C++ Windows development as well as the C programming language, is a well-paid and popular skill to have. Even though C and C++ is very popular on other operating systems like iOS, Android, MacOS, and Linux development, Windows is still in great demand. Using a fast and reliable C++ compiler for Windows is very important for beginners and professionals alike since it helps C and C++ developers in remembering which language features exist, how to use them, and even detect errors when we get it wrong.
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What Is a C Programming language IDE?
An IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is a specialized software application that provides a complete set of features for application development. Programming language code for is generally written in text format, and you can easily edit or modify your code using text editors like Notepad, etc. For a developer, beginner or professional, however, a good C and C++ IDE is really important because of powerful tailored features like error highlights, auto code completion, and help system which help with the process of writing the code plus the opportunity to run, test, debug, deploy, merge or transform code to run on other platforms (multiplatform coding) are also important. All these capabilities require a powerful compiler and IDE which is a specialized tool to help developers create and test their code.
What is a C programming language compiler?
In Windows application development, a native C++ compiler and IDE that supports the latest Windows features are very important. Some of the IDEs are not specifically designed for C or C++ development. Some IDEs are designed only for console application developments. Some support a few or limited features which can make your life as a developer a lot harder than it needs to be. For modern application development, professional developers use much stronger C++ IDE.
If the IDE development company also develops a compiler, these are designed to work together well. Be sure that your C++ IDE comes with a CLANG-based compiler. Be sure that your IDE also supports, other C++ libraries and standards like the Dinkumware standard library, MSBuild/CMake/Ninja support, and popular libraries like Boost and Eigen.
What Is the difference between the C++ and C programming language?
C was developed by Dennis Ritchie between the year 1969 and 1973 C++ was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1979. C is a subset of C++. C++ is a superset of C. Nowadays, C is generally used for small apps for IoTs but still it is faster and powerful on memory operations. C++ is safer in most cases.
The main difference between C and C++ is that C++ is enhanced with Object Oriented Programming features like Classes, Objects, Methods etc. C++ supports advanced programming features like polymorphism, encapsulation, and inheritance. From the development viewpoint the C programming language supports procedural programming. The C++ programming language is known as a hybrid language because C++ supports both procedural and object-oriented programming paradigms. In C++, the data and functions are encapsulated together in the form of Classes and Objects. C does not support information ‘hiding’ in the way that C++ does. C++ supports inheritance. C++ focuses on data instead of focusing on method or procedure. C language uses functions, C++ language uses both functions and methods in classes / objects. In other words, C is a function-driven programming language and C++ is an object-driven language. C++ supports function and operator overloading. C ++ structures have access modifiers.
The header file used by C is .h and C++ has .h or .hpp. For example in the C language the <stdio.h> header file used. In C++ the same header is <iostream.h>. In C++ functions can be used inside a structure in C++ and methods in classes. C++ has a Namespace feature which is used to avoid name collisions. C contains 32 keywords. C++ contains 63 keywords. In C++, Exception handling is supported, reference variables are supported, virtual and friend functions are supported.
When it comes to memory usage the C programming language provides malloc() and calloc() functions for dynamic memory allocation, and free() for memory de-allocation. With the C++ programming language there is the new operator for memory allocation and delete operator for memory de-allocation.
For basic I/O operations the C language uses scanf() and printf() functions where C++ uses cin and cout.
What is the best IDE and compiler for the C programming language?
In my opinion, if we combine all these above, the best C++ Compiler and IDE for Windows 8, 10 and 11 is the latest version of RAD Studio or C++ Builder 11,
C++ Builder is the easiest and fastest C and C++ IDE for building simple or professional applications on the Windows and mobile operating systems. It is also easy for beginners to learn with its wide range of samples, tutorials, help files, and LSP support for code. C++ Builder comes with Rapid Application Development Studio, also known as RAD Studio. RAD Studio’s C++ Builder version comes with the award-winning VCL framework for high-performance native Windows apps and the powerful FireMonkey (FMX) framework for cross-platform UIs. There is a free C++ Builder Community Edition for students, beginners, and startups.
You can download the free C++ Builder Community Edition here: https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder/starter