It’s easy to find out about the best software for C++ programming and different types of C++ programming languages. The same challenge is not true for finding the best software for C programming. Instead, there seem to be several conflicting opinions on the topic. With that said, I am writing this post to provide some insight into what I believe are the best software for learning C programming and different types of C programming languages.
Want to learn how to code in C but don’t know where to start? There are a lot of options out there, and it can be difficult to choose which one to use. To make things easier, I’ve compiled a list of the best software for programming in C. These programs will help you learn everything from the basics of an if statement to thread management.
Bluefish Editor
Bluefish is more than just a normal editor, it is a lightweight, fast editor that offers programmers IDE-like features for developing websites, writing scripts, and software code. It is multi-platform, runs on Linux, Mac OSX, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, and Windows, and also supports many programming languages including C/C++.
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It is feature-rich including the ones listed below:
- Multiple document interface.
- Supports the recursive opening of files based on filename patterns or content patterns.
- Offers a very powerful search and replace functionality.
- Snippet sidebar.
- Support for integrating external filters of your own, pipe documents using commands such as awk, sed, sort plus custom-built scripts.
- Supports full-screen editing.
- Site uploader and downloader.
- Multiple encoding support and many more other features.
Notepad++
It is another very popular code editor that supports tabbed editing that helps in working with multiple open files in a single window. You can use Notepad++ with Windows and is super lightweight with some essential features.
Features:
- It is powerful, free & lightweight.
- Supports multiple programming languages like C, C++, Java, HTML, Javascript, PHP, Pascal, Python, Perl, Objective C, Fortran & others.
- Notepad++ can highlight brackets of C++ programs.
- Allow you to zoom out or zoom in the screen.
- It is highly customizable & supports tab editing.
- Solid features including code folding, syntax highlighting, search & replace, autocompletion & so much more.
MonoDevelop
MonoDevelop allows developers to write desktop and web applications on Linux, Windows and Mac OS X quickly. You can also port .NET applications created with Visual Studio to Linux and Mac OS X with the same and a single code base for all platforms.
Features:
- Multi-platform.
- Advanced Text Editing.
- Multiple language support.
- Integrated Debugger.
- Configurable workbench.
- Create web projects with full code completion.
Anjuta
Anjuta is a versatile IDE comprising a number of advanced programming facilities that focus on providing a simple and usable user interface for powerful and efficient development. Although it is open-source software, it only supports the Linux platform.
Features:
- Anjuta UI is created to be simple to operate with powerful tools.
- Easy wizards and project templates to get started with new projects.
- Fully integrated GDB for onboard debugging.
- Project management.
- Application wizard.
- Source editor.
- Profiler and many more tools.
C++ Builder
C++Builder is a great way to get started in building high-performance C++ applications for Windows without database connectivity. It is not a free IDE, has a proprietary license. It works on Windows and OS X only.
Features:
- Debugging.
- GUI Builder.
- Profiling.
- Auto-completion.
- Class browser.
- Compiler.
- Supports refactoring.
CLion
CLion is a tool developed by Jetbrains. It helps you to quickly solve errors in the program. This IDE enables you to analyze the performance of your application with no hassle.
Features:
- Programmers can effortlessly run and debug programs.
- It helps you to test individual units of source code.
- This software helps you to manage your project and code effectively.
- CLion enables the developer to customize the editor.
- It automatically set formatting while you write code.
- Supported platforms are Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Kite
Kite is IDE for C that automatically completes multiple line codes. This editor supports more than 16 languages. It helps you to code faster with no hassle.
Price: Free
Features:
- It offers C documentation.
- This editor provides a function signature as you type.
- You will get a tooltip on mouse hover.
- Provides support in email.
- Uses machine learning models for C language.
Visual Studio Code
It is an open-source code editor developed by Microsoft for Windows, Linux and Mac OS. Visual Studio Code is based on an Electron framework. According to a survey done in 2018 by Stack Overflow, it was ranked the most popular developer environment tool among others. Furthermore, this IDE is also customizable which lets programmers change the theme, keyword shortcuts and preferences.
Key Benefits:
- Support for Debugging
- Syntax highlighting
- Intelligent Code completion, snippets and code refactoring
- EmbeddedGit Control
- Completely portable
- Easy customization
Programming Languages Supported: C, C++, C#, CSS, Go, HTML, Java, JavaScript, Python, PHP, TypeScript and much more!
Eclipse
It is one of the most popular, powerful and useful IDEs used by developers for C/C++ programming. It is an open-source software which is simple and easy to use. Originally, it was used for Java Programming but now it is used for various languages. Eclipse can run Windows, Linux and Mac OS. You can even file a bug on their website if you encounter any on the Eclipse IDE or Compiler.
