total noob needs help!

[britoa17]

hey guys im new to this site and a total noob at programing in any way shape and form. i just want to ask for those of you who self taught c++, what is the best and easiest(if there is any) way to learn c++? do i need to learn c to begin? any help would be very much appreciated thanks.

[LB]

I am self taught and learned C++ from the tutorial on this site:
http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/

[britoa17]

what i want is to learn c++ for game making

[LB]

Look up SFML. Some others will post other libraries you can use.

[iamjose]

Hello britoa17
So you want to learn c++ huh? C++ is a very powerful, portable and fast language, but on the downside it is quite complicated for beginners. I reccomend you learn a simpler language. A good place to start, (and where i started) is python, it is simple, interpreted, and will help you learn the basics of proggraming. After a basic grasp of python you should then move on to c++ and learn the many amazing things of c++. As for game programming your going to have to learn the basics first to get into the magical yet Challenging world of game programming.


Get started with Python

1. Head over to the official website- http://www.python.org/
2.Go to the download section and select the appropriate version for your system.
3.Go here: http://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide/NonProgrammers
4.Pick a tutorial and learn some code!


Get started with C++

1.Come here and download: http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/visual-cpp-express

2a. On this site go here: http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/ , and go in order form top to bottom.

2b.Or go here: http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial.html and read the c++ tutorials.

[britoa17]

thanks alot! will start on this right away

[zb0S216C]

iamjose wrote:

C++ is a very powerful, portable and fast language, but on the downside it is quite complicated for beginners.

I'll always suggest C to anybody that wants to learn C++ simply because C is a more simplified that C++. C excludes confusing concepts such as inheritance.

_Wazzak

[LB]

If you learn C++ and avoid the confusing concepts the first time through, you've learned C. Learn it again but this time take not of the C++ specific features, and you've learned C++. I don't see why you would want to learn C first (it builds bad C++ habits)

[zb0S216C]

L B wrote:

avoid the confusing concepts the first time through (sic)

If you learn C first, you want have to avoid anything.

L B wrote:

I don't see why you would want to learn C first (sic)

To me, personally, skipping C and going directly to C++ is like reading the last 4 pages of a book. If you skip C thinking that you become a programmer faster, you receive a big no-no from me.

L B wrote:

(it builds bad C++ habits) (sic)

Like what?

_Wazzak

[LB]

Bad habits like using C headers for C++ things, like stdio. Bad habits like doing typedef struct tagStructname { stuff; } MYSTRUCT, *PMYSTRUCT;
C++ includes all stuff from C, so skipping C and going to C++ is like reading the second edition of a book, not the last four pages.
I do agree with the first point though. Just a personal preference for when I learned C++.

[PinheadLarry]

So since I tried learning c++ before anything else... I'm going to miss out on alot?
I mean i did try to learn java and python but c++ just seems like it was more worth it to me

[ResidentBiscuit]

I took a C++ class in high school and in college (sophomore in college right now, computer science major). Granted, before I took C++, I took a darkBasic class, and a visual basic class. But after my DB class, I started to self teach myself C++. Basically, take a class if its an option. If not, pick up a beginner book that covers all the core concepts.