C/C++ development under Windows using Eclipse.

If you are searching a free and quality IDE for C/C++ development,
you may look at eclipse. ( specially if you are a java programmer too … )

check up-to-date versions of software before download.
i keep version numbers for simplicity.

• first of all, eclipse needs Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed.
  if you want to develop java applications too, install only JDK …
  http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp

• JDK downloaders, put java excutables on your path,
  ( forexample C:\Sun\SDK\jdk\bin in my machine. )

• smallest size eclipse is Platform Runtime Binary
  this does not include plug-ins to develop anything ,
  we will download plug-ins later.
  http://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops/R-3.2.1-200609210945/

• install mingw ( gcc for windows ).
  download and run MinGW-5.0.2.exe
  it will download and install everything needed,
  since mingw can compile java, objective C, etc..
  no need to check anything else than you needed ( gcc and g++ ).
  http://mingw.org/download.shtml

• put mingw executables on your path.
  ( forexample C:\MinGW\bin in my machine )

• download and install MSYS-1.0.11-2004.04.30-1
  Snapshot, bottom of page http://mingw.org/download.shtml
  it will ask your mingw installation path ( C:\MinGW in my machine )

• put MSYS excutables on your path.
  ( forexample C:\msys\1.0\bin in my machine )

• same page, download gdb-6.3-2 for debugging C/C++ programs.
  by default it will install inside mingW directory, so no need to add it in path.
  otherwise put bin directory in your path.

• to install eclipse CDT ( C development Tools )

  • run eclipse,

  • click menu item Help/Software Updates/Find and Install

  • select search for new features to install

  • click on new remote site and add url http://download.eclipse.org/tools/cdt/releases/callisto

  • after some monotonous steps you will see features available
    select only “Eclipse C/C++ Development Tools”

hint : eclipse managed C/C++ projects means
eclipse will manage the makefile.
Otherwise we need to write and update a makefile.

after this point you need to learn about eclipse.( look at the help menu ).
some of people dont like eclipse
only becos they didnt spend time to learn about it.

additional info :
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/library/os-ecc/