The ability to compile the same code on different platforms is called portability. The same C++ code that we write (Source) can be compiled using different compilers for different operating systems, and in theory, they should produce the same result. Also, the Intel compiler is compatible with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010, 2012, and 20 is actually deprecated in the upcoming 2016 version as well and the beta for that version ended just last month. On Mac, there is Xcode, and on all of Windows, Mac, and Linux, there is the GNU Compiler Collection ( GCC). Hi Jeff, Pardon the delay in responding and thanks to Tim in letting you know that Express Edition is not supported. On Windows, you have Visual Studio and Intel C++ Studio compiler. But you need a compiler to run it on your machine.Įvery operating system typically has one or more C++ compilers that can compile C++ code to run on that platform. You can write C++ source code in any text-editing program-even in Notepad. Visual Studio and Xcode are both compilers. This is the whole point of using Microsoft Visual Studio Express or Xcode. It has to be compiled first for it to run. You can use Express for Windows Desktop with your Visual Basic and C applications to target both. See, your source code.cpp file will not actually run on a computer. The new VS 2012 language and library features are available in Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows Desktop, including the async and await keywords in Visual Basic and C, C++ AMP, and improvements to C++ 11 Standards conformance. Building your source code means the same thing as compiling it. Compiling is the process of converting your C++ program into code that can run on a CPU. You might have heard of a computer process term called compiling.