# Seeking a Good C++ Compiler

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-a-good-c-compiler/310434>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 29, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-a-good-c-compiler/310434 "2005-06-29T22:16:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![the4thmooncat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce7236/32.png) [@the4thmooncat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the4thmooncat)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-a-good-c-compiler/310434/1 "2005-06-29T22:16:00Z")

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What is a good C++ compiler (I don’ t think that is the right word - I mean a program that you can both write code in and then compile with) for Windows XP?

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-a-good-c-compiler/310434/2 "2005-06-29T22:40:11Z")

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Recent previous thread on the subject  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=319247&highlight=compiler](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=319247&highlight=compiler)

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-a-good-c-compiler/310434/3 "2005-06-30T00:12:04Z")

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> [@the4thmooncat](#):
>
> What is a good C++ compiler (I don’ t think that is the right word - I mean a program that you can both write code in and then compile with) for Windows XP?

The term you’re looking for is “integrated development environment”, commonly abbreviated IDE. However, everyone I work with generally refers to it as a compiler.

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**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-a-good-c-compiler/310434/4 "2005-06-30T02:35:06Z")

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I would say the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE is generally regarded as the best in the industry. Expensive though if you can’t get it through work/university.

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**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-a-good-c-compiler/310434/5 "2005-06-30T03:06:27Z")

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> [@Shalmanese](#):
>
> I would say the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE is generally regarded as the best in the industry. Expensive though if you can’t get it through work/university.

Visual C++ Express is available for free (public beta) at the MSDN web site.