CHAPTER 40

Using Programming Tools for Ubuntu

IN THIS CHAPTER

Programming in  C   with    Linux

Using   the C   Programming Project Management  Tools   Provided    with

Ubuntu

Using   the GNU C   Compiler

Graphical   Development Tools

References

If you’re looking to learn C, C++, or Java programming, this part of the book

isn’t the right place to start. Unlike with Perl, Python, PHP, or even C#, it
takes more than a little dabbling to produce something productive with
languages like C, C++, and Java. This chapter is primarily focused on the
tools Ubuntu offers you as a programmer.

Whether you’re looking to compile your own code or someone else’s, the
GNU Compiler Collection (gcc) is there to help. It understands C, C++,
Fortran, Pascal, and dozens of other popular languages, which means you can
try your hand at whatever interests you. Ubuntu also ships with hundreds of
libraries you can link to, from the GUI toolkits behind GNOME and KDE to
XML parsing and game coding. Some libraries use C, others C++, and still
others offer support for both, meaning you can choose what you’re most
comfortable with.

WHY USE C   OR  C++?

Every   language    has benefits    and shortcomings.   Some    languages   make    life

easier  for the programmer  but at  the expense of  runtime.    Languages   such    as

Perl    and Python  and even    Java    make    it  hard    for the user    to  guarantee   that

memory  is  fetched sequentially    or  that    it  fits    in  cache,  due to  things  such    as

checks  on  the bounds  on  each    access. They    are useful  languages,  but they