C++ Editor And Compiler For Mac

Active5 months ago

I am now starting to get back to C++ coding (just for fun), and would like an opinion on good IDEs for Mac.

I am currently using Xcode which seems kinda cool because it has everything built into it.

Do any of you have any other IDEs that you would suggest that O give a shot or should I just stick to Xcode?

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.

idmean

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gprimegprime

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8 Answers

Eclipse and NetBeans are both capable of working with C++ and they will run on OSX (as well as other platforms). They're both free, and have large communities behind them. They can both do much more than C++ via plugin frameworks, if you want.

Personally, I'd stick with Xcode - for C++ on OSX.

idmean

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FrustratedWithFormsDesignerFrustratedWithFormsDesigner

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You have a few options:

If you're the 'full-blown IDE kind-of-person' then Xcode is the way to go. Xcode is to OS X what Visual Studio is to Windows.
If you're the 'flee market' kind of person (like me!) then MacVim with make (or any other build tool) and other tools is your thing. Of course, I heard there's also Emacs on OS X, if that's your sex-appeal, or TextMate. On the GUI text-editing scene on the Mac these are the dominating giants.
Then there's Qt Creator, which comes with the Qt SDK. Qt Creator is an IDE, yet it's very lightweight and quite simple at first-glance. It uses the Qt SDK so your code should be cross-platform among Windows, KDE, and OS X. It will run on other Linux windowing systems given Qt is installed, but I personally think these are the three platforms on which Qt applications integrate best.

I have experience with all three of them. I personally love the editing feeling of MacVim most, by far. On the other hand, it's hard to compare with Xcode's debugging features. Xcode is also your only option if you develop for some specific Apple platforms and frameworks — the iPhone for example. And then, Qt Creator is an IDE with all the intellisense and debugging you expect from an IDE, yet it's simple, light and fast. Beyond that (and given the just-over 0.5GB cost) Qt also gives you that write-once-compile-'everywhere' feature, which is very nice.

idmean

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wilhelmtellwilhelmtell

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I like qtcreator http://qt.nokia.com/products/developer-toolsIt's quite simple but very efficient.

Don't be affraid of the Qt name. You don't have to develop anything arround Qt if you use it.

Tristram GräbenerTristram Gräbener

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As of year 2016 I have tried several free, well-known IDEs for C++ development on MAC OS X, mainly for learning/teaching/training purposes. Following are my choices in order of preference:

Qt Creator: To me this is the best IDE not only for Qt C++ development, but also for developing non-Qt C++ programs. Just choose “Qt Console Application” when setting up a project. The set-up is minimal for creating a first, “Hello World” C++ program. You may need to open an account with Qt, and choose to download the open source version for free. This option is not adequate for those who don’t want to open an account with Qt.
Eclipse IDE for C/C++ Developers: This IDE has a big user community and a long history. Since it is a generic IDE for programming languages other than C++, I find it less easy to use, especially when developing a first, “Hello World” C++ program. More set-up is needed, including the need to handle run configurations. However, this is my personal experience that may not apply to other users.
Xcode: This used to be my first choice as it is part of MacOS Developer Tools that can be directly downloaded from Apple App Store. However, the most recent release does not support C++ development, or does not support it well. So I have downgraded it as my 3rd choice.

There are also many online IDEs for C++, mainly for learning purposes. However, these simple IDEs may not offer to save your code to your machine.

jonathanzhjonathanzh

If you're comfortable with Vim, then you can keep using it on the Mac: MacVim (The command-line version is also pre-installed.)

Otherwise, I'd just stick with Xcode. It's the only environment Apple supports, and if you choose to develop for Apple platforms, some of them will restrict you to it.

idmean