372 Part VII: The Part of Tens
real-life people — for example, at computer user groups in your area or Usenet newsgroups on the Internet.
To save you money, this chapter also points you to mail-order houses where you can find a wide variety of programming tools at steep discounts. If you get tired of practicing programming, this chapter also directs you to various programming games that you can play to sharpen your programming skills and have fun at the same time.
Just remember that no matter what language you use or where you find additional programming help, ultimately your own skills determine whether you finish your programming project on time and it works or is so buggy and unreliable that users abandon it.
Trying Commercial Compilers
The most important tool for any programmer is a language compiler. (See Chapter 4 for information on what a compiler does and why you’d want one.) Although you can find plenty of free language compilers, most programmers rely on commercial compilers that offer support and regular updates. Most commercial compilers cost several hundred dollars (which doesn’t matter if your company is paying for them), but you can often buy special beginner or standard editions of compilers that cost much less (typically ranging in price from $50 to $150).
Windows programming
Like it or not, Microsoft Windows is the dominant operating system on the planet (although Linux is quickly gaining momentum). If you plan to write a program to sell to people, the largest and most profitable market is the Windows market.
The standard language for writing Windows programs is Visual C++ .NET, which the friendly folks at Microsoft (at www.microsoft.com) produce. Despite the addition of the term “Visual,” Visual C++ .NET is a fairly complex C/C++ programming environment that even professional programmers have trouble mastering. Still, if you want to write Windows programs, you can’t go wrong by picking up a copy of Visual C++ .NET.
Despite the popularity of C++, the future for Windows programming lies in Microsoft’s newest language, C# (pronounced C-sharp). Their Visual C# .NET compiler combines the best features of C++ and Visual Basic to create a friendlier language that also protects you from making the majority of horrendous mistakes that plague C++ programs.
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Because few people want to devote half their lives to learning the cryptic structure of C/C++ or C#, many programmers choose the second most popular programming tool: Visual Basic .NET.
Unlike Visual C++ .NET or Visual C# .NET, Visual Basic .NET is much easier to learn since the BASIC language more closely resembles English than C++ or C#. If you want to preserve your knowledge of Liberty BASIC, learning Visual Basic .NET is the next logical step in any programmer’s quest to dominate the programming world.
Because of the growing popularity of Java, you may want to take a look at JBuilder by Borland (at www.borland.com). Borland has a long history of providing quality programming tools and also sells two other popular rapidapplication development tools, C++Builder and Delphi. Like JBuilder, C++Builder and Delphi let you design the user interface visually, and then write code in either Java, Pascal, or C++ to make the program actually work.
A rapid-application development (RAD) tool enables you to build the user interface quickly. (For more information about RAD tools, see Chapter 2.)
If you have any interest in creating cross-platform applications (programs that can run on different operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and the Macintosh), a popular choice is Metrowerks CodeWarrior (at www. metrowerks.com). Unlike most of its competitors, such as Visual C++ .NET or C++ Builder, CodeWarrior runs on such different operating systems as Windows, Solaris, Linux, and the Macintosh, so you can (theoretically) copy
your source code from the Windows version of CodeWarrior to the Linux version of CodeWarrior and compile your program for another operating system with little or no modifications.
To help you choose the best compiler for your needs, Table 27-1 lists several popular Windows compilers.
Table 27-1 |
Popular Windows Compilers |
Compiler Name |
Language Used |
Web Site |
Visual C++ .NET |
C, C++ |
www.microsoft.com |
|
|
|
Visual Basic .NET |
BASIC |
www.microsoft.com |
|
|
|
Visual C# .NET |
C# |
www.microsoft.com |
|
|
|
CodeWarrior |
C, C++, Java |
www.metrowerks.com |
|
|
|
RealBasic |
BASIC |
www.realbasic.com |
|
|
|
374 Part VII: The Part of Tens
Table 27-1 (continued)
Compiler Name |
Language Used |
Web Site |
JBuilder |
Java |
www.borland.com |
|
|
|
C++ Builder |
C, C++ |
www.borland.com |
|
|
|
Delphi |
Pascal |
www.borland.com |
|
|
|
Macintosh and Palm OS programming
The Macintosh easily maintains its reputation as one of the easiest computers in the world to use — and one of the hardest to program. Fortunately, the latest Macintosh programming tools make Macintosh programming much easier.
The premier Macintosh programming tool is CodeWarrior (which many often credit with saving the Macintosh, because it was the only reliable programming tool available at one time). CodeWarrior, by Metrowerks (at www.metrowerks.com), enables you to write programs in three different languages: C, C++, and Java. So rather than buy three separate compilers, you get everything that you need in one package.
Best of all, Metrowerks sells special versions of CodeWarrior so that you can write programs for Windows (including Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP and Windows CE), Solaris, Linux, Sony PlayStation game consoles, Nintendo game consoles, and the most popular handheld computer in the world, the Palm handheld computer. If you plan to write programs for the Macintosh, the Palm handheld, or game consoles such as Nintendo or Sony PlayStation, CodeWarrior is your first (and probably only) choice.
Of course, CodeWarrior doesn’t support BASIC, so if you want to program a
Macintosh by using BASIC, you have only two choices: Future Basic and
RealBasic.
Future Basic (at www.stazsoftware.com) closely resembles Liberty BASIC but runs entirely on the Macintosh.
RealBasic (at www.realbasic.com) is another BASIC programming language that closely resembles Visual Basic. As with Visual Basic, you can design the user interface of your program and then write BASIC code to make your program work.
RealBasic even goes one step farther and enables you to convert Visual Basic source code to run on the Macintosh. If you have any Visual Basic programs
Chapter 27: Ten Additional Programming Resources 375
that you need to turn into Macintosh programs, you can do so by using RealBasic.
Of course, converting Visual Basic programs into RealBasic isn’t 100 percent accurate, which means that you may need to modify the programs slightly. So if you really need to create both Macintosh and Windows programs, write your program in RealBasic and have RealBasic turn it into Macintosh and Windows programs at the same time.
Table 27-2 lists the most popular Macintosh compilers for writing programs for the Mac.
Table 27-2 |
Popular Macintosh Compilers |
Compiler Name |
Language Used |
Web Site |
CodeWarrior |
C, C++, Java |
www.metrowerks.com |
|
|
|
RealBasic |
BASIC |
www.realbasic.com |
|
|
|
Future Basic |
BASIC |
www.stazsoftware.com |
|
|
|
Linux programming
If any operating system can break the Microsoft stranglehold on the personal computer market, Linux looks like the best choice. Linux is surging in popularity, and many companies and programmers are quickly porting their programs to run under Linux.
Several commercial vendors have released Linux versions of their compilers (such as CodeWarrior, JBuilder, and Kylix, which is a Linux version of Delphi), but you may be pleased to know that Linux also offers a rich assortment of language compilers that you can use for free.
Depending on your version of Linux (RedHat, SUSE, or Debian, for example), you may already have a language compiler such as GNU C (a C language compiler) or EGCS (a C++ compiler).
Although Linux doesn’t offer as many popular applications as Windows or the Macintosh, plenty of Linux compilers are available for a variety of languages, including Ada, Pascal, FORTRAN, and BASIC. For more information about many popular Linux compilers, visit www.gnu.ai.mit.edu/ software/gcc/gcc.html.
