Choose a compiler
A compiler is a necessary tool to program in C++.
What is a compiler
A compiler translates code written in C++ language into a format that is able to be read by computers. C++ code cannot be understood directly by computers, so this translation is necessary.
Make a choice
Windows
Visual Studio Compiler
Integrated into Visual Studio IDE.
Details
Pros
- Integrated into the IDE
- Very easy installation, automatic configuration
Cons
- Installation size (~5 GB)
- Only on Windows
Note that this is only a summary of the most important information for novice programmers. For a full summary of the tool, please see this article.
GCC (GNU Compiler Collection)
A good, multiplatform compiler. To install it on Windows, we use the MSYS2 package.
Details
Pros
- Relatively small installation size (~1.5GB)
- Multiplatform
Note that this is only a summary of the most important information for novice programmers. For a full summary of the tool, please see this article.
Linux
GCC (GNU Compiler Collection)
A good, multiplatform compiler. To install it on Linux, we use the system package manager.
Details
Pros
- Relatively small installation size (~1.5GB)
- Multiplatform
Note that this is only a summary of the most important information for novice programmers. For a full summary of the tool, please see this article.
Clang
A good, multiplatform compiler.
Details
Pros
- Multiplatform 🤔
Cons
- Hard to install on Windows
- Big installation size
Note that this is only a summary of the most important information for novice programmers. For a full summary of the tool, please see this article.
MacOS
Clang
A good, multiplatform compiler. This is a fork of official clang project with some specific MacOS architecture tweaks. This package also contains debugging tools
Details
Pros
- Multiplatform 🤔
- The easiest to use on MacOS
- Build-in lldb debugger
Cons
- Usually support less language novelties from newer standards than original clang
Note that this is only a summary of the most important information for novice programmers. For a full summary of the tool, please see this article.
GCC (GNU Compiler Collection)
A good, multiplatform compiler. To install it on MacOS, we use brew package manager.
Details
Pros
- Relatively small installation size
- Multiplatform
Cons
- Hard (or impossible?) debugging, due to MacOS specific security application certificates
Note that this is only a summary of the most important information for novice programmers. For a full summary of the tool, please see this article.