How To Install C++ Builder CE Community Edition For Your First Project

The C++ Builder CE Community Edition is a free version of professional C++ Builder that you can use to develop GUI based desktop and mobile applications in C++. The latest C++ Builder 11 CE  is released on April 2023. If you are a start-up developer, student, hobbyist or just interested in learning to code then C++ Builder Community Edition may well be just the thing for you. Read the FAQ notes on the CE license and then simply fill out the form and download C++ Builder CE.

Where can I download C++ Builder CE for free?

C++ Builder CE Community Edition is free of charge (subject the terms of the license), and you can download directly it from the Embarcadero web page.

• Download the free version of C++ Builder 11 CE, known as the Community Edition or C++ Builder CE here: https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder/starter
• Read the FAQ notes on the CE license, simply fill out the form carefully with your valid active e-mail address.
• You will receive a serial number in your e-mail.

What is the C++ Builder CE Community Edition?

The C++ programming language is a top 3 programming language. In fact, it may be the one of the most popular languages in the world. The Embarcadero company (previously it was Borland company) has been developing compilers and IDEs more than 30 years. Two of its great products are Delphi and C++ Builder programming IDE and compilers. Both come with RAD Studio IDE and they have many great features to develop amazing apps with little or no code. Here is how you can design your app and add your components.

C++ Builder is compatible with C++17, you can create console application projects in C++, or you can create VCL GUI based Windows applications or if you want you can create FMX GUI applications which work on desktop and mobile operating systems. You can create one UI design for your application and one set of program code. You can build Windows and mobile apps 10x faster with less code and with amazing GUI designs with many style options.

If you don’t know anything about C++ or the C++ Builder IDE, don’t worry, we have a lot of examples on LearnCPlusPlus.org website and they’re all completely free. Just visit this site and copy and paste any examples there into a new Console, VCL, or FMX project, depending on the instructions in the example. We keep adding more C and C++ posts with sample code.

C++ Builder 11 CE which is the free Edition of C++ Builder has been recently released this year. Embarcadero has made available a Community Edition license for the most recent 11.3 release of Delphi and C++Builder. This is a free edition of either Delphi or C++Builder for students, hobbyists, and startups (as the license is revenue-limited).

How To Install The C++ Builder CE Community Edition?

Step 1. Download the free version of C++ Builder 11 CE Community Edition here: https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder/starter
Read the FAQ notes on the CE license, simply fill out the form carefully with your recent active e-mail,

Click the “Download Now” button, this will download RADStudio ESD Setup (i.e. RADStudio_11_3_esd_28_13236.exe or a similar name). This is the official setup release of C++ Builder for beginners or startups.

Step 2. Run this setup to download all packages you need. If it asks;
Do you want make this app changes? -> then choose “Yes“
Select Setup Language -> select English etc. -> then press “OK“

Step 3. Then it will start RAD Studio Setup for the C++ Builder CE
Read description and then click check box on “I agree to …” section -> then press “Next”

Step 4. Check your e-mail, you will see there is an email about C++ Builder Community Edition,
and you will see there is your Serial Number, copy this serial number,

Step 5. In the next page of setup, choose “I already have a product serial number“,

Step 6. This will show you Embarcadero Product Registration window,
paste or type your serial number here, and then select “Register” button

Step 7. If you correctly enter your serial number, this will forward you to RAD Studio Platform Selection,
If you just want to develop Windows applications you can simply choose C++ Builder Windows Community choice, if you have more time to download you can select iOS and Android Community packages too.

Step 8. In the next RAD Studio Additional Options section, I highly recommend you Fonts, Samples and Help,
if you want to develop Android Apps you need to check “Android SDK …” and “Eclipse Temurin OpenJDK …” ,

then press “Install” button.

Step 9. If you have chosen Android SDK, you should click “Agree all” to agree all dependencies of this SDK.

Step 10. This will start installing Android SDK, Windows and iOS packages and your other choices,

Step 11. During installation it will also ask Windows SDK installation, just click “Next” buttons to install Windows SDK,

Step 12. During Installation, I highly recommend do not make internet busy with watching videos etc. If you have an error during the installation, probably you have connection problems , I highly recommend you to start installation again. When all is successfully installed you will see “Operation completed” window.

Now you have fully installed C++ Builder CE Community Edition for Windows, iOS and Android.
press “Start working” and choose Light or Dark Theme. Or you can close the window run from the C++ Builder icon on your desktop.

Step 13. The latest RAD Studio will welcome you with its Welcome Screen.

Now, you can create a new project from project from File->New menu,

you can create;

• a Windows VCL Application
• a Multi-Device Application (FMX App for Windows, iOS or Android)
• a Console Application

Step 14. You can press F12 to switch between Designer and Code Editor, you can drag some components from Palette or you can start coding in Code Editor.

Step 15: Finally, you can press F9 to run your first C++ Builder GUI application.