Skipping ahead to classes
I'm in an intro to CS course, and the book we are using (Starting Out With C++ 7th ed.) goes through the basics pretty much through the first 7 chapters of how to use it. It seems like chapters 8-12 seem almost like extra, advanced information that is definitely good to know, and will be useful but not exactly critical. These chapters are Searching and Sorting Arrays, Pointers, C-String and the string class, Structured Data, and Advanced File Operations. 13 is intro to classes. I feel like classes are powerful and useful, and I want to skip ahead to them. The problem is, I don't want to miss anything really important I would need for them. I've already been working way ahead, the class for college is on like chapter 3 and I'm done with chapter 6. Basically my question is, in those chapters I listed, would I miss anything vital which I should look over, or would I be able to sufficiently grasp the concept of classes?
Everything you listed searching, arrays and pointers most especially, is crucial knowledge. I would highly recommend not skipping ahead, because it sounds to me like a great way to get patchy knowledge.
Edit: Plus, what are you going to be putting classes? Probably (amongst other things), arrays, pointers and strings...
Edit: Plus, what are you going to be putting classes? Probably (amongst other things), arrays, pointers and strings...
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Searching and Sorting Arrays: This is worth going into because it helps you learn problem solving, as well as help you get more comfortable with array/vector manipulation (are you using C-style arrays or C++ arrays, and are you using the <algorithm> header in any of this?).
Pointers: These are CRITICAL, because you'll need to understand how to use pointers when getting into polymorphism.
C-Strings: These go largely unused in C++, but the CS course might drill you on it anyway and it's worth knowing because it'll help you understand how strings work.
std::string class: This is VERY important if you want to do anything regarding string storage/manipulation.
Structured data: structs are basically classes without functions and all public members, but they can help you ease into programming with classes.
Advanced file operations: Too generic to tell what this is, could you elaborate?
Bottom line: NU SKIPPING. All information has at least some value :D
-Albatross
Pointers: These are CRITICAL, because you'll need to understand how to use pointers when getting into polymorphism.
C-Strings: These go largely unused in C++, but the CS course might drill you on it anyway and it's worth knowing because it'll help you understand how strings work.
std::string class: This is VERY important if you want to do anything regarding string storage/manipulation.
Structured data: structs are basically classes without functions and all public members, but they can help you ease into programming with classes.
Advanced file operations: Too generic to tell what this is, could you elaborate?
Bottom line: NU SKIPPING. All information has at least some value :D
-Albatross
I don't think you guys understood what I meant, eventually I'll be getting all the information. I've been going ahead because I'm legitimately having fun learning this, and playing with it. Classes just seemed like the next big fun chapter, and fun to play around with.
Well, if you're hell-bent, I'd still suggest learning pointers first, and then moving onto classes. Looking into structured data could also be good to help ease yourself into classes if you'd like, but I wouldn't quite mark it as extremely important to learn before learning classes.
Still. I still recommend not skipping, because your textbook was written in a way that assumes you have knowledge covered in the previous chapters.
-Albatross
Still. I still recommend not skipping, because your textbook was written in a way that assumes you have knowledge covered in the previous chapters.
-Albatross
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If you take anything away from this thread at all dmpaul, let it be this. Everyone who replied said not to skip.
| Bottom line: NU SKIPPING. All information has at least some value :D |
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as albatross said pointers are critical however they are fairly easy to understand (just a little tricky to start with). if you are going to skip the others do pointers first
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