IDE without WORKSPACES/SOLUTIONS

What's wrong with the concept of a project? It's just a way to make configuring your compiler/linker easier.
Anyway, what language are you using?

Assuming it is C++ you can use some fancy text editor(like Notepad++) and then use the command line tools to build your files.

HTH.

Quote:

Original post by CableGuy What's wrong with the concept of a project? It's just a way to make configuring your compiler/linker easier. Anyway, what language are you using? Assuming it is C++ you can use some fancy text editor(like Notepad++) and then use the command line tools to build your files. HTH.

It's a way to make configuring compiler/linker easier? Mission failed. Haven't used C++ in a long time. What century is this?

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Original post by growingtired It's a way to make configuring compiler/linker easier? Mission failed. Haven't used C++ in a long time. What century is this?

What exactly are you struggling with? Visual Studio gives you a nice GUI to change settings, instead of having to enter them all as text-based as you would have to with makefiles.

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Original post by Evil Steve Quote: Original post by growingtired It's a way to make configuring compiler/linker easier? Mission failed. Haven't used C++ in a long time. What century is this? What exactly are you struggling with? Visual Studio gives you a nice GUI to change settings, instead of having to enter them all as text-based as you would have to with makefiles.

Sometimes I just want to create a small test program without going through the headache of creating another project in visual studio, setting up file paths and dependencies and cluttering the project directory. I would also be fine without 3 million non-code visual studio files everywhere in my directories.

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Original post by growingtired Quote: Original post by Evil Steve Quote: Original post by growingtired It's a way to make configuring compiler/linker easier? Mission failed. Haven't used C++ in a long time. What century is this? What exactly are you struggling with? Visual Studio gives you a nice GUI to change settings, instead of having to enter them all as text-based as you would have to with makefiles. Sometimes I just want to create a small test program without going through the headache of creating another project in visual studio, setting up file paths and dependencies and cluttering the project directory. I would also be fine without 3 million non-code visual studio files everywhere in my directories.

I have a test solution for situations like that, with just main.cpp inside a src folder, separated from all the non-code files...

If you have only a small test project that don't need any dependencies just don't configure them, it will propably work.

if you are really, REALLY, desperate, Dev-C++ will compile a pure .c file without any project, will guess the libraries and the includes...

Let me make sure we have this straight: what you're looking for here is an IDE that doesn't have any of the features of an IDE because you can't handle clicking the "New Project" button?

The easiest way

"new" - "project from existing code"
"next" - "next" -"next" - "next" - "next" - "next"

Then double click on the source file (outside the IDE, and have c++ associated with Visual Studio of course)

Quote:

Original post by growingtired Quote: Original post by Evil Steve Quote: Original post by growingtired It's a way to make configuring compiler/linker easier? Mission failed. Haven't used C++ in a long time. What century is this? What exactly are you struggling with? Visual Studio gives you a nice GUI to change settings, instead of having to enter them all as text-based as you would have to with makefiles. Sometimes I just want to create a small test program without going through the headache of creating another project in visual studio, setting up file paths and dependencies and cluttering the project directory. I would also be fine without 3 million non-code visual studio files everywhere in my directories.

That's why property sheets were invented. You can store all those settings in separate files which are then included by your projects. This way you can setup all include/library paths you need by approx. 3 mouse clicks.

*edit*
I just noticed: They're called property sheets.

[Edited by - SiS-Shadowman on December 23, 2010 10:48:15 AM]

I second that you should use property sheets (if it's c++).

Geany is a viable solution if you are under linux and want to manage your own makefiles. But, like I said, I would take VS over any IDE any day.

Edit:
If you are using .NET, you don't have to bother with VS. Project files are ms-build files, so you can directly invoke msbuild to build them. This is extremely powerful (e.g. integration/nightly builds)!

One thing I do is, I have a separate project called practiceProject. And its sole use is to practice and write small test code whenever i need to. So that way I don't have to create a new project for every little program I want to test.

Dev-Cpp was the last IDE I used that could build plain code files without creating a project or workspace first. Sadly, that IDE is half a decade out of date, now.

For the record, I find this issue quite annoying. Visual Studio provides a "new file" option - but it cannot compile, run or debug that file if you don't add it to a solution first.

Code::Blocks. Open source, cross-platform, workspaces are optional.

Well, technically, it creates a workspace for you, but it's a looser concept, and you don't have to administer it.

Honestly, I think you're probably the only one looking for a "solution" to this "problem". For short, throw-away code it may seem a bit over-engineered, but no one writes real code like that. Every "real" project you undertake might legitimately require different setups -- one project might like version 1.21 of boost, and another might like 1.35.

As others have said, there are tools to help make things easier, you just need to learn to wield them. I wouldn't seriously recommend forgoing all the wonderful Visual Studio Features in favor of some spartan IDE where you don't have to click "new project" every now and again. Seriously, how many new projects are you creating anyhow? Is this really a bottleneck for you?

Another possible solution is to create new test projects within a test solution -- You ought to be able to configure many, if not most/all things at the solution level, IIRC, and the projects will inherit.


If you think this is bad, try setting up an embedded systems project in eclipse with a JTAG debugger and a third-party plugin to deploy code to the hardware over a serial connection. The first time took me two hours with a 30-page document. Even after practice it still takes 20 minutes or so every time I start a new project.

If I ever just want to test something to do with syntax or a tiny bit of code for posting on the forum, I just open a command window and use g++ to compile a file written with edit.

For anything even slightly more complicated, the two or three minutes it takes to set up a new VS project is trivial compared to the benefits.

I found that KDevelop integrates nicely with CMake and can do code browsing and auto completion. It actually has the best understanding of C++ that I have ever seen in an IDE. I think it looks at the Makefile to find include paths and stuff.

Still it creates one little text file with 4 lines of configuration and I still need to write the make files. So it is not easier. It is work that needs to be done.

If you're using Eclipse, then you're looking for scrapbook pages, which let you type and run test code without creating a project.

For anything bigger, I do what Key_46 said and have a 'testbed' project for quick tests.

Never use Dev-C++. Use Code::Blocks. Otherwise, if you're so opposed to project files, use a text editor, and just use command-line compilation.