What is Turbo C++?
Turbo C++ is a popular Integrated Development Environment (IDE) used for programming in C++. Borland developed it in 1987 and was one of the most widely used C++ development tools for over a decade. Turbo C++ provided a simple and user-friendly interface, and it was particularly popular among beginner programmers.
The Turbo C++ IDE included a code editor, a compiler, and a debugger, which made it easy to write, compile, and debug C++ programs. It also included libraries that developers could use to create graphical user interfaces, access databases, and perform other tasks.
Although newer IDEs have largely replaced Turbo C++, it remains popular among some developers, particularly those who are nostalgic for its simple and straightforward interface. Some also continue to use it because of its lightweight and fast execution, particularly on older computers.
Turbo C++ is:
An IDE for C and C++ programming.
Fine for learning C and C++ languages.
Best for beginners.
Used by most of the schools and colleges in India for students.
Used for debugging purposes.
Available online where we can download the software and use it.
It suits well for windows 7 users.
Features of Turbo C++:
(a). Simple: Turbo C++ is simple to use. It doesn’t provide any complicated functionalities. It is a beginner-friendly C++ compiler. Anyone can use it easily and can start to learn C and C++ programming languages.
(b). Suitable for C & C++: In this Turbo C++ IDE (Integrated Development Environment), we can do the programming for both the languages C and C++. Thus we don’t need different compiler software for them.
(c). Faster Execution: Turbo C++ is faster when it comes to creating the source file and execution of the code. The compiler part of the software is responsible for converting the source code file into object code which means the machine-understandable language or format. The compiler does its task fastly and creates the source file after compilation of the code. After compilation of the code, the Turbo C++ runner module will execute the code in the execution environment. It doesn’t take much time to run the file like we did all the tasks manually in C++.
(d). Best for Windows users: Turbo C++ is only designed for windows users. No mac users can use the software. But in windows, the performance of this software is really impressive. And the functionality is not complex. It is very easy to install in windows, and you can start using it very easily.
(f). Free to download and use: Turbo C++ is available online for free to download and use. It doesn’t charge any money. We can simply download Turbo C++ software online and install it.
(g). Pre-installed Graphics:- In Turbo C++, we don’t need to install graphics manually. When we are installing the software, the graphics are installed automatically.
(h). Keyword Shortcuts:- Turbo C++ provides a variety of shortcuts that provide great importance in programming and enhance the software’s productivity. These keywords are used when programming, like if we want to change the value of any variable or add any breakpoint (discussed below), these keywords come into view.
Debugging Features of Turbo C++: Debugging is a process of the removal of bugs from our program. Turbo C++ is very useful for writing effective code without bugs because it shows the errors before the program’s execution. It will not execute the program until unless the program is debugged completely. There are many useful features of Turbo C++ for debugging. Let us see some Turbo C++ debugging features below:
(a). Single Stepping:- We can enable this feature in Turbo C++ using the F7 key. After enabling this feature, the program will not execute even if the compilation is successfully done. The debugger will start finding the errors in the program by checking each line. And this functionality will help the programmer find the exact line number which caused the error.
(b). Modify Window:- This feature is present in the Debug section of the software. We can use the Tab key to move the cursor to the new value of the variable, and when we reach the desired variable, we can change the new value of the variable. This feature is very useful when we want to change the only value of any variable in our program.
(c). Breakpoint:- This feature becomes useful when we want to mark the breakpoint of the program. Breakpoint means the point where the execution of the program will stop. We can enable this feature by using the keys CTRL and F8 together after taking the cursor to the line where we want to add a breakpoint in our program.
(d). Watches:- This feature is used to check the variables' value when executing the program. The values of the variables sometimes change while execution and watches indicate the change in the values of the variables.