   Which Compiler For DirectX?
  Obviously I'm very ashamed to ask this, but, I have three different compilers, all free, which I've made many successful, some unsuccessful applications. None, as I guessed, are compatible with the DirectX Libraries or Include files. I am planning to buy the standard Visual C++ Compiler (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000089GKV/qid=1136472794/sr=8-2/ref=pd_ka_2/026-9489551-9051633). Would this be an ideal compiler? I thank you in advance.   
  well words like "ideal" are a bit..not good.  id say that visual studio will work with directx, and since its so commonly used you shouldnt have problems with it not working (and if you do, chances are a lot of other people have had the same problem and found the answer/workaround).i have a friend who uses dev c++ and hasnt had any problems.  its freeware, so worth using in the mean time if your other compilers cant fufil your needs:http://www.bloodshed.net/devcpp.htmlNB this may not run directx either....   ;  The Express Edition of MSVC .NET 2005 is available for free download from Microsoft's website right now. You might want to give that a try rather than buying the 2003 edition.   ;  That's like asking, "what is the best hammer to hit the nail with?"Compilers are just tools. No one is really designed for DirectX, however there are some that are easier for to use for beginners. Dev-C++ is a nice one, especially to start with. I wish I had it when I started out - I was using the Borland 5.5! (A good one, but annoying sometimes)   ;  When it comes to the use of a specific API, compilers are no longer "mere tools". It's actually easier to setup Microsoft compilers to develop DirectX applications, because other compilers might suffer incompatibilities with the SDK (e.g. incompatibility with the lib file format). Given that you can't redistribute a modified SDK, the responsibility of fixing this incompatibility is the programmer's, which can be intimidating for a beginner.I highly recommend Visual C++ and C# Express for unmanaged and managed DirectX development, respectively.   ;  I thank you all for your thoughts, I have chose to use MSVC++.NET as a means to start my DX development.   ;  I would also like to add that before I downloaded the Express Edition of Visual Studio C++, I was successful in setting up a DirectX project in Code::Blocks with no hassle at all. But yes, I would certainly recommend downloading VSC++ Express. =)   ;Quote:Original post by Dwarf with AxeThat's like asking, "what is the best hammer to hit the nail with?"That's a really crappy analogy. Or rather, that's a good analogy that you drew the wrong conclusion from. There are a number of different kinds of hammers and a number of different kinds of nails. If you're going to use masonry nails then a club hammer is probably best. If you're going to drive a nail in a confined area then you might use an upholsterer's hammer.Similarly, MSVC is easy to set up to work with DirectX, but practically useless if you want to cross compile to OS X. Turbo C 2.0 is aces for compiling COM files, but completely useless for working with DirectX.   