Entorno de trabajo

Goal of this guide

Help you install the minimum, pick an IDE, and compile C++ without fighting your setup. Below are common options (university + industry) with official download links.

What you must have

A C++ compiler: g++ (GCC) or clang++ (LLVM).
An editor/IDE to write and debug code.
CMake to build projects in a clean, scalable way (it saves you a lot of time once things grow).
(If you’ll use Arduino) Arduino IDE or PlatformIO.

To confirm your toolchain is installed, you should be able to run:

g++ --version

or:

clang++ --version

Where do I run those commands?

Commands like g++ --version are run in a terminal (also called a console or command line). Think of it as a window where you type instructions for your computer.

On Windows: open PowerShell or Windows Terminal (search in the Start menu).
On macOS: open the Terminal app (Applications → Utilities → Terminal).
On Linux: open your Terminal app (GNOME Terminal, Konsole, etc.).

If you get “not recognized” or “command not found”, it usually means the compiler is not installed yet or it’s not in your PATH.

Recommended IDEs (and what to install for each)

Option A (recommended): Visual Studio Code + a compiler

VS Code is a lightweight editor; you install the compiler separately.

Download VS Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/
Useful extensions:
- C/C++ (Microsoft)
- CMake Tools (if you use CMake)

Then, depending on your OS:

Windows (easy and stable): install MSYS2 and then GCC (MinGW-w64) from there.
- Download MSYS2: https://www.msys2.org/
- Alternative: LLVM/Clang: https://releases.llvm.org/download.html
Linux: install GCC/Clang from your package manager.
macOS: install Xcode Command Line Tools (for clang++) or use Homebrew for GCC.

Option B: Visual Studio (Windows only, full featured)

If you want an all-in-one IDE on Windows (compiler + debugger + tooling), Visual Studio is the most straightforward path.

Download Visual Studio Community: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/community/
In the installer select: Desktop development with C++.

Option C: Code::Blocks (classic in many universities)

Often used in labs because it’s simple, but it’s not always the most comfortable for larger projects.

Download Code::Blocks: https://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/
On Windows, prefer a build that includes MinGW (when available) or install GCC separately and configure it.

Other options (if required or if you already use them)

Qt Creator (if your GUI will be Qt): https://www.qt.io/download
CLion (paid/student, excellent for CMake): https://www.jetbrains.com/clion/

Arduino (if your final project requires it)

You have two common paths:

Arduino IDE (simple): https://www.arduino.cc/en/software
PlatformIO (more powerful, inside VS Code): https://platformio.org/install/ide?install=vscode

Quick recommendation (to avoid wasting time)

On Windows and you want “install and go”: Visual Studio Community + “Desktop development with C++”.
If you want a more universal workflow: VS Code + GCC/Clang (MSYS2 on Windows, packages on Linux/macOS).
If your university requires Code::Blocks: use it for submissions, but you can still code in VS Code and compile the same way once your compiler is configured.