Why so many people use MSVC?

Repgahroll · Post by **Repgahroll** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:33 pm

Hello.

I noticed that many people are using MSVC to program... i know it has the best autocompletion, and directx support, but i don't think such features are enough to make such a difference.

I'm using Code::Blocks since i needed to program for other platforms besides gnu/linux (i used to program in anjuta and kdevelop before), and i think it's just the best IDE ever. The main feature is that its totally cross-platform, and you can make programs that looks really professional using something like wxWidgets as easy as in Delphi/Lazarus, and without changing any line of your code. The binary size problems can easily be workarouded using UPX, and the program will look native on any platform, it's just like a dream; it's like java without virtual machine and ugly graphics. (Personally i think java programs so unprofessional. CPU and MEM overload and very ugly widgets are a high price to pay for cross platform. If the language was a little simpler like Python etc. i think i would make sense, but java is complicated as C++.)
Even if Code::Blocks was Windows-only i would surely use it just to avoid painfull (very restrictive) licensing side-effects. Code::Blocks is simple, very updated, has a nice support community and i never had any problems with it, it's very easy and quick to setup any environment, and any experienced programmer will feel totally free to program.

MSVC is so complicated, looks like it wants to program for you... it has so many options that i don't even know what their names means.

However, there should exist a real advantage besides directx and autocompletion.

BTW... Some of the best programmers i ever met uses text editors to program, the other part uses emacs

.

PS: Other thing that i just don't understand is that some people uses DevCpp... i tried it a lot and i found C::B to be much superior in EVERY aspect.

Virion · Post by **Virion** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:47 pm

it's all about freedom of choice really. as far as i know beginners prefer devcpp because it's much more simpler and easier t ostart off with, although it's kinda outdated.

i'm using c::b on windows by the way.

Lil Margin · Post by **Lil Margin** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:49 pm

the avarage of programmer uses MSVC cause of the support and cause it supports more libs,etc then code::blocks and the others

People that use code::blocks is cool, cause code::blocks is all a programmer needs when programming (yeah i LOVE code blocks

)

People that uses devcpp are pure lame people that got stuck in the past.
the gui just makes me wanna trow up...

Seven · Post by **Seven** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 5:30 pm

Code: Select all

MSVC is so complicated, looks like it wants to program for you... it has so many options that i don't even know what their names means.

Code: Select all

However, there should exist a real advantage besides directx and autocompletion.

I love posts like these

the two statements appear to provide support for each other, until you read them. Then you understand that they have nothing to do with each other. First you state that you dont even know the names of the options, then you claim a higher knowledge of it, stating that the only thing that it offers is directx and autocompletion.

just because you dont understnd it, doesnt mean that it is bad. It just means that you dont understand it.

Sylence · Post by **Sylence** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 5:47 pm

Have you every tried Visual Assist? If you use it once every other IDE will feel "incomplete" (imho)

You can also code cross platform with Visual Studio. I do this all the time. Setup a Qt installation (imho better than wxWidgets, but thats a matter of personal taste) and start coding.

If I ever need to compile my project for other platforms, I open Code::Blocks, import my visual studio solution and build it.

Another cool thing about Visual Studio is that you can decide how much you want to change the settings. You can just use one of the provided templates and code, or you can change every single thing you can image. You don't have to deal with things you don't want to, but you have the option to tweak them as you wish.

And of course no body forces you to use every single option it offers you.

And finally you have one IDE for many languages. I forexample use Visual Studio for C++ and C#. If I would use ASP.NET to write websites I would use Visual Studio for it, too.

vins · Post by **vins** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:46 pm

The only think I found that is as easy as Delphi/Lazarus in C++ is QT4; Yes Code::Blocks is a nice IDE but it sucks at autocompletion. I prefer CodeLite, because it's better in this direction. I've started using QT Creator recently and I'm very impressed. It has a perfect code completion and the QT Designer integrated. Developing GUI applications with C++ is much faster now. If you haven't tried QT Creator - try it out - you'd love it

I don't use MSVC because I want to port my programs to Linux and Mac. MS VC++ has some nice features like SEH that I can't get to work with GNU C++ but I can live without them.

Sylence · Post by **Sylence** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:59 pm

vins wrote:I don't use MSVC because I want to port my programs to Linux and Mac.

Who said that you can't use code you written in Visual Studio on other plattforms ?
That is total nonsense. After all it's just some code.

Repgahroll · Post by **Repgahroll** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:09 pm

Sylence wrote:Have you every tried Visual Assist?