Key Benefits:
- Great Graphical User Interface with drag-and-drop functionality
- Supports static code analysis
- Smart code completion
- Productivity Boosters
- Git integration
- Cross-platform support
- Rich Community
Programming Languages Supported: C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, COBOL, Perl, PHP, Python & others
NetBeans
It is one of the most used IDEs and can run on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Solaris. It is a free and open-source IDE that is written in Java. This IDE consists of an interface that comes with a drag-and-drop feature and a list of convenient project templates. You can use NetBeans to create C/C++ applications with dynamic and static libraries. It allows programmers to create C/C++ applications from existing code. Additionally, it provides a great set of tools for C/C++ programmers. NetBeans has numerous plugins that can extend the software. Developers can also remotely monitor their project’s development.
Key Benefits:
- Cross-platform support
- Rich set of plugins
- Supports multiple programming languages
- Simple and efficient project management
- Smart code editing
- Large support community
Programming Languages Supported: Java, HTML, HTML 5, C, C++ and others
Sublime Text
It is a cross-platform source code editor which supports several languages and markup languages. Sublime Text has a Python application programming interface and has a slick user interface along with incredible features and amazing performance. Programmers can also add additional functions with numerous plugins that are community-built.
Key Benefits:
- Go To Anything- Quick navigation to symbols, lines or words
- Go To Definition- Can automatically generate a project-wide index of every class, method and function.
- Allows multiple selections
- Command Palette
- Powerful API
- Highly customizable
- Cross-platform supporting Mac, Windows and Linux
- Syntax highlighting
- Auto-completion
- Plugins and Integrations
Programming Languages Supported: C, C++, Java, and others
Atom
It is one of the highly configurable text editors which is free for personal and commercial developments. It was designed and developed by GitHub and has a very large community. A multitude of plugins are available for this editor which extends its features and makes it more customizable. It also supports OS X, Windows and Linux, and has a very simple interface to work on.
Key Benefits:
- Cross-platform support
- Smart autocompletion
- Package manager
- Plugins support
- Multiple panes
- Option to find and replace text
- Supports command palette
Programming Languages Supported: C/C++, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby and others
Code::Blocks
It is a free, open-source IDE that was developed in C++ using wxWidgets as a GUI toolkit. Code::Blocks is an extensible and highly customizable IDE that performs on all platforms including Linux, Mac and Windows. Any function can be added to this IDE by installing or coding a plugin. For e.g., functions of compiling and debugging are available because of plugins. Code::Blocks support various pre-built plugins as well as custom plugins. Programmers can easily tweak the IDE accordingly and can also easily navigate through the tab interface. Initially, it was created for C++ but now you can also run C programs.
Key Benefits:
- Compatible with Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Smart Code Completion
- Easy Navigation
- Integrated intelligent Syntax highlighting
- Full-featured debugger
- Rich Community
Programming Languages Supported: C, C++, Fortran
CodeLite
Another good IDE for C or C++ programming used by the myriad of programmers. It is an open-source software that can run on all major platforms including Windows, Linux and OS X. It provides great support for compilers and also allows users to know more about the errors by just clicking on it.
Key Benefits:
- Spell Checker
- Word Completion
- Clang Based Code Completion Engine
- JavaScript, PHP code completion
- Graphical Diff Utility
- Valgrind Support
- Git and Svn plugins
- Database Explorer
Programming Languages Supported: C, C++, PHP, and others
CodeWarrior
It is a complete IDE known for providing a highly visual and automated framework for fast development of an application. CodeWarrior was published by NXP Semiconductors for editing, compiling and debugging software. This IDE can run on Windows and Linux OS and can simplify the most complex activities making developer’s work simple and easy.
Key Benefits:
- Easy-to-use Graphical User Interface
- Allows a single gateway to all components
- Project Manager
- Provides a single gateway to all components
- Highly optimizable
- Powerful macro assembler
- Provides fast access to different source code elements like variables, classes and others
- Smart linker
- Programmers can build custom libraries
- Colorized, multi-paned and syntax-directed editor
Programming Languages Supported: C, C++, and Java
Dev-C++
It is a full-featured IDE for C or C++ languages. For compilation, it uses MinGW port of GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) or any other GCC compilers. It is supported on Windows OS for Software Development.
Key Benefits:
- Support GCC based compilers
- Integrated Debugging
- Syntax highlighting
- Code Completion
- Project Manager
- Editable Shortcuts
- Tool Manager
- CVS Support
Programming Languages Supported: C and C++
Conclusion:
If you have decided to learn c programming, give yourself a big pat on the back. It’s hard to decide what language to learn when there are so many to choose from. And most people will say the same thing, but it depends on what you want to do with this programming language.