This was just so good I had to share. I recently switched my C/C++ compiler. It was not capable of doing what I needed it to do. So I turned my eyes to Open Watcom http://www.openwatcom.com/product/features_content.html

Take a look at these features. They ask for a donation and its easy to see why. But you are not required to donate or buy the CD, you can download without.


The GUI for the IDE is slightly outdated, but hey it works!.

Its not just a c/C++ compiler it compiles for fortran.

From any host platform you can develop both 16 bit and 32 bit targeted at OS/2, Windows 3.1, Win 9x, Windows NT/2000/XP. Now thats multiplatform. It includes, now get this, remote debugging over the serial port, parallel port, TCP/IP for all supported platforms (including DOS!). there is mention of porting to Linux and FreeBSD.

Is this too good to be true?

Well I downloaded it. I compiled with it two Win32 programs targeted for windows 98. It worked flawlesly. I tryed a C++ dos app, that compiled aswell. Was going to test fortran, but remembered when I installed watcom it asked me if I wanted to add suport for fortran and I chose no.

Watcom comes with a Win32 spy, I tryed it and it works. The resource editor and dialog editor both work. I created a menu resource, and a dialog resource for my win32 program.

The only problems I has, was one, when i start a new project, add a source, select the source and choose make source, it gives me an error. This was fixed by chooseing make the current target, and there after I was able to make the current source. And that win32 apps compile with no errors, but a few warnings, I run the executable though and it was fine.

I havent enough programing knowhow yet to be able to test everything, plus there is alot of features to test. But I bel;ieve alot of you will be happy with it. As I am. They deserve a donation.