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- Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
- From: nikki@trmphrst.demon.co.uk (Nikki Locke)
- Path: sparky!uunet!pipex!demon!trmphrst.demon.co.uk!nikki
- Subject: Re: Info on IBM compatible C/C++ compiler needed!
- Reply-To: nikki@trmphrst.demon.co.uk
- Distribution: world
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- Organization: Trumphurst Ltd.
- Lines: 36
- Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 11:36:41 +0000
- Message-ID: <720988601snx@trmphrst.demon.co.uk>
- Sender: usenet@gate.demon.co.uk
-
- In article <1992Nov01.023540.106364@zeus.calpoly.edu> jhosee@zeus.calpoly.edu (Jeffrey Yang Ho-See [Ho! Now I See!])
- asks for comments on IBM PC C++ compilers.
- Here is my 2 cents worth ...
-
- Borland - Pretty good. Has a few bugs (e.g. mixins with abstract virtual
- bases unusable). Comes in a wide variety of flavours at various prices.
- Includes templates (but not exceptions). OWL (extensive Windows class
- toolkit) excellent, except for the fact that it uses a non-standard
- language extension to handle Windows message passing, and it is a deep
- class heirarchy, based on an Object class, which some people don't like.
- Good Integrated Development Environment (if you like that sort of thing).
- The debugger is supposed to be good, though I have never felt comfortable
- with it myself. Updated regularly (which can be expensive if you keep up).
-
- Microsoft - Also has bugs. Compiling MUCH slower than either of the others.
- Comes with the official Windows SDK, and Microsoft Foundation Classes
- (shallow set of classes covering Windows stuff). No templates or
- exceptions (except via macro, which I don't count). No support on the
- Internet (yet :-). The CodeView debugger is O.K., except that it seems to
- take up a lot of memory.Poor (IMHO) Integrated (NOT !) Development
- Environment. First release, so I don't know about upgrades, or their cost.
-
- Zortech - Was once the best. I have found more bugs in it than either of
- the others, but I've used it for MUCH longer. Mixins with abstract virtual
- base classes will compile, but crash my machine ! Has all the stuff for
- Windows development, but bundled classes for Windows not as extensive.
- No templates or exceptions. The debugger is good, except for the
- occasional bug, and the fact that Symantec can't support it any more.
- Integrated (slightly :-) Development Environment not as bad as
- Microsoft's. There hasn't been a new release of Zortech since Symantec
- took over (must be a year, now). Symantec say they won't do a new release
- until they've got the bugs out, but lots of people have got fed up
- waiting.
-
- My recommendation ?
- Borland if it is for personal use, Microsoft if you work for a large
- company and want the "industry standard".
- --
- Nikki Locke,Trumphurst Ltd.(PC and Unix consultancy) nikki@trmphrst.demon.co.uk
- trmphrst.demon.co.uk is NOT affiliated with ANY other sites at demon.co.uk.
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