OS/2 C/C++ Compilers

Current Compilers

While older compilers all still work, I find the reasonable choices to be just these two.

GCC

GCC is more than a C/C++ compiler. An OS/2-based software distribution based on our port of RPM/YUM installs the compiler, the supporting libraries, documentation and run times for programs written in GCC. As this article is being written, OS/2 RPM build 9.2.0-5.oc00 is the current version.

Open Watcom C/C++ 2.0 beta1

OpenWatcom has forked. I am using this fork, but I do not know any reason to prefer one fork over the other. Progress seems stalled on OpenWatcom. To some extent, OpenWatcom benefits from GCC support as installed and maintained by RPM/YUM.

I updated from the list below.

• + free
• + very fast and capable C compiler
• + supports 16-bit development (device drivers)
• + comes with IDE, debugger, profiler etc.
• + cross platform capability (DOS, Windows, OS/2 in one package)
• + powerful linker
• + powerful help compiler

Older Compilers

In 2005, I made a quick list of OS/2 C/C++ compilers with some pros and cons:

Borland C++ 2.0

• + very nice IDE
• + very good Resource Workshop (dialog editor etc.)
• + fast compiler
• + good documentation
• - seriously outdated
• - generates poor code
• - completely unsupported
• - not free and no longer sold

IBM VisualAge C++ 3.08

• + very solid if somewhat quirky compiler
• + excellent PM debugger
• + well supported in IBM sample code etc.
• + excellent documentation
• - rather outdated
• - completely unsupported
• - not free and no longer sold

IBM VisualAge C++ 3.65

• + better and more uptodate C compiler than 3.08 (long long support)
• + excellent PM debugger
• + very solid compiler
• + very good documentation
• - which is implemented via a terrible help system
• - outdated C++ support
• - completely unsupported
• - not free and no longer sold

IBM VisualAge C++ 4.0

• + modern C++ compiler
• - so different that it's useless for many projects
• - unsupported and never quite finished
• - not free and no longer sold

Innotek gcc 3.x

• + free
• + most updtodate C and C++ compiler
• + the best choice for porting POSIX/UNIX code
• + actively worked on
• - no IDE
• - doesn't come with a debugger
• - poor to nonexistent documentation
• - very slow compared to others (especially for C++)

Open Watcom C/C++ 1.3

• + free
• + very fast and capable C compiler
• + supports 16-bit development (device drivers)
• + actively worked on
• + comes with IDE, debugger, profiler etc.
• + excellent cross platform capability (DOS, Windows, OS/2 in one package)
• + C++ compiler more uptodate than IBM's
• - C++ compiler less uptodate than gcc 3.x

Thanks to Michal Necasek for this list.