IDE tools and compiler for debugging C code

Thread Starter

Dadu@

Joined Feb 4, 2022
155
Last edited:

Ya’akov

Joined Jan 27, 2019
9,072
I am interested to know from you that how did you learn C language by debugging code on computer. I use windows operating system on my computer.

Which software IDE tool did you use to debug the C code running on the computer?

Would you recommend Visual Studio for debugging C code on computer ?
The most popular option for Windows would be VS Code. It's free, open source, and cross platform. It can use many programming toolsets from C and C++ to Python to Javascript and many more. It would be good to start with since it is so widely used and versatile.

It does have a learning curve and the first impressions can be intimidating but perseverance will be rewarded.
 

Ya’akov

Joined Jan 27, 2019
9,072
have you used it for debugging C language code ?
I don't write in C except to patch existing code and writing small utility programs. The VS Code environment, though, is built by end users because it is modular, Languages and the toolchains for them are supported because people want and need them, and there is more than one option for anything popular. When I have to use C, I do it with Vim and gcc, so I am not a good example, but people I trust very much about these things, and who are actually resistant to anything related to Microsoft and GUIs have embraced it. Were I looking to start programming in C/C++ for more than utility reasons (and not for the Arduino environment) I would sure use VS Code.
 

Thread Starter

Dadu@

Joined Feb 4, 2022
155
I'm a big fan of code::blocks

It is free, open source, and available on other Operating systems.

I use it for all of my C programming.

For getting started, have a look here
I have successfully installed code block on my computer. I also compiled and debugged the code. I can watch variable value but I don't understand how to watch variable address with variable value.

How do you watch variable address with variable value ?
 

ApacheKid

Joined Jan 12, 2015
1,533
I am interested to know from you that how did you learn C language by debugging code on computer. I use windows operating system on my computer.

Which software IDE tool did you use to debug the C code running on the computer?

Would you recommend Visual Studio for debugging C code on computer ?
To learn C I think Visual Studio community edition is superb. It's free too. This tool has been used for a long time to develop in C and C++ on Windows and supports a huge range of options and language standards.

In addition you can later install Visual GDB - a 3rd party product (and very good too) - as an extension for Visual Studio and then you can write and debug C code running on many microcontroller boards too.

This would let you learn C itself by writing and debugging simple apps that run on Windows and then use that knowledge to write C for MCU boards.
 

neanderman

Joined Aug 23, 2022
5
Visual Studio Community edition is free for individual use and has a fully integrated debugger.

If you're programming for Windows, it is an excellent tool, which also provides emulation for Android and support for multiple languages (including Python) and supports GitHub for source control.
 

Ian Rogers

Joined Dec 12, 2012
1,136
I used TurboC way back... Then Borland C/C++ v3 and of course Borlands 4.5 in windows 3.11.

I still play with them as they run excellent in dosbox.. They all have a debugger and are all on abandonware. so freeeee..
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,979
I used to use the free version of Visual Studio (what is now called the community edition). It is a very solid tool with very good debugging capabilities. Even people that despise Microsoft and Windows will often acknowledge that it is (or at least was, things change and I haven't kept up) one of the best IDEs out there.

I don't write a lot of C code any more and the more capable the tool, the easier it is too lose proficiency even doing the basic stuff. I got tired of having to relearn how to create a new project and get things set up right in order to write a simple one-file program -- it's easy enough to do, but I tend to forget the small number of key steps involved and exactly how to do them in that IDE. So I've switched to the Dev-C++ IDE. It is extremely lightweight and supports single-file compiles without creating a project, which serves the bulk of my limited needs these days. It has an integrated debugger which is supposed to be pretty capable, but since I don't feel like having to come up to speed on how to use any debugger every time I end up working with a program, I tend to go old school and just instrument my code with print statements when I need to debug something. That was pretty much the only debugging method available when I learned to program, so it is something I'm comfortable with.
 
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