In the previous years, To create an application from scratch a developer would have to struggle a lot. Because to create a software application would take many steps beginning with Coding, Compiling, Testing, Debugging, Building, and Deployment. All these different phases would need different packages to be installed and were difficult to maintain by a Developer.
Top 5 IDEs for C++
So to increase productivity and speed up the process of software development, All these packages that are essential for development are integrated or combined into a single environment known as IDE(Integrated Development Environment) which made modern software development easier and faster. A typical IDE must possess a few features such as syntax highlighting, auto code completion, auto-save code, code search, compiler, refactoring, debugging, version control, build and deployment, etc. If you are a C++ programmer then below are some free IDEs for software development:
1. Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is a most popular free open-source code editor developed by Microsoft which supports platforms like Windows, Linux, and Mac. Microsoft provides an extension for C++ called “Microsoft C/C++” which can be easily found by searching in the extensions section. There is another extension called ” code runner ” that allows running code snippets as output.
Features :
- Free to use
- light-weight
- Auto-code completion
- syntax highlighting
- command-line area
- debugger
- themes and extensions
- deployment tools
- Git support
2. Code::Blocks
Code::Blocks is an open-source and free IDE for C and C++ which can be used on multiple platforms, and build in C++ using a GUI widget tool called “wxWidget”. This IDE is specially used for programming in C++ with smooth performance and features.
Features:
- Free to use
- Cross-platform
- Extensible with plugins
- Multiple compiler support
- Very fast performance
- Debugger
- Customizable
- Good interface
3. CLion
CLion is a modern IDE by JetBrains which is designed to run C and C++ on various platforms like Windows, Linux, and macOS. It provides intelligent code assistance support so that the main focus must be on important things.
Features :
- Easy to start a new project
- Smart code completion
- Easy debugging
- Refactoring
- Smart Code analysis
- Customization
- Built-in tools
4. Eclipse
Eclipse is one of the most popular and powerful IDE for C++ developers. It is also open-source and free to use with excellent community support. It supports multi-platforms like Windows, Linux, and macOS and many users find it easy to use.
Features :
- Easy to use
- Auto-completion of code
- Open-source
- source navigation
- syntax highlighting
- visual debugging tools
- Debugging
- code refactoring
5. CodeLite
CodeLite is one of the best C++ IDE to use which is free, open-source written in C++, and specialized to run on various platforms such as Windows, macOS, and Linux. It also provides many features as any C++ IDE.
Features :
- Project management
- code completion
- syntax highlighting
- interactive debugger
- code refactoring
- Unit testing
Specially designed for beginners and curated by Sandeep Jain, this C++ Programming Foundation – Self-Paced course will enable programmers with no experience to learn the basics of C++ language with ease and master it properly.