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[RiotHouse]

Hey guys i'm looking for one of the best free C++ compilers thats user-friendly.  If you have recommendations compile them here 

I'll be checking back periodically to see what the community recommends.  Thanks

[Tellemurius]

wrong place man.

[winner]

g++?

[Zironic]

g++?

This is probably a good one to start with. If your learning how to code, I'd recommend starting with C and using GCC

[qwertyuiopas]

By "user-friendly", you probably mean an IDE, not a compiler. If what you are looking for is an IDE, microsoft has visual C++ express edition (for windows only, though), that is free but doesn't have all of the microsoft-specific libraries that the non-free versions have, while there are plenty of completely free IDEs based on GCC (probably on every playform). ((one of) Wikipedia's list(s))

If you just want something that works well with notepad and a command line (or other OS's equivalent), GCC without an IDE works very well. On windows, MinGW is probably what you would want, if you don't want an IDE.

(Note on arconyms:
  IDE = Integrated Development Environment = Usually a graphical editor with a toolbar button to compile, tabs, an error window, and countless little features that are supposed to make everything easier.
  GCC = GNU Compiler Collection = A free compiler that is available for most/all platforms
  MinGW = Minimalist GNU for Windows = GCC compiled for windows, and set up to compile things for windows.
)

[RiotHouse]

wrong place man.

I think some people just want to get as many posts in as possible and not contribute lol.

[RiotHouse]

By "user-friendly", you probably mean an IDE, not a compiler. If what you are looking for is an IDE, microsoft has visual C++ express edition (for windows only, though), that is free but doesn't have all of the microsoft-specific libraries that the non-free versions have, while there are plenty of completely free IDEs based on GCC (probably on every playform). ((one of) Wikipedia's list(s))

If you just want something that works well with notepad and a command line (or other OS's equivalent), GCC without an IDE works very well. On windows, MinGW is probably what you would want, if you don't want an IDE.

(Note on arconyms:
  IDE = Integrated Development Environment = Usually a graphical editor with a toolbar button to compile, tabs, an error window, and countless little features that are supposed to make everything easier.
  GCC = GNU Compiler Collection = A free compiler that is available for most/all platforms
  MinGW = Minimalist GNU for Windows = GCC compiled for windows, and set up to compile things for windows.
)

Thanks for the advice, many by user friendly I had tried out several other compilers such as Borland C++ for msdos.  It was out of my realm for programming.  I went ahead and downloaded the microsoft express 2010, i'll give that a shot.  I've also looked at several libraries to download that other people have made.

[RiotHouse]

g++?

This is probably a good one to start with. If your learning how to code, I'd recommend starting with C and using GCC

Next semester I plan on taking a C class at my college.  In the meantime i'll just learn what I can.  Beyond the "hello world" and "Its a boy" programs lol.

[Tylui]

wrong place man.

I think some people just want to get as many posts in as possible and not contribute lol.

he says as he triple posts.

Anyway, what he meant is that this is the wrong forum to post this in. "Other Games" isn't really the place for a discussion about compilers.

Microsoft Express Studio is pretty spiffy, I have to say.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

I've only ever seen MiracleC. It's free, but looked like a pain in the butt.

[olemars]

Visual Studio is one of the few things I'm willing to say microsoft has done fairly right. For windows development there really isn't any better. Especially the debugger is superior to any other I've used. Visual Studio Express is free and quite adequate for hobbyist use, and the professional edition is free for 30 days. It can be a bit daunting at the beginning though as it has a lot of convoluted config options, and some things are done in a very microsoft way. Quickly grows on you once past the initial hurdles.

There are other options, but none as streamlined and complete. Code::Blocks is good. Eclipse also, although primarily geared for java but can do C++ through add-ons. QtCreator is good if you want to use the Qt library, which you should . All of these use the MingW (GCC) compiler primarily, but can also use the compiler from visual studio if you want to.

On linux there's also KDevelop, which is quite popular.

Don't take a pure C class by the way, go for C++ or java right away. You'll just learn bad habits by starting at C.

[Shadowlord]

wrong place man.

I think some people just want to get as many posts in as possible and not contribute lol.

he says as he triple posts.

Anyway, what he meant is that this is the wrong forum to post this in. "Other Games" isn't really the place for a discussion about compilers.

On the other hand, the last time I checked, General Discussion wasn't really suitable for having an intelligent conversation.

[Aavak]

Honestly, I don't use an IDE, and it's been about 5 years since I wrote code on Windows, and even longer since I wrote code for Windows, instead I just write it up in a text editor and compile directly. So my advice is quite likely inferior to that already offered but for what it's worth I used to use Bloodshed Dev-C++ when working on Windows, I always found it comfortable to use and straightforward to learn.

I will echo the advice olemars offered, though, in that unless you're absolutely certain you want to lean C specifically (perhaps you have a very specific career in mind) then learn C++ instead. I was fortunate to learn C++ first, purely by chance, and since then I've become acquainted with quite a few people who learned C first and have complained about how difficult it is to get into C++ because it involves unlearning some of what they already know. It's more a motivation thing, I think, than something that's especially hard to do, but still there are a number of very talented people I know who just wont ever get into C++ development because of some perceived drudgery involved in unlearning the 'bad habits' as olemars put it.

Hope this helps.

[G-Flex]

On the other hand, the last time I checked, General Discussion wasn't really suitable for having an intelligent conversation.

But what if a compiler made you feel happy today? Or sad? Or ENRAGED? Or whatever the fuck "mew ^_^" means? These are important questions!!

[Another]

I agree with everything olemars said.

To put it short - Code::Blocks for console applications, Qt for graphical menus and buttons, Visual Studio for everything if you agree to stay with Windows forever.

If you think that some other IDE is better or hate it when people mix up IDEs and compilers - you are right and already don't need any advice on this matter.

P.S. If learning C++ is a hobby - it can be considered some kind of a game in itself.