Turbo C++ is a discontinued C++ compiler and integrated development environment originally from Borland. It was designed as a home and hobbyist counterpart for Borland C++. As the developer focused more on professional programming tools, later Turbo C++ products were made as scaled down versions of its professional compilers.

History

Borland Turbo C++
Turbo C++ 1.0, running on MS-DOS, was released in May 1990. An OS/2 version was produced as well. Version 1.01 was released on February 28, 1991, running on MS-DOS. The latter was able to generate both COM and EXE programs and was shipped with Borland's Turbo Assembler for Intel x86 processors. The initial version of the Turbo C++ compiler was based on a front end developed by TauMetric (later acquired by Sun Microsystems and their front end was incorporated in Sun C++ 4.0, which shipped in 1994).  This compiler supported the AT&T 2.0 release of C++.

Turbo C++ 3.0 was released on November 20, 1991, amidst expectations of the coming release of Turbo C++ for Microsoft Windows. Initially released as an MS-DOS compiler, 3.0 supported C++ templates, Borland's inline assembler and generation of MS-DOS mode executables for both 8086 real mode and 286 protected mode (as well as 80186). 3.0 implemented AT&T C++ 2.1, the most recent at the time. The separate Turbo Assembler product was no longer included, but the inline-assembler could stand in as a reduced functionality version.

Soon after the release of Windows 3.0, Borland updated Turbo C++ to support Windows application development. The Turbo C++ 3.0 for Windows product was quickly followed by Turbo C++ 3.1.

It's possible that the jump from version 1.x to version 3.x was in part an attempt to link Turbo C++ release numbers with Microsoft Windows versions; however, it seems more likely that this jump was simply to synchronize Turbo C and Turbo C++, since Turbo C 2.0 (1989) and Turbo C++ 1.0 (1990) had come out roughly at the same time, and the next generation 3.0 was a merger of both the C and C++ compiler.

Starting with version 3.0, Borland segmented their C++ compiler into two distinct product lines: "Turbo C++" and "Borland C++". Turbo C++ was marketed toward the hobbyist and entry-level compiler market, while Borland C++ targeted the professional application development market. Borland C++ included additional tools, compiler code optimization, and documentation to address the needs of commercial developers.  Turbo C++ 3.0 could be upgraded with separate add-ons, such as Turbo Assembler and Turbo Vision 1.0.

Turbo C++ 4.0 was released in November 1993 and is notable (among other things) for its robust support of templates. In particular, Borland C++ 4 was instrumental in the development of the Standard Template Library, expression templates, and the first advanced applications of template metaprogramming. With the success of the Pascal-evolved product Borland Delphi, Borland ceased work on their Borland C++ suite and concentrated on C++Builder for Windows. C++Builder shared Delphi's front-end application framework but retained the Borland C++ back-end compiler. Active development on Borland C++/Turbo C++ was suspended until 2006 (see below.)

Turbo C++ 4.5 was announced on March 20, 1995. New features include multimedia QuickTour, five new games (Turbo Meteors (an Asteroids-like game), Turbo Blocks, Turbo Cribbage, Turbo 21, Turbo Mah Jongg) with corresponding source codes. It includes the ObjectWindows Library (OWL) 2.5, AppExpert, ClassExpert, and Object Components Framework.

Borland Japan Turbo C++
Version 4.0J supports DOS for PC-9801 and PC/AT (DOS/V). It includes Turbo Debugger 4.0. The IDE uses XMS memory. The project manager supports linking OBJ/LIB libraries, and integration with Turbo Assembler 4.0J.

Version 5.0J was announced on 1996-07-23. Based on Borland C++ 5.0J, this version includes an IDE supporting Windows 95 and NT 3.51, and can compile 16-bit software. It includes ObjectWindows Library 5.0, Borland Database Engine, and Visual Database Tools.

Borland Turbo C++ Suite
This version includes Borland C++Builder 1.0, Turbo C++ 4.5 for Windows 3.1, and Turbo C++ 3.0 for DOS. Later release replaces C++Builder 1.0 with Borland C++BuilderX Personal Edition.

Turbo C++ 2006
It is a single language version of Borland Developer Studio 2006 for C++ language, originally announced in 2006-08-06, and was released later on 2006-09-05 the same year with Turbo Explorer and Turbo Professional editions. The Explorer edition was free to download and distribute while the Professional edition was a commercial product.

In October 2009 Embarcadero Technologies discontinued support of all Turbo C++ 2006 editions. As such, the Explorer edition is no longer available for download and the Professional edition is no longer available for purchase from Embarcadero Technologies. Turbo C++ 2006 was succeeded by C++Builder 2007 before Embarcadero's acquisition of CodeGear and dropping support, and the official Turbo C++ 2006 page has later redirected a visitor to C++ Builder 2010.

Freeware releases
Turbo C++ v1.01 was released on 2002-02-21 by Inprise Corporation.

Legacy software
Turbo C++ v1.01 and Turbo C v2.01 can be downloaded, free of charge, from Borland's Antique Software website.
Turbo C 3.0 (DOS) was included in the Turbo C Suite 1.0, which is no longer sold by Borland.

See also
Borland C++
Comparison of integrated development environments
Turbo C

References

External links
Borland International Inc. page: Turbo C++ 4.5
Borland Japan Online page: TC++4.0J for DOS, TC++5.0J for Windows
Borland Software Corporation page: Turbo C++ Suite, Turbo C++ 2006

1990 software
Borland software
C++ compilers
CodeGear software

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