How to Install g++ Compiler on Mac Terminal

When working with C++ programming language, it is essential to have a compiler installed on your computer. The 'PATH' environment variable stores all the full paths for programs on your system. In this article, we will explore how to install and configure the g++ compiler on your Mac terminal.

To begin, open the Command Palette in VScode by pressing ⌘+P (Command + P) and type 'install'. Select 'Install Code Command in PATH' and hit enter. This will allow you to run any program from the terminal by giving it the full path to the program and saving an alias name for that program.

The g++ and clang++ commands are just paths that have been aliased so that you do not need to write the full path to your compiler every time. You can see the full path by typing the command 'which g++' or 'which clang++'.

When running a C++ program, you typically provide the full path to the executable. In Unix terminal, this is done using the 'cd' command to navigate to the directory where the executable is located.

To compile and generate an executable output, use the g++ compiler with the '-o' flag to set the generated executable name. For example, the command `g++ hello.cpp -o hello` compiles the 'hello.cpp' file and generates an executable named 'hello'.

The tilde character (~) expands to your home directory, which is '/Users/your_username/'. This can be used to navigate to specific directories.

Installing Xcode is not a requirement, but it is recommended if you have enough space. The clang compiler is required for developing C++ regardless of the IDE or editor you choose.

Understanding the basics of the Unix terminal is essential when working with C++. You can open a new terminal window by searching for 'Terminal' in Spotlight and pressing enter.

To install the command-line tools, use the following command: `xcode-select -install`. This will install the clang compiler.

If you are already familiar with VScode and C++, you may want to refer to the next part of this series, which explores using tasks.json and launch.json for debugging and configuring your project. In this article, we will start from the ground and work our way up, running simple C++ programs and exploring VScode along the way.

G++ compiler mac terminal