Is is possible to open up source code in DDD without compiling an executable file? I want to edit in DDD (or maybe vim and then cut and past) so that when I try to compile, I get output if any errors occur.

But wait, this is what DDD is for, right? Or am I missing something? At this point I can only debug programs that compile without any errors. Correct me if I am wrong, but my image of a debugger is that it helps you compile as well as perform debugging after you have created an executable program.

Or not?

This sounds to me like: my image of a toaster is that it keeps your ice ceam cold as well as perform toasting.

A toaster is meant to toast and a debugger is meant to debug. You have the right idea of what debugging is, and that's what a debugger is for. I believe you're thinking of an IDE (Integrated Developing Environment) instead of a debugger.

look buddy DDD is a GUI for GDB and it is a debugger and a debugger is for debugging. You provide the executable and also provide the source file of that executable and it will show you the instruction from the source code and will execute the binary. So it just looks like that it is executing the source as it is displaying you the source code of the instruction that it is executing. But for all that you must also provide the source file for that executable and also when you compile that executable you must enable debugging option. Like if it is C/C++ program you must give "-g" aurguments.

getting your code to compile is not what ddd is for. gcc will tell you why your source code wont compile ddd helps you figure out why you get a segmentation fault, or why your getting a wrong answer. if your looking for something that will let you compile your source code, then list out the compile errors so you can go fix them, kdevelop is a c/c++ ide that a lot of people use. i like to compile from vim by using the :make command. it runs the makefile in the working directory and when i hit enter it takes me right to the first error. if you dont know how make files work, its worth the time to figure it out. search for some instructions on google, once you get an idea of how it works man make will make more sense