C++ Compilers

Projects General Guidance
1

Well, I have completed several stand alone projects with the Arduino.

It is now time to move on to the next phase. I would like to interact some Arduino based projects with applications written for either my Windows laptop computer or my Android Tablet. To do this, I need to be able to write code to run on the Windows base computer and in the future my Android based tablet. Communication between the Arduino and the computer will be through BT.

To move to this next phase, I need a compiler (IDE) that will compile C++ code and run it on the Windows based computer. I know some of you folks out there do this. What would be a reasonably priced compiler that is not to complicated and will get me started down this path??

I would like to stay with C++ since that is really the only language I am familiar at this point.

Any input I can get will be greatly appreciated.

Ken

2

Use Eclipse, it's free.

Eclipse IDE for C/C++ Developers

And you can develop Arduino stuff with it also.

Where Arduino meets Eclipse

3

Microsoft's visual studio; I'm still using the free express editions of VS2012. The new free editions are called community edition if I'm not mistaken.

4

Thanks a bunch guys, I will look into both of them. I found something from Embarcadero. It looks very powerful but I think it is a gross overkill for what I need.

Ken

5

You can also use something like GCC running in Cygwin.

7

KenK:
I would like to stay with C++ since that is really the only language I am familiar at this point.

I suggest investigating C++ options for Android before committing to a language. Especially if you plan to use Bluetooth.

9

Delta_G:
Or you can do the smart thing and embrace the Linux and use it without anything additional.

I get why people like Windows, but I think that if you're wanting to get very far into coding and computing you should learn to love the Linux. Ubuntu is free and pretty easy to use. And you can boot it off a memory stick if you want to keep Windows on your machine for our day to day stuff. But if you're anything like me, you won't dual boot for long. Pretty soon you'll realize how weak Win-doze is. Lots of this coding stuff gets way easier when you get on a system where you don't need twelve work-arounds to get anything done.

Agreed. I have a screenless tower that I ssh login to using Tera Term. It runs Debian. I use it for everything I used to do with Cygwin.

10

Delta_G:
If you want to code for Android, learning Java is pretty easy if you know C++.

Agree.

But I suspect @KenK does not realize his budding C++ code may not be usable on Android. This is a good moment to carefully consider a strong commitment to C++ if Android really is a target.

11

The real question is do you want a GUI creator for windows or not.

Take a look at QT Creator out of NOKIA (the phone people) not bad , free with a good GUI package and I think it works with android as well as windows etc

Other that that you need Java once you are a way from the arduino.

Mark

12

First, thanks for all of the input.

As far as Windows goes, you are preaching to the choir here. I am no fan of Windows and have not been for a long time. In fact I am still running EP because I do not like Windows 7, 8 or 10. I hear nothing but bad news about Windows 10.

I have known about Linux for years but due to commercial reasons, I needed to stay with Widows for application compatibility with my customers. I have since retired and that issue no longer exists.

One of these days real soon, I will have to up grade my office computer and it probably will not be to windows anything. The machine itself is more than powerful enough for my needs so migrating to Linux might make a lot of sense.

My current work computer has a nice video card that can drive four monitors. This is real nice. I can have a drawing on one screen, a compiler on another screen and a reference manual on a third screen. I love that. Flipping from app to app on a single screen is real inconvenient.

I do like MS Word but I do not like the newer versions to I am still running and older version. The same goes for Excel. Currently I find myself running MS Wordpad instead of MS Word.

As far as Android goes, I know nothing about it. I have a tablet that runs on it and I am barely functional with it. I do use some Apps that I bought for it and like them but did not write the code for them. I do like the portability of the tablet for simple things. I do not really like the touch screens to do anything besides push buttons. By big fat fingers do not do well with touch screen keyboards.

As for learning Java,,,, in the future. I understand it is a powerful multi-platform language. At this time, one thing at a time.

I really like the Arduino’s and the support in both hard and software that is out there. I just want to get to the point where I can interact with them with a more powerful platform and my Windows based machine would be convenient,

Whandall, what compiler are you using with Eclipse?? Cygwin or MinGW??

14

Delta_G

I Agree.

15

Delta_G:
Another great language to learn on the PC side is Python.

  • Flask + any hardware (e.g. Raspberry Pi or PC) is an easy-to-learn way to get an active web page / web site working. Which is nicely portable to many devices including Android.