Re: [gtk-list] Switching from Borland C++

[Erik Mouw <J A K Mouw its tudelft nl>]

On Mon, 30 Aug 1999 13:30:21 -0400, Robert Krueger wrote:
>   I have been a C / C++ programmer for about 15 - 16 years, primarily
> developing Windows applications using the Borland compilers exclusively,
> the current one being C++ Builder 3.0.  
>   I would like to continue to develop Windows 9x programs using C++ (not
> with Borland C++ Builder), but would also like to dabble in Linux as
> well.  I would like to be able to have a single set of tools that would
> do for both OS's, if possible.
>   I guess I still don't understand the relationship between the
> many choices of GNU gcc, GTK+, GNOME, gtk--, etc.   I'm not sure what
> fits together. 

GNU gcc: Literally, it's the GNU C Compiler, but the latest gcc version
(gcc 2.95.1) also comes with support for C++, Objective C, Java,
Fortran77, and Chill. The GNU C compiler is highly portable: it runs on
almost all Unix platforms, and there are also ports for DOS (djgpp) and
Windows (Cygnus Solutions cygwin32. Linux uses gcc as its native compiler,
so whatever you want to compile, you *need* gcc.

GTK+: The Gimp Toolkit. A lean and clean widget toolkit (written in C) for
Linux (or any other Unix, I use it daily on SGI IRIX). There is also a
port for Windows, see http://user.sgic.fi/~tml/gimp/win32/ for more
information.

gtk--: A C++ wrapper around GTK+. For more information see:
http://lazy.ton.tut.fi/terop/iki/gtk/gtk--.html .

GNOME: The GNU Network Object Model Environment. A desktop environment for
Linux/Unix. If you want to develop software for it, it has a very nice
application framework.

>   When you purchase Borland C++ or VC++, everything comes in the
> box. 

I don't think so. You don't get the source code, and you don't get an OS.
If you purchase (or download) a Linux distribution, *everything* comes in
the box. :-)

> If I want to use C++ to develop Windows programs as well as Linux
> programs, then I get lost in the choices.
>   Could someone help straighten me out as to what tools I need for
> C++ development for Windows 9x, and what tools for Linux?  Which ones
> will overlap?

Well, I don't know for Windows (sorry, I don't do Windows), but for Linux
you need an up-to-date Linux distribution (for example Debian 2.1, Redhat
6.1, or SuSE 6.1) with the standard developer stuff installed: gcc, g++,
make, rcs, cvs, autoconf, automake, libtool, bison, flex, Perl, header
files, static libraries, etc.

If you want to use GTK+ on Windows and Linux, I think you have to write
your own C++ wrappers around it (does anybody know if gtk-- works in
Windows?). If you want to use the native look-and-feel, try
wxWindows/GTK+: http://www.freiburg.linux.de/~wxxt/ .

There are application builders for GTK+: glade (http://glade.pn.org/),
which can also be compiled to generate gtk-- code.


Hope this helps,
Erik

-- 
J.A.K. (Erik) Mouw, Information and Communication Theory Group, Department
of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Information Technology and Systems,
Delft University of Technology, PO BOX 5031,  2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands
Phone: +31-15-2785859  Fax: +31-15-2781843  Email J.A.K.Mouw@its.tudelft.nl
WWW: http://www-ict.its.tudelft.nl/~erik/