Re: [Dev-C++] "Best practices" for cross-platform development

[Per W. <pw...@ia...>]

Dev-C++ in itself can't compile for any platform. The normal Dev-C++
installation comes either with just the IDE or the IDE together with the
MinGW compiler. The MinGW compiler is a Windows port of the gcc compiler.

To compile for other platforms you need to either compile on these other
platforms, or have cross-compilers. Because of the wide-spread use of the
gcc compiler, a lot of people have been using Dev-C++ together with other
gcc ports and also (often through helper stubs) with a couple of other
compilers.

To build a Mac application on a PC, you first have to find a port of a Mac
compiler to the Windows environment. However, you will not be able to test
the application without a Mac emulator or a real Mac.

To use a non-commandline application on multiple platforms, you have to
either write platform-specific modules to conditionally compile into the
application, or build your application around a multi-platform framework,
i.e. a framework that hides the differences between different frameworks.
Using a multi-platform framework, you can write and test your application
on a Windows machine and then either move the source code to a machine
with a different architecture and build it there - or locate a
cross-compiler and then just move the finaly binary to the other machine.

Note that no multi-platform framework is 100% perfect. There will be some
differences when switching between different platforms, so a program
should not be compiled and released for a different platform without
specific testing on that platform.

/Per W

On Wed, 13 Jul 2005, Zac North wrote:

> I also want to know if DevC++ can compile for other platforms, I have friend
> on Mac who want to use my programs. :)
>
> -Zac
>
> On 7/13/05, Thomas Smith <ml...@hp...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I'm new to C programming. I spent a great deal of time looking into IDEs
> > that would help me learn C and help speed up the development process. I
> > was
> > also looking for an IDE that would provide some cross-platform
> > capabilities--Dev-C++ seems to fit this profile.
> >
> > Being new to C I'm not sure what the best way would be to use Dev-C++ to
> > ensure my programs remain compatible with multiple platforms (in
> > particular,
> > Windows and *nix).
> >
> > The program I plan to write will primarily be console-based with
> > (possibly)
> > a GUI as a frontend.
> >
> > Does Dev-C++ fit this use well? And where might I find more information
> > about using Dev-C++ for this purpose as well as general guidelines for
> > programming with multiple platforms in mind?
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your help.
> >
> > Tom
> >
> >
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------
> > This SF.Net <http://SF.Net> email is sponsored by the 'Do More With Dual!'
> > webinar happening
> > July 14 at 8am PDT/11am EDT. We invite you to explore the latest in dual
> > core and dual graphics technology at this free one hour event hosted by
> > HP,
> > AMD, and NVIDIA. To register visit http://www.hp.com/go/dualwebinar
> > _______________________________________________
> > Dev-cpp-users mailing list
> > Dev...@li...
> > TO UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www23.brinkster.com/noicys/devcpp/ub.htm
> > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/dev-cpp-users
> >
>