IDE?
Debugger?
Make file tool?
Tool for writing tests?

Top of the morning, in most cases the IDE have all. Kdevelop has almost everything in it.

i tried kdevelop and couldn't figure out how to compile a single file. Looks like i'd have to make a makefile even for just a tiny project 

I tried Code::Blocks and like it better, one-click compile, no makefiles.

What about testing? What setup do you use for testing your code?

This looks promising, for testing: http://code.google.com/p/googletest/wiki/Primer

also helpful: http://gamesfromwithin.com/exploring-the-c-unit-testing-framework-jungle

To test my code I release it in a debug version embedding the runtime library using code generation. If the IDE does not support code generation I run the application in gdb.

GDB is actually something I don't know much about, or how it works.

It is a very good tool and easy to use. It allows you to see what is going on inside your code. From process to threads to stacks, functions, down to variables. At the base it is a debugger.

What are these?

When there is .NET IDE and other .NET tools.

Try C++ .NET platform. Or Visual C++ 6.0

waxrider:

What are these?

When there is .NET IDE and other .NET tools.

Try C++ .NET platform. Or Visual C++ 6.0

God bless you. Some programmers are yet to come to the realisation of the fact that .NET platform is the BOMB. Some people like wahala.

May be they are writing programs to add 2 numbers. Or program to calculate fibonanci.

If you want to write huge project, then, .NET is the bomb

Code:blocks FTW

i don't use windows, so .net isn't of much relevance to me

codeblocks

Eclipse and GNU g++ for me.

I use Visual studio primarily, it basically makes other platforms look impaired.
For stuff with Unix library requirements, I use codeblocks.

For Linux, I would recommend Mono and MonoDevelop.

Thanks a lot for your comments and suggestions.

Here we go again. All you .net lovers, you should check the difference between managed and unmanaged codes.

netbeans and MINGW compiler

Howdy people,

Well,
I basically use:
Linux(mainly)/Win32
Eclipse
GCC/G++/MinGW + GDB
CMAKE
and UnitTest (occasionally)

for UI/Crossplatform related apps, I use QT
www.qt.nokia.com

also Heavily uses BoostC++
www.boost.org

well, for a beginner, I would advice GCC/G++ with any nice syntax highlighting capable Editor (like gEdit)

Keep Coding,

Yeah, boost seems pretty legit.

There is also this really nice C++ FAQ:
http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/

Boost and smart pointers I think basically make C++ as easy to use as Java.

I cannot recommend this FAQ highly enough.

You go through it, come across things you don't understand/concepts you've never heard of, google and then it makes sense. Or if it doesn't make sense, write it down for looking at later.

A much more efficient use of time than reading a C++ book from scratch, 90% of which will be stuff you know or have seen before.

Another really useful thing I found is SWIG: http://www.swig.org/

You can use as a tool to write tests for your C++ in whatever scripting language you like (ruby, python, whatever).

Which is even cooler than this Google testing framework, in my opinion.