Which compiler for a learner of C?

[pkirk25]

I own a legit copy of Visual C++ 6.0

Its nice but it is 10 years old and aimed at C++.

Downloaded Bloodshed Dev-C++

Very nice but the default auto-indent woupd break my heart as I depend
on indentation. This is how a loop is formatted by default.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
int a = 0, b = 7;

for (a = 0; a <= b; ++a)
{
printf("Hello again\n");
}
system("PAUSE") ;
return 0;
}

That } that fails to align as it closes the "for" loop really puts me
off. If anyone knows how to fix this, this looks a fine compiler. Is
it good in the opinion of more experienced C programmers?

Is Visual C++ Express a good compiler?

Is there another for the Win32 platform that is recommended?

[jacob navia]

pkirk25 wrote:

I own a legit copy of Visual C++ 6.0

Its nice but it is 10 years old and aimed at C++.

Downloaded Bloodshed Dev-C++

Very nice but the default auto-indent woupd break my heart as I depend
on indentation. This is how a loop is formatted by default.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
int a = 0, b = 7;

for (a = 0; a <= b; ++a)
{
printf("Hello again\n");
}
system("PAUSE") ;
return 0;
}

That } that fails to align as it closes the "for" loop really puts me
off. If anyone knows how to fix this, this looks a fine compiler. Is
it good in the opinion of more experienced C programmers?

Is Visual C++ Express a good compiler?

Is there another for the Win32 platform that is recommended?

Look lcc-win32 is a compiler system written for developing in C.
Not in C++.

Download it from
http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~lcc-win32

It is a controversial compiler but it comes with more than
Bloodshed, that is (apparently) no longer developed.

There is also a problem with the libraries.

This program:
#include <stdio.h>
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
long double d = 1e600L;

printf("%Le\n", d);
return 0;
}
will print
1.000000e+600
in lcc-win32, but in Bloodshed will print
-7.521098e-238

The libraries are not in phase with the compiler (gcc).
The program compiles with no warnings under Bloodshed,
but it gives wrong results.

http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~lcc-win32

[Richard Heathfield]

jacob navia said:

pkirk25 wrote:

>>
Is there another for the Win32 platform that is recommended?

Look lcc-win32 is a compiler system written for developing in C.

But he asked for one that is recommended.

--
Richard Heathfield
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29/7/1999
http://www.cpax.org.uk
email: rjh at above domain (but drop the www, obviously)

[Richard Heathfield]

pkirk25 said:

I own a legit copy of Visual C++ 6.0

Its nice but it is 10 years old and aimed at C++.

It still does C just fine, though. It's a very good C compiler with a fine
IDE. In fact, on the rare occasions when I use Windows, it's my C compiler
of choice. (And I'm Mr Anti-Microsoft!)

--
Richard Heathfield
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29/7/1999
http://www.cpax.org.uk
email: rjh at above domain (but drop the www, obviously)

[jacob navia]

Richard Heathfield wrote:

jacob navia said:

>>pkirk25 wrote:

>>>Is there another for the Win32 platform that is recommended?

Look lcc-win32 is a compiler system written for developing in C.

But he asked for one that is recommended.

I recommend it.

He was not asking for YOUR recommendation
YOUR EXCELLENCE :-)

[jacob navia]

Richard Heathfield wrote:

pkirk25 said:

>>I own a legit copy of Visual C++ 6.0

Its nice but it is 10 years old and aimed at C++.

It still does C just fine, though. It's a very good C compiler with a fine
IDE. In fact, on the rare occasions when I use Windows, it's my C compiler
of choice. (And I'm Mr Anti-Microsoft!)

The flaw that I pointed out doesn't disturb you of course:

This program:
#include <stdio.h>
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
long double d = 1e600L;

printf("%Le\n", d);
return 0;
}
will print
1.000000e+600
in lcc-win32, but in Bloodshed will print
-7.521098e-238

The libraries are not in phase with the compiler (gcc).
The program compiles with no warnings under Bloodshed,
but it gives wrong results.

What flaws are concerned, you seem to be very selective...

[pkirk25]

Jacob,

First off, let me say I respect waht you have already achieved.

As is often the case when people start with flowery openings, I'm
afraid I must say that your compiler is not for me.

For my first try, i just said no to usign a wizard for ny "hello world"
application.

The editor behaves like a DOS EDIT program. No syntax highlighting, no
folding, just a text file. vi with ctags is more user friendly.

Files are saved with the name you give them. My "hello world" failed
to compile because I didn't save the file as main.c as opposed to main.

I then tried the wizard. It presented me with 62 lines of code!

Usual options like Ctrl-A for the Editor to Select All didn't work.

As I have no idea which of the 62 lines are essential to my "Hello
World" appliaction and which are not, I quit.

So far, so hard for a learner. Then I did get annoyed about the
documentation.

Documentation in pdf? Really, given that the web is over 15 years old,
there is no excuse for using pdf where html offers more ease of use.

Microsoft with a building full of IDE experts on the Washington campus
edged you. I hope that isn't too hurtful.

Thanks for the link and work you have done.

[Richard Heathfield]

jacob navia said:

Richard Heathfield wrote:

>jacob navia said:

>>>pkirk25 wrote:

Is there another for the Win32 platform that is recommended?

Look lcc-win32 is a compiler system written for developing in C.

But he asked for one that is recommended.

I recommend it.

Well well. There's a surprise.

He was not asking for YOUR recommendation

Indeed - but I doubt whether he will consider your recommendation impartial,
given that you are the maintainer for lcc-win32.

--
Richard Heathfield
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29/7/1999
http://www.cpax.org.uk
email: rjh at above domain (but drop the www, obviously)

[Richard Heathfield]

jacob navia said:

Richard Heathfield wrote:

>pkirk25 said:

>>>I own a legit copy of Visual C++ 6.0

Its nice but it is 10 years old and aimed at C++.

It still does C just fine, though. It's a very good C compiler with a
fine IDE. In fact, on the rare occasions when I use Windows, it's my C
compiler of choice. (And I'm Mr Anti-Microsoft!)

The flaw that I pointed out doesn't disturb you of course:

No, it doesn't. The flaw you pointed out is to do with Bloodshed's
implementation, not Visual C++ 6.0.

<snip>

What flaws are concerned, you seem to be very selective...

Yes. When discussing Visual C++ 6.0, I do not find flaws in the Bloodshed
implementation to be particularly relevant.

Will you never tire of being *wrong*?

--
Richard Heathfield
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29/7/1999
http://www.cpax.org.uk
email: rjh at above domain (but drop the www, obviously)

[Keith Thompson]

"pkirk25" <pa*****@kirks. netwrites:

Jacob,

First off, let me say I respect waht you have already achieved.

As is often the case when people start with flowery openings, I'm
afraid I must say that your compiler is not for me.

[snip]

Thanks for the link and work you have done.

Let me suggest to both of you that comp.compilers. lcc would be the
appropriate place to discuss this.

--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keit h) ks***@mib.org <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
San Diego Supercomputer Center <* <http://users.sdsc.edu/~kst>
We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this.