What is the difference between g++ and gcc?

Question

What is the difference between g++ and gcc? Which one of them should be used for general c++ development?

Answer 1

GCC: GNU Compiler Collection

• Referrers to all the different languages that are supported by the GNU compiler.

gcc: GNU C      Compiler
g++: GNU C++ Compiler

The main differences:

1. gcc will compile: *.c\*.cpp files as C and C++ respectively.
2. g++ will compile: *.c\*.cpp files but they will all be treated as C++ files.
3. Also if you use g++ to link the object files it automatically links in the std C++ libraries (gcc does not do this).
4. gcc compiling C files has fewer predefined macros.
5. gcc compiling *.cpp and g++ compiling *.c\*.cpp files has a few extra macros.

Extra Macros when compiling *.cpp files:

#define __GXX_WEAK__ 1
#define __cplusplus 1
#define __DEPRECATED 1
#define __GNUG__ 4
#define __EXCEPTIONS 1
#define __private_extern__ extern