Compiler list and starting resources.

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread50370.html

In this thread WolfPack provide me a link to the online reference manual for the free Digital Mars Compiler that I'm using - which I've found easy to use.

I have never actually used the Digital Mars compiler, but I have never heard anything good about it. I think you'd be better off with DEV-C++ or Borland 5.5 for free. DM seems to have major trouble when you wish to learn Standard C/C++ -- I don't think it conforms to any standard.

http://www.borland.com/downloads/download_cbuilder.html for Borland 5.5
http://www.bloodshed.net for Bloodshed DevC

Thanks WaltP for the suggestion. After reading a couple of posts made to this forum indicating that DEV-C++ would be amongst the preferred free compilers, I've actually already decided to switch over to it, but it's just a question of when. For now, I'm going to continue using DM only because it's what my instructor has advised us to use (I have to say that I haven't had any issues with it throughtout the course). I'm on the last unit of the (online) class and hope to wrap up the course by the middle of this coming week, so it won't be much longer. Then it's a question of whether or not my system meets the requirements, and if not how $oon I can upgrade it. Thanks again.

I really hate hearing this type of comment. An instructor that can't update his tools seems IMO to not care about his students. The first paragraph of the Digital Mars License Agreement states:
I question the validity using it in any way simply because of this official statement. Oh well. At least you'll learn something about C/C++ and hopefully can get to a real compiler ASAP.

Best current free compiler/editor for Windows is Microsoft Visual C++ Express linked with the Windows 2003 Platform SDK.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/visualc/

More standards compliant than older (free) compilers, which is about all that counts for people learning to program.
And if you're using it commercially you might as well pay a bit for a current Intel or Borland compiler (or a more advanced version of Visual Studio).

I disagree. Dev-C++ is probably much more compliant than any M$ compiler. M$ tries to steer the industry too much and 'enhances' the standard without following it as closely as it should. Although when it comes to the current compilers, they are probably all close enough for the student. You probably won't do anything complex enough to stray into weird compiler territory as long as you stick with the C/C++ standards...

I am with Jwenting. I prefer VC2005. I've started hating DEV C++ now. Even Code::Blocks is better than DEV C++.

Hi all,
I'm using Dev-C++ but it's editor is not efficient.So,I use Notepad2 which is the best syntax highlighter around.
http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html