CodeBlocks – A Free & Cross-Platform C, C++ and Fortran IDE

CodeBlocks is a free and open-source IDE for C, C++ and FORTRAN development. It features a consistent User Interface across all desktop platforms with a class browser, a tabbed interface, and its functions can be extended using plugins.

It also features keyboard shortcuts, smart indentation, code folding, and a to-do list management panel that different users can use, among others. It is written in C++ and it does not require any interpreted languages or proprietary libraries.

CodeBlocks IDE in Action
CodeBlocks IDE in Action

The IDE gives developers a lot of control over the code they write and how it is executed. For example, users can choose which compiler to use.

Features in CodeBlocks

  • Freeware: Code Blocks is free for everyone to download, use and contribute to code.
  • Cross-Platform: All Windows, Linux, and Mac users can enjoy the coolness of CodeBlocks.
  • A comprehensive Wiki with installation, documentation and plugin usage.
  • An document manual available for download in PDF, CHM, and HTML formats in English, french, and German languages.
  • An online forum, where interested users can ask questions, follow announcements, nightly builds, plugin developments, and discuss with other developers.
  • A debugger with support for data and code breakpoints.
  • Ability to switch between threads.
  • Custom memory dump.
  • Option to view GPU registers.

Check out other features housed in CodeBlockshere.

CodeBlocks is available for GNU/Linux, Windows, and Mac platforms but the version for Mac is quite outdated, especially since the last time the IDE received any major updates was on the 28th of January 2016.

My particular distaste for this IDE is that it doesn’t seem to be in active development any longer. Perhaps the dev team is on a chill break or maybe working on something else.

I assume some people might like it the way it is, so feel free to install it and test it for yourself.

To install Code::Blocks on Ubuntu, use the following PPA to get the most recent version.

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:damien-moore/codeblocks-stable
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install codeblocks codeblocks-contrib

Other Linux distributions can download and follow instructions provided at the download page. I recommend you to download the binary setup file, run it on your Linux machine and Code::Blocks will be installed, ready for you to work with it.

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Tell us what you think about CodeBlocks in the comments section below and don’t forget to drop your comments and suggestions if you have any.

Divine Okoi is a cybersecurity postgrad with a passion for the open-source community. With 700+ articles covering different topics in IT, you can always trust him to inform you about the coolest tech.

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