How to tackle C++ in order to fit into the industry?

[Sekkkyyy]

Hello everyone!


I have a good programming background but i went on hiatus for like 3 years due to personal stuff. I have a strong good concept of OOP(Java) and i think this is my strong point before i went on hiatus. I went to a university and got a degree, but i didn't really learn much halfway because i lost my "drive" that time.


I want to be excellent with C++ within 1 year.

As of now, I do 7 hrs of pure C++ everyday, which is pure testing and debugging of my code things such as (what happens if i do this and that) and do searches depending on what i find out. I am also already at 80% of C++ primer book and i understand it fully.

I am on my first month and i know i am very far away.

If i will be honest, i want to get a C++ programming related job after that time.

What are the necessary skill sets that i should learn to fit into the industry?

I just want to code and code.

So what should i learn? what do i have to learn as C++ is very vast.

[S G H]

You already wrote the issue: C++ is very vast. You won't be able to learn it all within one year. Follow some tutorial, maybe on YouTube.

[2LzbRXSz]

What kind of programming do you want to get into? Learn libraries that'll help you achieve what you want to do after you've truly mastered the basics.

As for learning the entire language in one year... Well, it depends on what you consider "the whole language" you can teach yourself all of the basics in a week, hell maybe even a day. But you'll never hit that point where you know everything. Technology is always expanding and computer science has so many ins-and-outs. You'll always be learning something new, no matter how long you've been in the field for.

Follow the tutorials on this site, watch YouTube tutorials, if you're into reading - try out a few C++ books. Look at other people's code. Practice writing clean, understandable syntax. When working with others, make sure you comment your code (it may make perfect sense to you, but the next guy may be lost looking at it). Try debugging other people's programs - it's one thing if you're the "master at writing programs" but if you can't understand what others write then that'll be an issue when it comes to collaborating (granted, you're not expected to understand what EVERYONE writes. Some people write really sloppy code without any explanation or comments. As long as you can vaguely understand the point to what that person is trying to get across you're in the clear).

[Blackhart98]

Yeah Im in my 5th month in programming ,and the best I made is a vitural pet. Im just into Object-Oriented Programming.

Just don't rush into it at all. Trust me if you rush into anything you will skip over alot. Defintley in c++.

[ultifinitus]

Sekkkyyy wrote:

I want to be excellent with C++ within 1 year.

As of now, I do 7 hrs of pure C++ everyday

That's awesome! If you spend time doing it you'll end up being great at it.

Sekkyyy wrote:

So what should i learn? what do i have to learn as C++ is very vast.

That's up to you, one thing I would recommend is not take on any overly-large project, but keep things small, and try to complete most of the projects you start. We obviously don't know why you went on your break, but to prevent any future disconnects completing smaller projects will give you further motivation to continue progressing.

For myself, looking back at my completed projects fills me with pride and determination, enough to keep going when the next project gets difficult.

[Z e r e o]

What are the necessary skill sets that i should learn to fit into the industry?

The C++ industry is quite vast and there is many different aspects of it. So it can be hard to give a detailed list of what you should learn to be proficient in the industry. Though if you have a certain type of programming you wish to get into then it definitely is possible.

Though I will say this, most entry level jobs are mainly just looking for people that have a good solid grasp on the basics and are eager to learn. You probably don't need to be skilled in every framework the company uses. They usually are willing to take the time to teach you how things are done in the company, how to use the frameworks they use, etc. In fact for most entry level positions this is expected.

Though that isn't to say that actually knowing how to use certain frameworks, or knowing how certain design patterns are used in your field wont give you the "leg up" so to speak on your competition.

So in short companies are mainly looking for people that have a good grounding of basics, are eager to learn. You don't need to know everything about the field, just make sure that you show your willingness to learn new things and that will go far.

So what should i learn? what do i have to learn as C++ is very vast.

As I stated before there is many different aspects of C++, for example there is network programming, multi-threaded programming, User Interface programming, in house tools programming and the list goes on and on.

The best thing to do is find out what type of programming interests you and what type you want to specialize in. Companies usually aren't just looking for someone that knows a little about every type of programming, instead they are looking for someone that specializes and is knowledgeable about one or two of those types of programming.

So again in short figure out what interests you the most and then start researching more into that subject and start learning about the ins and outs of how to program that subject. You might think they are all similar but it is actually surprising that even though they all use the same language (C++ in this case) they each can have very different ways of doing things.

Just my 2 cents, and good job you are making great progress after only a month or so. If you keep this pace and your attitude of wanting to learn you should have no problems finding a job you like.