Despite the somewhat gory-sounding name, Bloodshed Dev-C++ is actually a very capable little C++ development tool. Released as open source software, it comes bundled with the MinGW port of GCC, as its C++ compiler. It can create native Win32 console and Windows applications, and will also create DLLs and static libraries. Budding .NET developers need not apply!

During installation, you can configure the look and feel of Dev-C++, choosing between the uninspiring ‘Blue’ theme, the more tasteful ‘Gnome’, or the elegant but totally obscure ‘New Look’ icons. You can also optionally enable XP theme support. Support is also provided for a surprisingly broad range of languages, including Estonian and Slovenian. You’ll also be asked to optionally pre-process header file information to enable the built-in code completion feature.

The IDE is something of a work of art, no doubt helped by the fact that it’s written using Delphi 6. We bet that this really rankles with some of the C++ developers who routinely use Dev-C++! If there’s one thing that we’ve learned over the last few years, it’s that Delphi is great for building applications with drop-dead gorgeous user interfaces.

And really, this comment highlights a significant weakness of Dev-C++, namely that it doesn’t come with a decent class library of its own. A number of small sample projects are installed along with the IDE, but they all date back to the days when we were all in nappies. We can’t imagine any sane person wanting to program for the ‘barefoot’ Windows API any more. Register a class, build a message loop, select your pens and brushes in and out (and in and out …) of a device context, blah, blah. Life is too short for that nonsense.

The saving grace of Dev-C++ is that it can be made to work with some third party class libraries, such as wxWidgets (once known as wxWindows until Redmond started getting a bit troublesome). The wxWidgets class library, you may recall, is that which Borland was originally going to use with C++BuilderX until it eventually figured out that it wasn’t a sensible alternative to the VCL library. It’s ironic that the Dev-C++ IDE makes fairly heavy use of VCL, being as it’s a Delphi application! Dev-C++ is a great tool for low-budget C++ development, and teaming it up with the wxWidgets class library will enable you to create some decent applications.

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