In a break from past practices, Microsoft is making its optimizing C++ compiler available for free from its Web site. The Visual C++ Toolkit 2003 contains the same optimizing C++ compiler, standard C and C++ libraries, and .NET Framework Common Language Runtime as the Professional Edition of Visual C++. It does not, however, include the integrated development environment or debugger of Visual C++. The move appears designed to blunt one of the appeals of Linux to students and other developers: the availability of free, high-quality C++ compilers such as the GNU C++ Compiler.

Optimizing Compilers Key to C++ Developers

Compilers are used by developers to translate the human-readable, text-based, source code of an application into a series of processor-specific, low-level instructions. Optimizing compilers go beyond directly translating each line of source to a corresponding set of binary instructions—they analyze sections of code and seek to rearrange, restructure, or rewrite those instructions to maximize the performance of the resulting application.

In addition to providing a free OS, most Linux distributions include an optimizing C++ compiler, usually the GNU C++ Compiler, a high-quality open source compiler. In contrast, Microsoft has, until now, made its optimizing compilers available only as a part of the Professional Editions of Visual C++ and Visual Studio, both of which carry an estimated price of US$1,079. The Standard Edition of Visual C++, which is priced at a more modest US$109 and includes the integrated development environment and debugger, does not include an optimizing compiler, which makes it inappropriate for professional developers.

Now, the new free Visual C++ Toolkit 2003 gives developers looking to build and sell professional Windows applications a way to do so without incurring the expense associated with Microsoft’s Professional Edition tools: they can purchase the less expensive Standard Edition and, with very little difficulty, replace its non-optimizing compiler with the optimizing one available from Microsoft’s Web site. Microsoft has not announced any plans to change the contents of the Standard Edition of Visual C++.

For large ISVs, the cost of development tools is insignificant compared with the salary and benefits costs of a team of developers. But for individual developers or college students, the cost of such tools for Windows could have made Linux appear more attractive. Now, Microsoft seems willing to accept some loss of sales revenue in its tools division in order to ensure that no developer chooses Linux simply because they can’t afford development tools for Windows.

The Visual C++ Toolkit 2003 can be downloaded from msdn.microsoft.com/visualc/vctoolkit2003.