I'm wanting to expand my C++ knowledge writing some small Windows and phone apps. My only experience with IDE's besides Arduino is Microsoft. Starting around MS Basic 6.0, some experience with Visual Basic in VS 2008 and '10 and now Arduino. To me, VS is the gold standard.
There are so many popular IDE's out there, I don't know where to begin. So, I'd like to know what people here are using for non-Arduino coding. As a follow up, what would you recommend for a newbie to program for Windows and Android specifically?
CodeBlocks is the only one I've downloaded so far, but I've yet to try it.
No, I haven't tried any yet. I've been reading about several, CodeBlocks, Eclipse, Netbeans... They all sound great to me, but since I'm just beginning the journey into non-Arduino C++, I'm easily impressed by feature lists.
Different ones for different things. The Arduino IDE is fine for programming the Arduino, but a bit limiting for developing apps that work with CATIA. On the other hand, Visual Studio doesn't know jack about writing apps for the Arduino.
You can make all kind of files using free program: Notepad++ (and open them).
Arduino ide is good for arduino. Actually arduino's have very limited resources so it's better gather a data etc to a server and then the server using the data.
Visual Studio is maybe better for c/c++. Netbeans/Eclipse are more for java/other languages. But I m also quite beginner here.
Well, I just tried Code::blocks. What a pain installing. I just chose defaults for most of the install procedure... which was a mistake. That is what made it a pain, otherwise, installation wasn't bad. Seems some parts don't like spaces in folder names... so why would they default install to Program Files folder? Since all I had to compare to was VS, mostly VBasic, I was excited to see a plugin (?) for it that kinda sorta emulates the forms and components in VS. But, you have to download the plugin, do a bunch of steps, then compile it (I've never done that from the command line before) before you could use it. That was an even bigger pain. I finally got it installed. I'm just not smart enough to figure it out (wxWidgets). It REALLY makes me appreciate MS VS.
@PaulS, Catia? As in CNC? Are you talking about coding plugins or G-code?
Using a single IDE for C++ apps AND Arduino is partly what motivated me to ask the OP. Code::blocks does have that ability. Do you ever compile your sketches and upload from the command line?
@tolerance_zero If you've never used MS VS, you just can't believe how easy it is to write software (standalone, at least). It's excellent at writing programs that have a graphic interface. It almost writes itself.
On Linux I use vi/vim and makefiles for C applications. I currently develop Arduino code using the IDE but once I have figured out what the IDE exactly does I want to go to Notepad++ and makefiles for that as well. And I use VS to develop C# Windows applications. Because of the Arduino, I'm venturing a little into VS C++ (for a very basic Arduino simulator).
I may come across as a bit crazy, but I just use the Arduino IDE. We aren't developing a lunar lander here. It works, the error handling is a bit weird, it uploads, it auto-detects your connected Arduino (sometimes).
The big plus for me is, if I develop code in the Arduino IDE, it ought to work for anyone on the Forum. I don't have to worry about what IDE you have installed.
It's a beginners' platform. You should be able to develop reasonably complex software (however targeted at beginners, if that makes any sense) with it.