What are good compilers for a beginner in C?

Question

2.00/5 (2 votes)

See more:

Hello, I'm trying to learn C programming but I have an issues with my compiler. Im using Dev++ but I cant compile. I get this error message saying that g++ is not working. Can you help me? Or recommend me another IDE, free or with a price? Please, Im really worried about this.

Posted 28-Apr-15 14:46pm

CristianCruz503

Updated 30-Apr-15 12:51pm

v5

Add a Solution

Comments

Garth J Lancaster 28-Apr-15 22:01pm

well, why don't you post more information on this ... "I get this error message saying that g++ is not working." so people can see if they can help you fix that issue as well, rather than swap tool-chains

I'd also drop the guys at Bloodshed software a line with your issue - the exact error message, what version you have etc, and see if they can help you - their email address is webmaster@bloodshed.net

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 28-Apr-15 23:23pm

Help with what? Are you going to blame the compiler? This way, you won't go far, I'm afraid...
—SA

CPallini 29-Apr-15 5:04am

You possibly are having troubles with the Integrated Development Environment.

chandanadhikari 29-Apr-15 9:06am

just a suggestion: in case you decide to go for Visual Studio, then you have another option to go for Visual Studio 2013 Community Edition instead of the Express edition. It does not have the limitations of the express edition and is a free download .
explore more here::
https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/products/visual-studio-community-vs.aspx

Albert Holguin 6-May-15 19:14pm

I'd stick with gcc/g++ for a beginner. If you ever venture into the Linux world, that is by far the most widely used compiler. In windows you can use them through Cygwin or MinGW. For starting out, I'd also recommend you compiling your simple programs through the command line/terminal and work your way up to an IDE.

4 solutions

Solution 4

The problem with your code is that the g++ compiler is invoked with switch '-ansi'.
This option enables compatibility with c89 ansi. In this version many 'advanced' features like '//' c++ style comments are not recognized. (see[^]).
To solve the problem you must use the switch '-std=c99' or '-std=gnu99', and for advanced feature '-std=c9x' or '-std=gnu9x'. Before you ask me: no I don't know how to set this using quincy...
Once again if you are really interested to plain C (not C++) and Win OS I suggest to use PellesC that give you the choice of the newest standard versions: C99 & C11 ;)

Posted 30-Apr-15 22:44pm

Frankie-C

Updated 30-Apr-15 22:48pm

v3

Add a Solution

Add your solution here

Treat my content as plain text, not as HTML

Preview 0

…

Existing Members

Sign in to your account

...or Join us

Download, Vote, Comment, Publish.

Your Email
Password
Forgot your password?

Your Email
This email is in use. Do you need your password?
Optional Password

I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Please subscribe me to the CodeProject newsletters

When answering a question please:

Read the question carefully.
Understand that English isn't everyone's first language so be lenient of bad spelling and grammar.
If a question is poorly phrased then either ask for clarification, ignore it, or edit the question and fix the problem. Insults are not welcome.
Don't tell someone to read the manual. Chances are they have and don't get it. Provide an answer or move on to the next question.

Let's work to help developers, not make them feel stupid.

This content, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

PIEBALDconsult · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-28T14:54:00

Solution 1

Visual Studio Express?
https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/products/visual-studio-express-vs.aspx[^]

There is also Quincy.
http://www.codecutter.net/tools/quincy/[^]

I also use ye olde Borland C/C++ Free tools and MinGW.

You're unlikely to find a C compiler that doesn't also do C++.

Posted 28-Apr-15 14:54pm

PIEBALDconsult

Updated 28-Apr-15 14:55pm

v2

Comments

[no name] 28-Apr-15 22:37pm

Have you used Eclipse?

PIEBALDconsult 29-Apr-15 0:06am

For Java/Android, briefly.

[no name] 29-Apr-15 0:57am

On reflection probably not for beginner.

Albert Holguin 5-May-15 11:37am

Eclipse is an IDE, not a compiler.

CPallini 29-Apr-15 5:03am

"You're unlikely to find a C compiler that doesn't also do C++."
LCC, PellesC, TCC, for instance.

PIEBALDconsult 29-Apr-15 11:09am

And HP C (on OpenVMS), but only I would use that.

CPallini 29-Apr-15 12:51pm

I think I used that, once.

CPallini 29-Apr-15 5:03am

BTW, My 5.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-28T17:22:00

Solution 2

No, you don't have issues with your compiler. Or, more exactly, this is very unlikely. g++ is a decent compiler, but it's for C++, not C; for C, you run gcc. Please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Compiler_Collection[^].

Chances are, your problem is not a compiler, but your code, and, very likely, your understanding of what you are doing.

GNU, Microsoft, Intel compilers should be good enough for you. And you did not ask about IDE, only mentioned Dev+ (Dev-C++?), but this is not all. This is a whole different story.

[EDIT]

About your code:

This is the syntax error:

C++

scanf(" %d". &year1);

Should be:

C++

scanf(" %d", &year1);

Besides, declaration

C++

int year1, year2;

outside the function is quite pointless.