Nope...

BTW, i thought the Express Edition was fully functional

, only limited for non-commercial works. I tried the Express Edition so i can't say much about the full one...

Visual Assist is very interesting, i'm dowloading a trial version of the full visual studio professional to test it.

Is it possible to build visually wxwidgets apps and compile them in gcc using MSVC? (just like wxsmith) And also, it's possible to export the whole project in a format that C::B under Linux & Mac can read so i just need to open them under these OSs and compile without changing the code?

MSVS Std Edt. costs 300USD, plus the Visual Assist plugin that costs 100USD it's 400USD... very very expensive, but if it does everything i need, and it multiplies the productivity, i think it's worth.

Thanks man.

vins · Post by **vins** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:13 pm

Sylence wrote:Who said that you can't use code you written in Visual Studio on other plattforms ?
That is total nonsense. After all it's just some code.

Ok, you are right. I don't know why I don't use it

Repgahroll, I've read that Express edition is free for comercial use.

Sylence · Post by **Sylence** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:19 pm

Repgahroll wrote:Is it possible to build visually wxwidgets apps

I don't know for wxWidgets, but Qt offers a Visual Studio integration which means you can use the Qt designer from inside Visual Studio.
And of course you can click your GUIs together if you use Windows Forms (C++/CLI and .NET only)

Repgahroll wrote:compile them in gcc using MSVC?

Not out of the box, but you can edit the Build Rules for filetypes. So basicaly you would change the rule for *.cpp files to a custom rule that calls the gcc and then you add a Post build event that calls the gcc linker.

Of course this is not very user friendly, but you don't need to use the gcc in Visual Studio. You can use the MSCV and only use gcc for Linux and Mac.

Repgahroll wrote:And also, it's possible to export the whole project in a format that C::B under Linux & Mac can read so i just need to open them under these OSs and compile without changing the code?

You don't need to. Code::Blocks can import directly from Visual Studio Projects and Solutions.

Repgahroll wrote: MSVS Std Edt. costs 300USD, plus the Visual Assist plugin that costs 100USD it's 400USD... very very expensive, but if it does everything i need, and it multiplies the productivity, i think it's worth.

Yep it is exepensive but it's worth it. Happily I got Visual Studio 2008 Professional from MSDNAA for free

And Visual Assist is worth 1000USD if you ask me

vins · Post by **vins** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:28 pm

I also use MSDNAA

And we have Win 7 Final before everyone else

Repgahroll · Post by **Repgahroll** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:58 pm

Sylence, thank you man!

I can't wait to give MSVS a try, actually the wxWidgets integration is not a big problem because i could use wxformbuilder externally, and i have some experience, so i don't need the "click-and-code" anymore.

I really don't like QT because it reproduces "internally" the OSs themes, it doesn't actually "use" the OS native widgets, it just mimic them. I mostly program for Linux running Gnome and QT+Gnome is a painfull combination... small fonts, ugly graphics, etc. wxWidgets actually uses the OS native theme/widgets so it's much better than QT when talking about look and feel on different OSs.

I just hope such apps doesn't induce me to program windows-only code, so i would have extra work to port it to other platforms.

Anyways, i think 1 month of free trial is enough to test it and take my own conclusions.

Sylence · Post by **Sylence** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:11 pm

Repgahroll wrote:I really don't like QT because it reproduces "internally" the OSs themes, it doesn't actually "use" the OS native widgets, it just mimic them. I mostly program for Linux running Gnome and QT+Gnome is a painfull combination... small fonts, ugly graphics, etc. wxWidgets actually uses the OS native theme/widgets so it's much better than QT when talking about look and feel on different OSs.

This has changed in some time ago. There is for example a QWindowsVistaStyle, a QMacStyle, or a QWindowsXPStyle that is only available on this platforms. These styles use the native widgets of underlying OS. So by default Qt applications use the native widgets. Of course you can use other styles but then they are painted by Qt itself.

FuzzYspo0N · Post by **FuzzYspo0N** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:35 pm

so many people use MSVC because its the best. If you argue that its not (personal preference is one thing) , but saying that its not the most powerful and suitable is just pointless.

also, looking for flame threads on forums , ftw.

yamashi · Post by **yamashi** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:42 pm

I use it since I tried using it (i was using codeblocks before), I just fell in love with it, it's very powerfull, I can install NVCC and great plugins like Nexus which is the most amazing tool ever created imo...
Well if you ask me it's the best you can find...