C/objC/C++/Java compilers

Question

I downloaded NetBeans (for first time) to use Java and found that it can handle C/C++ etc too.

Wanted to know following --

01- Is there any better C++ tool (IDE) other than NetBeans and MS Visual Studio? Better means very mature and popular (and free).

02- What is the difference between GNU Java and Sun Java compilers?

02- Is there any other popular C/ObjC/C++ complier out which is free, mature and popular?

Thank you for the reply.

Answer 1

1. I have not seen nor heard of an IDE which would be superior to Visual Studio. However "superiority" is a rather subjective thing, so some people might like other IDE's better. In terms of age and popularity, I think Visual Studio will also win over all others out there. Perhaps only Delphi can come close to it. OOps, missed the line about C++. Then I don't know.
2. The author?
3. GCC might be more popular than Microsoft's C compiler due to it being ported to so many platforms, many of which has it as the only C compiler. Also noteworthy are Borland's compiler and Intel's compiler. Although I don't know which of them are free (except GCC and Microsoft).

Answer 2

3) Eclipse CDT (c/c++ only)

Answer 3

2.) Sun Java comes with the Sun libraries. For now, anyway, GNU Java (gcj) has not implemented a lot of these - most importantly, I think that the desktop (AWT/Swing) has not been done. (correct me if I'm wrong!)

Answer 4

If your on a windows machine, I would chose bloodshed's C/C++ IDE over VS, Eclipse, and NetBeans any day..

http://www.bloodshed.net/download.html

Really easy to use IDE and uses the gcc compiler set.

Answer 5

Here's a list of C++ compilers. In particular, Open Watcom is not only free but also quite mature; it exists since the 80's. Well known games like Doom and Duke Nukem 3D where compiled using Watcom.

Answer 6

Of course there's the One True Editor, EMACS. Failing that (you young whippersnappers, with your popups and tooltips, jeez) I'm pleased with Eclipse.

Answer 7

I believe Emacs is the most powerful tool to do whatever you need to do with your ``IDE''. However, besides the usual emacs commands themselves, it does require you to understand a lot more details compared with other tools (IDEs) that usually try to hide from you.

These may include makefile, gdb, ctags/cscope, simple bash/perl stuff etc., depending on what you need to do.

Answer 8

The most close to Visual Studio IDE (that's a compliment)for C++ but cross-platform, free, open-source and compiler independant (use it with gcc, vc, etc) is certainly Code::Blocks.

Answer 9

01- Is there any better C++ tool (IDE) other than NetBeans and MS Visual Studio? Better means very mature and popular (and free).

That's going to end in a flame war. I like emacs. It's now been more than 20 years old (very mature!) and quite popular. eclipse with CDT is also very popular and has been around for serveral years now. Choose the one you like the best.

02- What is the difference between GNU Java and Sun Java compilers?

The GNU Java compiler is just gcc with a java frontend. It can for example compile your java code into native binary code. The Sun java compiler is from Sun and is more mature and it's regarded as the reference implementation of java compilers.

03- Is there any other popular C/ObjC/C++ complier out which is free, mature and popular?

If by free you mean free as in free speech (open source code available), then look for llvm which can compile C++/C/Obj-C code (using gcc as a frontend. llvm is a compiler infrastructure. It's not got the actual code). Douglas Gregor works on a native llvm frontend for C++, without the need of gcc: http://clang.llvm.org/ . LCC is small C compiler you can use too on Unix. I've read there is also a Win32 version.

If by free you mean free as in beer, you can of course also take the Microsoft C++ compiler (shipped with Visual C++ Express) cl , but it will only work on Windows.