well I've used VC++ 6.0 profesional edition for years, it's compiler is showing it's age though so I went to find something better. I found Visual Studio express 9.0, and codeblocks.
here is my review of each:
VC++ 6.0: probably the "tank" of the software developer. It's old, slow, but will pound out working code in relative (well at least mild
) comfort to the programmer every time. It's debugger while being very nice, is lacking the features of the newer v9.0 counterparts. It's form builder is in classic microsoft fation very well designed. your imagination is the limit and it allows you to hook code up to controls fairly quickly. It's compiler is very unoptimized. It's slow, insecure, and was made before multiple cores were all the rage. The compiler also has some anoying bugs in it if you push the compiler to it's limits.
Visual Studio express 9.0: From old run down "tank" to high performance luxury ferrari... the IDE has more comeforts to the programmer than 6.0. It does this by automateing a lot of the tedius stuff. the compiler is lightning fast, very optimized, and from what I can see is at least relatively secure. The express edition doesn't come with form builder but I suspect it is very, very, good. However what takes the cake here is the debugger. I don't think you will find a better one for any environment.
Microsoft stuff however only runs on microsoft stuff... In todays world with vista scaring people into ubuntu (linux) world, this is a huge problem.
Codeblocks: The IDE that tries to be everything for everybody. It seems it prefers you to use mingw along with the GDB debugger and wxWidgets for the GUI so I'll rate it with that configuration as it's also what I'm currently useing. the IDE has quite a few features. it seems to take features from an assortment of IDE's and throws them all together in one. As such, it usually has some feature to allow you to do what you want. Once you figure out all these features you move around in your code fairly fast with relative ease and actually code a bit faster in codeblocks than either microsoft products. It however has one problem assoiciated with all wxWidget apps... it consumes CPU cysles just being open. it takes 20-25% of my processor to just sit there. I can't help but feel this effects comiple time and my projects performance. wxSmith's form builder while very easy to use but doesn't support all the wxWidget controls, and tries to automate things you wish it wouldn't... However for programmers like me just starting out with wxWidgets it's a real life saver in understanding how wxWidgets controls function in comparison to microsoft's controls. mingw is well... it's free I guess... If 6.0 is a tank, and 9.0 is a ferrari, mingw is some old broken down rust mobile held together with bungie cords, tie straps, and old extension cords used as rope... It's painfully slow (slowest compiler I've ever come across actually) what takes minuates in mingw compiles instantly in the 9.0 compiler and seconds in the 6.0 compiler. It's horribly optimized, allowing for some very slow, large file sizes being outputed. You also have to take great care in knowing which build has what switches enabled. 1 switch can mean the difference between a 1 min compile and a 1 hour compile. the GDB debugger is well... it's free too...
I often find myself altering my code just so I can better see what is going on in the debugger. It's gotten so bad that now I debug my programs with a series of status bar messages and opt to avoid the debugger if at all possible...
So what am I useing for main dev work now? Codeblocks with mingw, gdb, and wxWidgets. Why is that considering mingw and GDB suck so horrible it boggles the human mind? well Codeblocks has a few features the others do not.
1: designed to support cross platforming so well the IDE itself is cross platform capable.
2: it can use practically any compiler out there. So I'm not suck with mingw forever. (I seriously don't know how much longer I can put up with it. I just hate it so much... but that little voice in my head says: "But... but, It's free man! FREEEEE!" :lol:)
3: it's interface is more laid back, better organized and friendlier. I don't have remember what 3 submenus I have to go too to configure the second submenu of the first submenu of that 2nd menu item... (classic microsoft visual studio problem right there
)
If real estate ever picks up again I think I might try hooking codeblocks up to intels compiler and giving that a shot. But till then I'll just have to keep waiting for that freaking mingw to compile such simple code structures...