Apple’s Xcode development system is superb for developing applications, but sometimes you just want to write C or C++ code for research or school. Composing a serious chunk of code with vi is no longer acceptable,* so users in this frame of mind are now using Eclipse, a modern IDE, that’s also free. Here’s how to get gcc without installing Apple’s Xcode and then install Eclipse for C/C++ programming.

What’s the Motivation?

1. Apple’s own free Xcode, a full-featured C IDE, is a good place to start for writing Ccode on a Mac. XCode is actually designed specifically for developers to write macOS, iOS, tvOS and watchOS applications using Swift or Objective-C.
2. Dec 04, 2016  Although Netbeans is famous for java and web development, It is also the best c ide for windows, Mac os, and Linux. Netbeans c IDE also have a lot of pre-made template projects for c and c which can be used as a framework or starting point for your applications.

So in this article, we have listed some best IDE for C and C which can be installed on different platforms like Linux, Windows, and Mac. The below given are the best C IDE. Secret: One of them is an Online C IDE to compile CPP Online. 1) CLION – Best C IDE for Mac One of the famous company JetBrains has developed Clion.

At work recently, my wife was chatting with a colleague who was taking his first C++ class. She taught him how to use Eclipse on a Mac, even though he resisted at first. However, later, he came back and commented that the other students were trying to manage ever increasingly complex projects with the vi editor. It was taking them four, six, or even 20 hours in some cases to complete their homework each week. He finished his, typically, in 30 minutes. That’s the power of an IDE with a modern debugger. That last item, the debugger, can’t be emphasized enough. Print statements in your code are oh, so yesteryear with a tool like this. Time is money, and efficiency reflects on you as a programmer.

So if you’re a scientist, researcher or engineer who wants to write some research code, not intended as a GUI app, in Java, C, C++ or Fortran, you need to dump vi as an editor* (or Emacs or Nedit or whatever) immediately and get with this kind of IDE. Things are moving far too fast nowadays not to make this important move. (Clearly, I’m speaking to an older crowd here.**)

To be perfectly clear, Apple’s Xcode is a fabulous development system for C, C++, Objective-C and even Fortran 77***. You can build native OS X and iOS apps. But many researchers and scientists aren’t interested in Xcode. They’ve come from a Linux or other UNIX platform, like IBM’s AIX, and they just want to carry on their research in Eclipse on a Mac. This how-to is primarily for them. But, as I mentioned above, students who are taking their first programming class and own a Mac will also find this discussion useful — indeed mandatory. Remember, this is an introduction to whet your appetite and get you launched, not a complete Eclipse tutorial.

Also, this how-to for the sake of simplicity focuses on C/C++, but Eclipse can handle a myriad of languages, including, but not limited to, Java and Fortran. Let’s start with C/C++.

Getting the gcc Compiler

As an aside, when you install Apple’s Xcode (free from the Mac App Store only in Lion), gcc is automatically installed in /usr/bin. But if you have a mind to work with just Eclipse and gcc, you’ll need a way to install gcc without, if it pleases you, installing Apple’s Xcode first. (For reference, here’s a how-to on installing Xcode and gcc.)

There are at least two places I know of where you can get a gcc installer package for OS X:

• Developer Tools 4.0 Source
• The OS X High Performance Computing page at Sourceforge managed by Dr. Gaurav Khanna at the University of Mass.

If you find other sources, let us know.

Installing Eclipse

Here’s a handy reference on where to get Eclipse for the Mac. Version 3.7 (“Indigo”) installs nicely in Lion and seems to work okay, but our household hasn’t put it to a grueling acid test with OS X 10.7.1.Eclipse Download for CC++, 64-bit

The download is a …tar.gz file, so move it where you want the Eclipse directory to be because when you double click it, the package will be unzipped and untared right there. After Eclipse is installed, you’ll see it as an app, just like any other, with this icon.

It’s easy to create an alias to eclipse.app, if you wish, and place it in your /Application directory. Because the Eclipse IDE itself is written in Java, if you’re running a clean copy of Lion, you’ll need to download the Java runtime before the Eclipse app will launch. Just double-click on Eclipse, and it’ll trigger the required Java runtime download. Nothing else to do. If you’re in Snow Leopard, the Java runtime is already there.

Java runtime download

This first thing you’ll see when you run Eclipse is that it asks for the location of your workspace. I typically create a directory in /Users/john called Programming where I do any code development. (Which is not much these days.)

Workspace Selection

After you select your workspace, you’ll be confronted with an Eclipse peculiarity. A welcome page will be launched that brings a real feeling of WTF to many users. Here it is.

Welcome screen

The trick is to realize that the icon on the far right, circled in red above, takes you into the workbench. For that named workspace, this one time is the only time you’ll see that screen.

Once the IDE is launched, there are just a few details before you can build a project. Again, for simplicity, lets stay with C/C++. From the Eclipse File menu, select “New” and then C++ Project.

