free C compiler

[Mike200]

Hello, Can anyone recommend a free general purpose C++ compiler, and if so, where I can find it.

Ideally i would like to work within some kind of development environment and would prefer something fairly self contained.

Applogies if my request is really vague , i don't really have any specific needs at the moment, just fancy a dabble to start with

cheers

[iAmSparta]

microsoft has VB 2010 express and its free!

[chrisname]

C/C++ compiler: GCC (the GNU Compiler Collection) which includes gcc (the GNU C Compiler) and g++ (the GNU C++ Compiler). You would use MinGW (Minimalist GNU on Windows) or Cygwin (I prefer Cygwin) on windows and GCC on UNIX.
IDE: I'd recommend either Code::Blocks or Netbeans. Some people like VC++ and the Visual Studio IDE. You may wish to check them out.

[ticonwc3]

i recommend Dev C++

[Disch]

i recommend Dev C++

You shouldn't. It's horribly outdated.

[Albatross]

I recommend MinGW, and NOT Dev C++.

-Albatross

[chrisname]

What? How can you compare MinGW with Dev-C++? One's a compiler suite and the other is an IDE (which, by the way, comes with a 5 years old version of MinGW).

I already mentioned all the big players in terms of compilers -- gcc/g++ and vcc/v++ are the only compilers that are really worth using (exception: the OpenWatcom C Compiler (wcc) is useful for 16-bit applications) unless you need ridiculous levels of optimization in which case you might use icc. But if you need that much optimization and you're not writing the operating system of a rocket ship you need to fix your code.

I also mentioned three of the most popular IDEs -- Code::Blocks, Netbeans and Visual Studio.

Oh, and we have an article for this exact topic, which pretty much makes the entire discussion irrelevant and obsolete: http://cplusplus.com/forum/articles/7263/

[helios]

Wait a second. He's not comparing anything. He's saying he recommends MinGW and doesn't recommend Dev-C++.

What the hell is VCC, by the way?

[chrisname]

Ok, then maybe I'll write an article on the matter.

I just decided to call Visual C 'vcc' because it's easier to type. Same for VC++ -> 'v++'.

[helios]

Well, if you're going to take the lazy route, just call it CL.

[chrisname]

What does CL stand for?

[helios]

No idea. It's the name of the executable.

[Seraphimsan]

it stands for "Consumer's lunacy" for the fact that you'd have to be a lunatic to use it :P

[z05DSL3A]

I already mentioned all the big players in terms of compilers

They have all been mentioned many times by many people but still the question is asked and still the question is answered and argued over.

Edit:
No one has even asked the OP what OS he is using.

[ragn4rok234]

I run linux most of the time but I use Cygwin when forced onto windows

[Mike200]

Thank you all for your recommendation. I have decided on visual C++ express.

[chrisname]

@Grey Wolf,
Well, gcc works on Linux and windows (by using MinGW or Cygwin) and probably on Mac OSX too.

[z05DSL3A]

Well, gcc works on Linux and windows (by using MinGW or Cygwin) and probably on Mac OSX too.

Well I never knew that(!)

[chrisname]

I don't know how to reply to that...
...
I'm guessing it works on OSX; I don't actually know but that's why I said 'probably'.

[z05DSL3A]

It was sarcasm, no reply was necessary.

Edit:
GCC is used on Mac OS X.