- The good news is that all the tools you need
to begin your programming journey
are found free on the internet, the bad news being
that you have to find the right tools
and install them properly.
This is not an issue for you here because, in this movie,
I'll show you how it's done.
You'll see how to find a good IDE,
or Integrated Development Environment,
a C language compiler, and get everything set up
and configured for using this course.
You'll find a horde of IDEs on the Internet.
Microsoft offers the Visual Studio as its IDE,
and Apple has Xcode.
You're welcome to use those tools,
especially if you're comfortable with them.
But for this course, I've chosen the Code::Blocks IDE.
The thing I like about Code::Blocks is
that it comes with everything you need.
Unlike other IDEs, you don't have to hunt for this or that
after the IDE is installed.
You basically download, configure, and you're ready to go.
Obtain Code::Blocks by visiting the developer's website,
codeblocks.org.
Point your favorite web browser or Internet Explorer
to that website.
On that page, look for the downloads link.
Remember, they page you see here may look different,
as web pages do change from time to time.
Click the downloads link.
Choose to download the binary release.
Click the link that represents
your computer operating system, Windows, Linux, Mac OS X.
For Windows, look for the setup.exe file that includes
the MinGW compiler.
For example, on this screen, it says
codeblocks-13.12mingw-setup.
The numbers may change, but that's the link you need.
For Linux, choose your 32-bit or 64-bit Distro.
Select a version of Code::Blocks that isn't testing
or debubinfo.
Try to match your specific Distro
by choosing a link to download.
And for the Mac, only one option is shown.
Click the link to the ride of your choice.
I'll use Sourceforge.
The download starts immediately.
Wait until it's complete.
The next step is to find the downloaded file
and install Code::Blocks.
Open the folder containing that file,
which is usually the downloads folder.
You might also be able to access that folder
from the web browser.
In Windows, double-click the file to open it
and begin installation.
Work through the installation wizard.
Don't worry about any of the options;
they're all okay.
Eventually, Code::Blocks will be installed
with a shortcut icon on the desktop.
Click the Yes button to start Code::Blocks, if you like,
although it's not necessary to do so to complete this movie.
On the Mac and Linux, you need to
unpack the archive you downloaded.
Double-click the icon in a folder window
to unpack the archive.
On the Mac, you'll end up with a Code::Blocks app file,
which is secretly a folder.
I recommend moving that icon to the application's folder.
With Linux, double-click to open the archive.
At that point, you'll have to run the install program,
depending on how your Distro deals with
whatever is in the archive.
For example, if it's an RPM file, open it
to begin package installation.
After Code::Blocks is installed,
you need to get it configured.
That topic is covered in another movie.