—SA

Posted 28-Apr-15 17:22pm

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Updated 29-Apr-15 10:52am

v4

Comments

CPallini 29-Apr-15 5:03am

5.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 29-Apr-15 8:59am

Thank you, Carlo.
—SA

CristianCruz503 29-Apr-15 15:54pm

This the message I get on the pop up when I try to compile. " g++.exe has stopped working A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available." and then it gives me the option to "Debug" or "Close program"

CristianCruz503 29-Apr-15 15:55pm

/* Program to calculate what year someone will turn a specific age */
#include <stdio.h>
#define TARGET_AGE 88

int year1, year2;

int calcYear(int year1);

int main(void)
{
// Ask the user for the birth year
printf("What year was the subject born?: ");
printf("Enter as a 4-digit year: ");
scanf(" %d". &year1);

// Calculate the future year and display it
year2 = calcYear(year1);

printf("Someone born in %d will be %d in %d.",
year1, TARGET_AGE, year2);

return 0;
}

/* The function to get the future year */
int calcYear(int year1)
{
return(year1+TARGET_AGE);
}

And this the code I've tried to compile.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 29-Apr-15 16:09pm

Did you pay attention that your first like is "#include"?
—SA

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 29-Apr-15 16:18pm

Please see the update to my answer, after [EDIT].
—SA

CristianCruz503 29-Apr-15 17:12pm

I did not notice that and I fixed it. What does "c:\c programming\text1.c:16: error: expected expression before "/" token" mean? I get it for line 11 and 16

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 29-Apr-15 17:36pm

Sorry, I'm not really in the mood to count your lines. Normal way to report such things is to put some unique comment in a line and refer to it in the text explaining the problem.
Morale: 1) error diagnostic of many (if not all) C++ compilers sucks, 2) you have to learn reading and understanding it. :-(
—SA

CristianCruz503 29-Apr-15 19:36pm

"// Ask the user for the birth year"

This line right here. If you feel in the mood.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 29-Apr-15 19:48pm

Sure. I'm surprised. This is just a comment; the error should not point at this line. But indirectly, it could happen, if something in previous like is unfinished, say, some bracket is not closed. (I repeat: error diagnostic of many (if not all) C++ compilers sucks). But I cannot see such a case. Let's do the following: fix the code where you know the fix, and, if you still see this error message, use "Improve question" to paste this code to the body of the question where you can properly format it with "pre" tags. (Don't forget to escape <>). We'll see. If you do that, please leave me a comment.
—sA

Frankie-C 30-Apr-15 4:38am

It seems the compiler interpreted the slash as the divide operator :(
Try to change C++ comments '//' with standard '/* commment */'
If it works check which version of g++ you're using...

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 30-Apr-15 9:35am

This "C++ style comment" became valid C syntax in C99...
—SA

Frankie-C 30-Apr-15 11:00am

Yes, that's why I said "if this works check the version of g++" ...

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 30-Apr-15 11:55am

Well, I would be curious enough to check up, just in case; good point. Generally, I don't understand why writing anything in "plain C" at all, not even in C++... This is not a cross-compiler to program some minimalistic embedded controllers...
—SA

CristianCruz503 30-Apr-15 18:47pm

Actually that did work. do you know why the compiler does that? Im currently using /Quincy 2005

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 30-Apr-15 19:19pm

What that, exactly? I'll try to answer what I think, but note that I did not write that compiler. :-)
—SA

Frankie-C 1-May-15 4:50am

It is a problem with switches on command line invocation of g++.
See my answer below.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 1-May-15 10:41am

Ah... sure.
—SA

CristianCruz503 29-Apr-15 19:37pm

And thats why Im asking to LEARN.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 29-Apr-15 19:48pm

I do appreciate that. :-)
—SA

CristianCruz503 30-Apr-15 14:50pm

Me too me too for the help

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 30-Apr-15 14:57pm

My pleasure.
—SA

CristianCruz503 30-Apr-15 18:56pm

Listen SA, I'm learning from a book "C Programming in One Hour a Day" by Bradley L. Jones and this code is a demonstration from the book but I've have typed the code word by word. Do you think there might be a mistake by part of the author or is it the compiler? I'm getting more than 1 error message.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 30-Apr-15 19:16pm

I just don't know. All books can have some errors. I used to see computing books with amazingly stupid mistakes.
—SA

Frankie-C · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-28T22:02:00

To develop only for plain C the best solution is PellesC[^], a full suite for 32/64bits development, including an IDE to create/edit sources and resources. The suite includes a compiler and an assembler MASM compatible. The resource editor is able to handle almost all resource types: dialogs, images, icons, manifest, xtml, etc. A really small, efficent and fast compiling suite.
There is also a forum[^] where you'll find sources in contributions section and many IDE extensions in ADDINS section.

What are good compilers for a beginner in C?

4 solutions

Solution 1

Solution 2

Solution 3

Solution 4

Add your solution here

Preview 0

Existing Members

...or Join us