Eclipse - New Project

Experienced Eclipse users know the drill. Name the project, make sure you’ve identified the location of your compiler in the Toolchain, and so on. (It may be different than the default install by Apple’s Xcode. The screen shot below shows Apple’s install of gcc, marked as MacOSX GCC, because I’d previously installed Xcode on that Mac.)

Configuration

Newbies may want to select the Hello World project just to see how things get set up. Make sure you work your way through the setup with Next > at the bottom and don’t click the Finish button too soon. A more detailed examination of this set up and the ins-and-outs of Eclipse are beyond the scope of this getting started article. The goal here is simply an introduction for Mac users. And you’re not alone. There’s a huge body of knowledge on the Internet about Eclipse. Here’s a start.

If all went well, you’ll be in the Eclipse IDE with the Hello World program in the editor and a Make file already created. This environment is called the Eclipse workbench.

Eclipse Workbench w/ default “Hello World” code

It may take you some start-up time to learn Eclipse, but trust me, coding the old way will soon bog you down. The Xcode and Eclipse developers learn from each other, so if you ever decide to get into OS X or iOS development, having earned your wings in Eclipse will pay huge dividends later.

__________________

* I’m qualified to say this because I’ve lived and breathed vi for a living in the past.

** Remember, a lot of people are going back to school, learning or refreshing their programming skills.

*** You can write and compile Fortran 77 in Xcode with standard output, but you can’t access the Cocoa APIs and build native apps in F77.

In the ever growing technological advancement era, it is difficult to keep a track of changing upgrades. The major upgradation is happening in the domain of software coding and algorithm building.

The coding platforms and the developing softwares are updated and changed day by day and simultaneously various source code building languages are invented. The computer readable formatting and processing has also gained impetus due to the fast paced conversion of these languages to machine readable languages. The major player for such development are the Integrated Development Environment (IDE).

What is an IDE?

An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a software application providing comprehensive building facilities to computer programmers and software analysts for various software developments and providing an easier platform for algorithm generation. The major features of an IDE are:

1. Source code editor- These generally provides the paraphrasing and syntax errors in the source code and fixes them.
2. Build automation tools- These refers to the interlinking of various functions in the code and help to automate it.
3. Debugger- This is basically used in debugging function to find the bugs in the codes and thereby fix it.
4. Intelligent code completion- Nowadays this feature is also introduced in the modern IDEs which helps in completion of the codes in a smoother way.

These functions are basically ingrained and they make up for the pre-requisites of an IDE but nowadays these are generally being combined and used in Graphic User Interfaces or GUIs which gives these a new cutting edge approach as well as makes the GUIs specific computer as well as specific operating systems compatible.

The major glitch in IDEs is it’s difficulty in demarcating the line between the integrated development environment and the components of broader software environment. This leads to compatibility issues with the software and also causes problems to execute the code on the particular operating systems.

Due to these reasons, various IDEs have been created for functioning of specific computer languages on such platforms which works best with the particular operating systems and gives a better and an efficient output. Moreover, it also avoids unnecessary decoding or decrypting functions to be used in the particular software and thus generates a faster environment of output generation without unnecessary wastage of storage memory.

Web based IDE

Nowadays, internet is taking the world at a greater level altogether and so it was inevitable that sooner or later these IDEs would also be integrated somewhere or the other with internet. Thus the evolution of web based IDEs have taken place which are working on many portable web browsers like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox etc and they provide the comfort of same basic and conventional IDE with an upgradation to portability and wide access throughout the globe.

This generally works like a typical website with a front end and a back end and mostly the front end is developed by various languages like C++ and Javascript. The back end automatically deals with data storing and retrieving through a HTTP API. These web based IDEs can also be based and functioned as C++ IDEs and thus provides the user with a lot of options to choose from.

C++ IDE

These IDEs use the computer language C++ and uses it in the form of a compiler to run the source code and the object code into a machine readable format and thus run the entire program to get the desired output. This is a simple task but the best C++ IDEs if used on the proper operating systems gives the best results without and stack overflow or wastage of memory space.

Best C++ IDE

The major tools which are generally used for C++ coding are TURBO C and TURBO C++, but these are losing their importance with the growing demands of the market to provide a faster and efficient software which caters to multiple needs of the user. Thus recently there has been an exponential increase in the numbers of C++ IDE and few of them are:-

1. Visual Studio

Visual Studio is quite fast and has amazing zooming and retracting features which gives the user a wholesome view of the entire code sequence and it is easier to maneuver the mistakes and syntax errors in the code and simultaneously fix it. Visual Studio is also the best C++ IDE for Windows operating system.

The Express version is free of cost and is best suited for one person but if there is a group project involved then one has to go for Pro Version for which you have to pay a nominal sum.

