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IDE Setup

In this tutorial we'll install and set up an IDE, which you'll need in order to view and run all of the programs in C++ Data Structures from Scratch.

• What is an IDE?
• Obtaining the source code
• Installing Code::Blocks
• Creating a project
• Compiling and running a program
• Removing source files from a project
• Source code formatting
• Recommended study approach

• Creating a C++ program requires three basic tools, the first of which is a word processor. The word processor is used to write source code, a set of plain text files with the extension .h or .cpp. The source code specifies the instructions to be carried out by the computer when the program is run.


• Computers, however, do not natively understand C++ in plain text form; the source code (.h / .cpp files, written by a human) must first be translated into object code (.obj files), which is what the computer hardware natively understands. This translation process, called compilation, is performed by a separate program called a compiler.


• A third program called a linker then combines the various object (.obj) files into a single executable (.exe) file, which can be run from the command line or desktop.


• An IDE, short for "integrated development environment," is a program that combines the functionality of a word processor, compiler, and linker.


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• If you haven't already done so, follow the instructions here to download the accompanying source code.
  


• Extract the "dss" folder to C:\, creating the folder C:\dss\.


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• Code::Blocks is a free IDE. Download the correct version for your operating system:


• Microsoft Windows
• Mac OS X
• Linux (32/64-bit)


• For "Select the type of install," choose "Full: All plugins, all tools, just everything":




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• When the installation is complete, start Code::Blocks. Note the File, Project, and Build drop-down menus along the top of the window:




• Select File / New / Project.


• Select "Empty project," then click Go, followed by Next.


• On the next two forms, enter the following:






• This creates the Code::Blocks project file C:\dssDemo\dssDemo.cbp. The file extension cbp stands for "Code::Blocks project." The Management pane indicates that the dssDemo project is now open:




• A project file (.cbp) contains a list of source files to be compiled, as well as specific compiler settings. For the dssDemo project, only two settings need to be changed: the C++ language version and the source code directory.


• Select Project / Build options.


• Check the box for "Have g++ follow the C++11 ISO C++ language standard," then select the "Search directories" tab:




• Click Add, then enter C:\ (the parent directory of the main source code folder, dss):




• The newly added directory now appears in the list of search directories (source code directories):




• Click OK, then select File / Save project. This project (dssDemo) can now be used to compile the source code in C:\dss\. To reopen the project at a later time, select File / Open.


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• The pertinent source files are listed at the beginning of each chapter. When a folder is listed without specific filenames, it indicates that the chapter uses all of the files in that folder. The source listing for Chapter 1.1, for example, indicates all of the files in the folder C:\dss\hello\.


• To add source files to a project, select Project / Add files and open the desired files.


• Add the file C:\dss\hello\main.cpp. Then (in the Management pane), double-click dssDemo, followed by Sources, dss, hello, and main.cpp. This opens main.cpp in the text editor:




• Line numbers, which are referenced extensively throughout the book, appear to the left of the source code. Also note that multiple source files can be edited simultaneously.


• To compile the program, select Build / Rebuild, and click Yes to confirm. The build log (at the bottom of the screen) displays the status of the compilation:




• The build log indicates that the compilation was successful (status 0, 0 errors), and that the executable program is C:\dssDemo\bin\Debug\dssDemo.exe.


• To run the program, select Build / Run. The program generates the output




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• Before beginning another chapter, all of the source files for the current chapter must be removed from the project. Select the Project drop-down menu, followed by "Remove files." Select all of the files, then click OK, followed by Yes.


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• All of the source code in this book is formatted using a tab width of 2 spaces and a line width of 80 characters. To change the tab width in Code::Blocks, select Settings / Editor:




• Change the "TAB size in spaces" setting to 2, then click OK:




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• At the beginning of each chapter, compile the included source code and run the program.


• Read the chapter, following along with the included source code.


• Read the chapter again, recreating the source code from scratch.


• Compile the recreated source code and run the program, verifying the output.


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