CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++linuxwindowsconsole
TheStigP11GT
TheStigP11GT

Reputation: 11

C++ Code for Windows & Linux

First of, I am very new to programming, but took an interest in it. I have successfully built a C++ Console program for Windows which is a simple Database program, which can edit / delete / input entries.

I am less and less relying on Windows for day to day stuff. I had an old HP Netbook which was impossible to use with Windows, but I put in a Linux Distro and works like a charm.

As I sometimes do use Windows, as well as having built the program to use in Windows, I am wondering if the same code can be used to compile a Linux program? I could use WINE to run it but would prefer running something specific to Linux. Is this possible with the same code or would I have to make another Linux version of it?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1164

Answers (2)

Basile Starynkevitch
Basile Starynkevitch

Reputation: 1

I guess that you want your C++ code to be compilable both on Linux and on Windows. You'll need operating-system specific compilers for that (a different one on Linux and on Windows).

I am wondering if the same code can be used to compile a Linux program?

The program to compile your C++ code is called a compiler. On Linux you will use GCC as the g++ command (which you could even customize with MELT, but that is not for newbies), or Clang/LLVM as the clang++ command. You'll use a builder like make (see here for why, and this example). Be sure to install a recent version (GCC 4.9 or Clang 3.5 at least in start of 2015) to get good C++11 support. Focus on learning C++11 (or C++14) not some earlier variant (so use a C++11 compiler).

I don't know Windows so I cannot recommend any good C++ compiler for it (but I heard of MinGW, CygWin and of Microsoft Visual C++; look also into recent Clang...).

You might be interested in cross-platform C++ framework libraries like Qt or POCO (and perhaps also Sqlite for database related stuff). They will help you to code some C++ usable on both systems (after recompilation).

BTW, you can always encapsulate your system specific code with preprocessor directives à la #if LINUX ;take care of putting all the OS specific (or OS related) code in a few source files.

It could happen (and I wish that for you) that you get fond & happy of Linux and will, in a few months, prefer to code for Linux only (you'll then install Linux on all your machines). BTW, study the source code of existing free software you like and use on Linux. That will teach you a lot.

The advices I gave here and here are still relevant today when coding on Linux. Read also something about porting & portability, and Advanced Linux Programming.

Upvotes: 2

Randy Kamradt Sr.
Randy Kamradt Sr.

Reputation: 464

I would assume that since you are new to programming, that you did not make the extraordinary effort to make your code portable across platforms. That takes a significant skill set, especially if you are accessing external resources such as a database. So the answer is you will probably have to re-write for Linux, and specifically the database interface.

Upvotes: 3

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