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Free Pascal VS Code::Blocks

Compare Free Pascal VS Code::Blocks and see what are their differences

Free Pascal logo Free Pascal

Free Pascal (aka FPK Pascal) is a 32 and 64 bit professional Pascal compiler.

Code::Blocks logo Code::Blocks

Code::Blocks is a free C++ IDE built to meet the most demanding needs of its users.
  • Free Pascal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-29
  • Code::Blocks Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-15

Free Pascal features and specs

  • Cross-platform Compatibility
    Free Pascal supports a wide range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and more. This allows developers to write code that can be compiled and executed on multiple operating systems without extensive modifications.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source compiler, Free Pascal is freely available for use and modification. This openness encourages community collaboration and continuous improvement of the software.
  • Strong Community Support
    Free Pascal has a dedicated and active community, providing extensive documentation, forums, and user support, which can be invaluable for troubleshooting and learning.
  • Compatibility with Delphi
    The compiler aims to be highly compatible with Delphi, making it easier for Delphi developers to transition their applications to Free Pascal with minimal changes.
  • Rich Set of Libraries
    Free Pascal comes with a comprehensive set of libraries and tools, allowing developers to create a variety of applications, from small utilities to complex software systems.

Possible disadvantages of Free Pascal

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For developers unfamiliar with Pascal, the language and its concepts may present a learning challenge compared to more modern languages such as Python or JavaScript.
  • Limited GUI Toolkit Support
    While Free Pascal does support some GUI toolkits, it may not have as robust or modern GUI options compared to other programming environments, which can be a limitation for developing desktop applications.
  • Less Popular
    Pascal is not as widely used in the programming community as other languages like Java or Python, which can result in fewer third-party tools, libraries, and resources.
  • Performance Overheads
    While Free Pascal is generally efficient, there can be some performance overheads compared with compilers specifically optimized for newer languages and architectures.
  • Limited Modern Language Features
    Free Pascal might lack some of the modern programming features found in newer languages, which can be a disadvantage for developers looking to use the latest paradigms and practices.

Code::Blocks features and specs

  • Open Source
    Code::Blocks is open-source software, which means it is free to use, modify, and distribute. This makes it accessible to a wide audience, including students and hobbyists.
  • Cross-Platform
    It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, allowing developers to maintain a consistent development environment across different operating systems.
  • Plug-in Extensibility
    The IDE supports plugins, enabling users to extend its functionality easily. This provides flexibility and customization to meet specific development needs.
  • Lightweight
    Code::Blocks is relatively lightweight compared to some other IDEs, leading to faster load times and less resource consumption on the host machine.
  • Multiple Compiler Support
    It supports multiple compilers, including GCC, Clang, and MSVC, giving developers the freedom to choose their preferred tools.

Possible disadvantages of Code::Blocks

  • Interface Outdated
    The user interface may feel outdated and less modern compared to other IDEs, which might affect user experience for some developers.
  • Limited Language Support
    While it supports multiple languages, Code::Blocks primarily focuses on C, C++, and Fortran. This may not be suitable for developers working with other languages.
  • Infrequent Updates
    Updates and new feature releases are not as frequent as some competing IDEs, potentially leading to slower adoption of new development trends and tools.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    For beginners, the setup and configuration can be more complex compared to other, more user-friendly IDEs, leading to a steeper learning curve.
  • Lack of Advanced Features
    Code::Blocks may lack some advanced features found in other IDEs, such as built-in support for advanced debugging tools, integrated version control, and sophisticated refactoring capabilities.

Free Pascal videos

Tin 8. Bài Thực hành 1: Làm quen với Free pascal.

Code::Blocks videos

How to use CodeBlocks IDE for C Programming

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Use CodeBlocks
  • Review - 1. C++ Review - Codeblocks Install

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Free Pascal and Code::Blocks)
Programming Language
100 100%
0% 0
IDE
20 20%
80% 80
Text Editors
22 22%
78% 78
Software Development
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Free Pascal and Code::Blocks

Free Pascal Reviews

We have no reviews of Free Pascal yet.
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Code::Blocks Reviews

What's The Best C++ IDE? Our Top C++ IDEs & Editors In 2024
Customizability is another strong suit of Code::Blocks, as you can enhance your development experience with various plugins. Whether it's additional language support, enhanced editing capabilities, or other tools, the extensibility of Code::Blocks ensures it can adapt to a wide range of development needs.
Source: hackr.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Code::Blocks should be more popular than Free Pascal. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Free Pascal mentions (2)

  • AoC 2015 in multiple languages: Day 3 Pascal
    I used Free Pascal which I was quite impressed with. It supports multiple dialects and many targets. Source: over 3 years ago
  • One Commander – a new Windows 10 file browser
    As a tangent, I found it fascinating that Double Commander is developed with Free Pascal and Lazarus. https://github.com/doublecmd/doublecmd/wiki/Development https://freepascal.org/ https://www.lazarus-ide.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago

Code::Blocks mentions (3)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Free Pascal and Code::Blocks, you can also consider the following products

Lazarus - Lazarus is a cross-platform IDE for the Free Pascal compiler.

Microsoft Visual Studio - Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft.

Python - Python is a clear and powerful object-oriented programming language, comparable to Perl, Ruby, Scheme, or Java.

Qt Creator - Qt Creator is a cross-platform C++, JavaScript and QML integrated development environment. It is the fastest, easiest and most fun experience a C++ developer could wish for.

Rust - A safe, concurrent, practical language

Eclipse - Eclipse is an open source community, whose projects are focused on building an open development platform comprised of extensible frameworks, tools and runtimes for building, deploying and managing software across the lifecycle.