How to Compile C++ Codes in macOS

1. Install the G++ Compiler to Compile C++ Codes in macOS
2. Compile and Run C++ Codes in macOS

This article contains information about the C++ compiler for macOS X. We will discuss how we compile and run code using the g++ compiler using the command line interface (i.e., terminal).

GNU has two compilers, GCC and g++, for compiling C and C++ codes. GCC is mainly used for compiling C language codes, and g++ is used to compile C++ codes.

If we are using the g++ compiler to link object files, it links them automatically in the standard (STD) C++ libraries.

Install the G++ Compiler to Compile C++ Codes in macOS

To install the G++ compiler on macOS, you need to open the terminal window and type in the following command:

onworks@onworks:/$ g++

If your package is not already installed, then the following window will appear:

Now, to install, we use the following command:

onworks@onworks:/$ sudo apt-get install g++

This command will start the installation of the g++ compiler after you permit by pressing the Y key, as shown in the image below:

Installation of the g++ compiler is now complete. Now, you can compile your C++ programs on your macOS.

Compile and Run C++ Codes in macOS

You can now create a program named firstProgram.cpp in any text editor like this code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
  cout << "Hello World" << endl;
  return 0;
}

To compile this code, open the file location in the terminal and type in the following command:

onworks@onworks:/$ g++ firstProgram.cpp -o firstProgram

This command will create an executable .exe file named firstProgram.exe.

The -o flag is used to name the executable file by your choice. If you don’t use -o, it will create an executable by the name a.out.

To run that executable, use the following command:

onworks@onworks:/$ ./firstProgram

Output:

Hello World

So now, we have compiled and run a C++ code on macOS.

We can also use different macOS compilers to compile and run C++ codes.

• XCode
• Netbeans
• cLion
• Qt Creator
• Visual Studio for OS X

These compilers provide a good code editor with IntelliSense and code indentation options. They provide very efficient debugging tools to trace down the errors in your code.

These compilers provide you with a manageable project management feature. You can save all the source files of your project and the other files related to your project, for example, database files or image files, etc.