Prev: DeltaPro Up: Compilers Top: Top From: nikki@trmphrst.demon.co.uk (Nikki Locke)

Borland - Pretty good. Has a few bugs (e.g. mixins with abstract virtual bases unusable). Comes in a wide variety of flavours at various prices. Includes templates (but not exceptions). OWL (extensive Windows class toolkit) excellent, except for the fact that it uses a non-standard language extension to handle Windows message passing, and it is a deep class heirarchy, based on an Object class, which some people don't like. Good Integrated Development Environment (if you like that sort of thing). The debugger is supposed to be good, though I have never felt comfortable with it myself. Updated regularly (which can be expensive if you keep up).

Microsoft - Also has bugs. Compiling MUCH slower than either of the others. Comes with the official Windows SDK, and Microsoft Foundation Classes (shallow set of classes covering Windows stuff). No templates or exceptions (except via macro, which I don't count). No support on the Internet (yet :-). The CodeView debugger is O.K., except that it seems to take up a lot of memory.Poor (IMHO) Integrated (NOT !) Development Environment. First release, so I don't know about upgrades, or their cost.

Zortech - Was once the best. I have found more bugs in it than either of the others, but I've used it for MUCH longer. Mixins with abstract virtual base classes will compile, but crash my machine ! Has all the stuff for Windows development, but bundled classes for Windows not as extensive. No templates or exceptions. The debugger is good, except for the occasional bug, and the fact that Symantec can't support it any more. Integrated (slightly :-) Development Environment not as bad as Microsoft's. There hasn't been a new release of Zortech since Symantec took over (must be a year, now). Symantec say they won't do a new release until they've got the bugs out, but lots of people have got fed up waiting.

My recommendation ? Borland if it is for personal use, Microsoft if you work for a large company and want the "industry standard".