programmer setup

Heya! A warm welcome to all the programmers and readers.

Before we go ahead and read the below article, I’m sure the first computer language which you all would have explored would be “C”, right?

In this digital era, nothing is possible without programming. From smartphones in our pocket to the self-driving cars, everything needs programming. The cursor of the mouse which you are rolling needs programming too! That’s quite an interesting fact. Lol to myself.

Let’s start with the basics:-

Knowledge of programming allows programmers to communicate with computers with their machine language.

We all know, there are several programming languages that anyone can learn. However, ‘C’ programming has always been a favorite bull’s eye to the programming archers.

How would it sound if I tell you that this is one of the oldest and important programming languages?

Clear the myth this isn’t. The evolution of the programming started with computer languages named Fortran and Cobol in the year ranging from 1951 – 1960. And ‘C’ programming was discovered in the year 1972 by Dennis M. Ritchie who was an American computer scientist.

Let’s know more about C. Well, C is a building block of many other programming languages that programmers use today.

Contrary to this, C++ (the extended version of C) is similar to C but has more features. You can refer to C as a subset of C++ making it equally important for developers. Both languages have the same syntax and code structure.

Considering this, we have covered the 10 best IDEs (Integrated Development Environment) for C or C++ programming language in this article. Point no 5 and 6 being my personal favorite.

Advantages of Using IDEs

  • These are simple editing environments consisting of several features making coding quick and efficient.
  • Takes less time and effort- It includes various tools and features that help to prevent mistakes, organizes resources and provide shortcuts.
  • It allows quick navigation to the type
  • Programmers can quickly navigate to other members by using hyperlinks
  • IDEs organize imports and can add appropriate imports
  • It can give warning in case of any errors or mistakes
  • IDEs are great for generating code or completing the code depending upon previous codes.
  • These environments make the unit test’s running easy

Apart from these, there are several other benefits of using IDE’s depending upon its types or programming languages.

Some IDEs are specific to the programming language while some support various programming languages. Because of the C and C++ programming language’s growing popularity and having multiple applications, herein we will discuss the 10 best IDE’s for the same. Both of these programming languages are also the most basics and is recognized worldwide. All the IDE’s which I have mentioned below not only supports C/C++ but also various other languages.

5 best IDEs for C or C++

1. Visual Studio Code:

Visual Studio Code

It is an open-source code editor developed by Microsoft for Windows, Linux and Mac OS. Visual Studio Code is based on an Electron framework. According to a survey done in 2018 by Stack Overflow, it was ranked the most popular developer environment tool among others. Furthermore, this IDE is also customizable which lets programmers change the theme, keyword shortcuts and preferences.

Key Benefits:

  • Support for Debugging
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Intelligent Code completion, snippets and code refactoring
  • EmbeddedGit Control
  • Completely portable
  • Easy customization

Programming Languages Supported: C, C++, C#, CSS, Go, HTML, Java, JavaScript, Python, PHP, TypeScript and much more!


2. Eclipse :

Eclips

It is one of the most popular, powerful and useful IDEs used by developers for C/C++ programming. It is an open-source software which is simple and easy to use. Originally, it was used for Java Programming but now it is used for various languages. Eclipse can run Windows, Linux and Mac OS. You can even file a bug on their website if you encounter any on the Eclipse IDE or Compiler.

Key Benefits:

  • Great Graphical User Interface with drag-and-drop functionality
  • Supports static code analysis
  • Smart code completion
  • Productivity Boosters
  • Git integration
  • Cross-platform support
  • Rich Community

Programming Languages Supported: C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, COBOL, Perl, PHP, Python & others

3. Sublime Text :

Sublime Text

It is a cross-platform source code editor which supports several languages and markup languages. Sublime Text has a Python application programming interface and has a slick user interface along with incredible features and amazing performance. Programmers can also add additional functions with numerous plugins that are community-built.

Key Benefits:

  • Go To Anything- Quick navigation to symbols, lines or words
  • Go To Definition- Can automatically generate a project-wide index of every class, method and function.
  • Allows multiple selections
  • Command Palette
  • Powerful API
  • Highly customizable
  • Cross-platform supporting Mac, Windows and Linux
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Auto-completion
  • Plugins and Integrations

Programming Languages Supported: C, C++, Java, and others


4. Code::Blocks :

Coade::Blocks

It is a free, open-source IDE that was developed in C++ using wxWidgets as a GUI toolkit. Code::Blocks is an extensible and highly customizable IDE that performs on all platforms including Linux, Mac and Windows. Any function can be added to this IDE by installing or coding a plugin. For e.g., functions of compiling and debugging are available because of plugins. Code::Blocks support various pre-built plugins as well as custom plugins. Programmers can easily tweak the IDE accordingly and can also easily navigate through the tab interface. Initially, it was created for C++ but now you can also run C programs.

Key Benefits:

  • Compatible with Linux, Mac, and Windows
  • Smart Code Completion
  • Easy Navigation
  • Integrated intelligent Syntax highlighting
  • Full-featured debugger
  • Rich Community

Programming Languages Supported: C, C++, Fortran


5. Dev-C++ :

Dev C++

It is a full-featured IDE for C or C++ languages. For compilation, it uses MinGW port of GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) or any other GCC compilers. It is supported on Windows OS for the Software Development.

Key Benefits:

  • Support GCC based compilers
  • Integrated Debugging
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Code Completion
  • Project Manager
  • Editable Shortcuts
  • Tool Manager
  • CVS Support

Programming Languages Supported: C and C++