A Unix environment on your computer

If your OS is:

Linux. You already have everything. Make sure to install g++ if it is not already there.

OSX. You already have everything. It may come with g++ pre-installed. However, if it’s not the case, install Xcode or its Command Line Tools. This link may be helpful. Open the Terminal and you are good to go.

Windows. We have to install Cygwin – a Unix environment for Windows.
These instructions can help you install it together with the g++ compiler. When doing installation, make sure you chose to install gcc-g++ package.

Video tutorials for installing and using Cygwin on Windows:

1. Installing Cygwin with the g++ compiler,
2. Compiling a simple program.
   (The main takeaway is to put your code in the Cygwin home directory, which is located at C:\cygwin\home\<your-user-name>\)

Web-based. If the above options don’t work for you, there are several web applications to compile and run your code online: C++Shell or JDoodle (turn the interactive mode on).

Text Editor

For this class, I strongly discourage using Xcode or any other IDE. We need only a text editor and a terminal window.

On Mac OSX, use a simpler text editor, for example TextMate or Sublime Text, they are good free options. Use it only for editing code, run your programs from the terminal.

On Windows, Notepad++ and Sublime Text are a good free text editors I can recommend.

If you are using Vim (and Vi) text editor: The editor does not come with a good default configuration. Please refer to this quick guide to make it suitable for editing code.