C++: Basic Concepts: Getting the Tools: Getting the Tools

Getting The Tools
You can run, save, and share your C++ codes on our Code Playground, without installing any additional software.

Note: Reference this lesson if you need to install the software on your computer.

You need both of the following components to build C++ programs. 1. Integrated Development Environment (IDE): Provides tools for writing source code. Any text editor can be used as an IDE. 2. Compiler: Compiles source code into the final executable program. There are a number of C++ compilers available. The most frequently used and free available compiler is the GNU C/C++compiler.

Various C++ IDEs and compilers are available. We'll use a free tool called Code::Blocks, which includes both an IDE and a compiler, and is available for Windows, Linux and MacOS. To download Code::Blocks, go to http://www.codeblocks.org/, Click the Downloads link, and choose "Download the binary release". Choose your OS and download the setup file, which includes the C++ compiler (For Windows, it's the one with mingw in the name).

Note: Make sure to install the version that includes the compiler.