.

Use your favorite plain-text editor to write your code in C or C++.

Then, learn how to compile and execute from the command-line.

No amount of graphical user interfaces or WYSIWYG IDEs are going to help you learn how to program in those languages -- in fact, they'll only get in the way. Learning how to write and debug from the command line, in my humble opinion, is the best and only way to learn how to program.

Like MisterMe said, you will not learn this in an afternoon... or even 50 afternoons. To be competent in a programming language, you will probably need to devote a year or more of slow learning and trial-and-error.

I am also of the opinion that learning how to program from a "DIY manual" (like "SAMS teach yourself _______ in 24 hours") is not the "best" way to learn programming. Save up a few hundred bucks and take a university or community college course (or five) in your favorite programming language -- the structure of the class as well as the fact that someone will be there to say, "Don't do it that way -- that's the wrong way. This is why it's the wrong way. Here is the right way. This is why it's the right way" will take you MUCH farther, MUCH faster than any book could ever hope to do.
 
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