Beginning Programming with C++ For Dummies®

Chapter 2. Installing Code::Blocks

In This Chapter

• Reviewing the compilation process

• Installing the Code::Blocks development environment

• Testing your installation with a default program

• Reviewing the common installation errors

In this chapter, you will review what it takes to create executable programs from C++ source code that you can run on the Windows, Linux, or Macintosh computer. You will then install the Code::Blocks integrated development environment used in the remainder of the book, and you will build a default test program to check out your installation. If all is working, by the time you reach the end of this chapter, you will be ready to start writing and building C++ programs of your own — with a little help, of course!

Reviewing the Compilation Process

You need two programs to create your own C++ programs. First, you need a text editor that you can use to enter your C++ instructions. Any editor capable of generating straight ASCII text letters will work. I have written programs using the Notepad editor that comes with Windows. However, an editor that knows something about the syntax of C++ is preferable since it can save you a lot of typing and sometimes highlight mistakes that you might be making as you type, in much the same way that a spelling checker highlights misspelled words in a word processor.

The second program you will need is a compiler that converts your C++ source statements into machine language that the computer can understand and interpret. This process of ...