Another major important feature is that it also includes other popular languages in the list and thus it becomes easier to switch accordingly.

Platforms:- Windows, Mac, and Linux

2. Eclipse CDT

Though all works equally well but Eclipse CDT is seamless and gives an efficient output. Eclipse CDT has inbuilt options for folder creation which helps in differentiating between the main function from the sublayers or subsidiary functions of the software. But Eclipse CDT is the best C++ IDE for Mac operating system. Eclipse is also a multi language platform and it works equally well with python and Javascript along with C++ and C#. Few other advantages of Eclipse includes:-

1. Development tools for C++
2. Inbuilt GIT Team provider
3. Remote system Explorer
4. Easy debugging tools

Platforms:- Windows, Mac and Linux

3. Qt Creator

It is also a cross platform C++ IDE and can be used in multiple OS. It is available only for free monthly trial but one will have to pay to get complete access. It is comparatively primitive in approach with the following features as:

1. Has good support structure for code analysis.
2. Good and efficient refactoring and code compiling set up.
3. It works across multiple platforms.
4. It also has drag and drop functionality.

Platforms:- Windows, Mac and Linux

4. CLion

CLion is also one of the most efficient C++ IDE to be used for Mac and thus it is recalled as the best platform for developing because it is easier to use and apart from being multilingual portable, it also has major other features such as:-

1. A smart editor
2. Terminal which is embedded
3. There are various keyboard shortcuts to provide easy access.
4. Options for code analysis.
5. Support and backup strength is also good.

Platforms – Windows, Mac and Linux

5. NetBeans IDE

It provides various services which are impeccable and class apart from any other IDEs. It has one of the best remote development, best compiler configuration, and a C++ 11 Support system which provides protection during any software crash and provides backup for the lost code.

The major attractive features are:

1. It can create as well as run C++ tests from within.
2. It has a Qt toolkit support
3. It has features for source inspection
4. It has a code assistance feature
5. It has options for multiple compilers such as GNU, Cygwin, Oracle Solaris Studio
6. It can automatically archive compiled files into .zip files.
7. It also has advanced debugger tools like GNU GDB Debugger tool.

Thus Netbeans provides a major boost to the user and efficiently guides the user to an easier route towards systematic and efficient coding.

Platforms:- Windows, Mac and Linux

6. Code::Blocks

Code::Blocks is an efficient and most importantly a free software to be used to meet the challenging needs of a coder. This offers efficient memory storage and various other features are:-

1. It is fully extendable and configurable to the plugins.
2. It has state of the art support and compiling mechanism.
3. It is basically a class browser so it can clearly visualize object oriented programming.
4. It supports code analysis.
5. It also has integral GUI interfacing.
6. It also has auto compilation and profiling tools.

Platforms:- Windows, Linux and Mac

7. CodeLite

It is an advanced version of Code: Blocks but it is easier, cheaper and an open source platform. It comparatively faster than other IDEs and some of the major features include:

1. Error checking availability via Build tap
2. Generic support given to the compilers.
3. Fast and efficient code completion tool.
4. Can access inbuilt RAD tools for Widget based application.
5. Has features of class browsing, profiling and refactoring.

Platforms :- Windows, Linux, OS X

Best Platforms:- Linux

8. Geany

Geany is a developed and light software which works across platforms and provides efficient services along with compatibility to work independently and dependently on other OS softwares. Geany is the best C++ IDE for Linux operating system. It requires few libraries like GTK2 for functionality. The major features are:

1. It has inbuilt set up to compile and run user codes.
2. It is extensible with the help of plugins
3. It has a symbol list and symbol name auto completion
4. It has enablement of code navigation and call tips.
5. It also has support for syntax highlighting.

Platforms:- Windows, Mac and Linux

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Which are the top three C++ IDEs to be used for cross platform usage?

Best C++ Ide For Mac

Ans- Out of all the above mentioned options the three best C++ IDE to be used as per compatibility with the system and also related to system configuration and coding abilities and skills are:-

1. Visual Studio
2. Code:Blocks
3. Eclipse CDT

2. What are the available options for beginners and which platform to choose?

Ans- For any beginner coder, it is easier to start from Visual Studio and thereby progress to other IDE but it is also advantageous to initially get set with Eclipse CDT, though it seems difficult at start but with continued practice, it becomes easier to build on it.

Final Words

Best C Ide For Mac 2019

Thus after the much elaborate discussion on integrated development environment it is pertinent to note that the market provides us with major varieties of options and the software industry with its ever increasing and innovating ways always surprises the user. Thus it is better to go for an advanced tool to begin with in order to save money and time and also get better hands on experience on professional working tools which can be upgraded later for major uses.

Best Ide For C Programming

Thus to sum up, it is preferable to use multi language supporting platforms like Eclipse and NetBean which provides extensive features and also does not restrict the user to one particular language but rather gives wide choices as per the convenience and given operating system.