New to C++, Having trouble understanding how some simpe things done in Java or .Net done in C++

[chitwanjit]

I have gone through quite a few posts here and I find some real serious knowledge flow going in here. It is motivating.

My Query:

I am basically from SAP background. I recently have had interest in learning a new language. I am amazed at the speed and scope of tasks that C++ can do. I have developed an interest to know more about it and eventually develop something worthwhile. I knew and heard that C++ is difficult to get hands on to, Well, I am not really sure about that, But surely from a beginner point of view, There is no resource to get you to know how you can start with a small application.

To Elaborate on that, What I have been looking into is few ebooks, which told me about pointers, threads, memory and Library and other core C++ stuff, which lets u know how this language works. In .Net, You have Visual studio and you start doing your job. Here, I have seen that there are discussions over which compiler to choose. Moreover, If I have to make a desktop application which deals with one screen taking in data, querying database, and then based on that display the data in other screen, what tutorial shall I see. Similarly, If I have to make a simple web application as counterpart of above desktop application, How does that go??

Then there are libraries, loads and loads of them. I guess in C++, one has to first gather so much material to start with, like Compilers, IDE, Library etc, and then start with development.

I might be moving in wrong direction, Please correct.

Thanks & Regards.

[mutexe]

Morning,

In .Net, You have Visual studio and you start doing your job.

Exactly the same in C++.

If I have to make a simple web application as counterpart of above desktop application, How does that go??

I wouldn't use C++ to make a web application.

I might be moving in wrong direction

I don't think you are moving in the wrong direction as such, but I think you are over-complicating things maybe.

Start off with visual studio (although it really doesnt matter what you use if you want to get used to the language), and just work through a few online tutorials. Don't even start worrying about libraries, threads and stuff like to start with.

[chitwanjit]

Thanks a lot for the reply.

I guess I can use Netbeans as IDE. How are textboxes, dropdowns made in C++, since all I saw in each ebook was the usual topics related to core language.

[helios]

If I have to make a desktop application which deals with one screen taking in data, querying database, and then based on that display the data in other screen, what tutorial shall I see.

It depends on how demanding you are. If you want just most minimal program that can use a database (any single database) and input and output data with it, you only need the standard library and something like SQLite or any other embedded database engine.
If you want to get more sophisticated with a GUI and a client-server DBMS, well that's much more complicated.

If I have to make a simple web application as counterpart of above desktop application, How does that go?

Pretty much: don't use C++. There are cases where it's justifiable, but most of the time it isn't. It's just pointless when there are other languages and frameworks that can do it and are designed to do it.

in C++, one has to first gather so much material to start with, like Compilers, IDE, Library etc, and then start with development

Yes and no.

The IDE is for the most part a personal preference. Visual Studio is, IMO, a good choice when developing under Windows. Alternatively, in some places you'll just use whatever IDE everyone else in the group uses.

The compiler is a choice determined mainly by whether you need to interface with existing, compiled C++ code. If you need to interface with such code, you use the compiler that code was compiled with, period.
Other than that, the compiler choice isn't all that relevant, as long as the compiler version is recent. There are minor differences with regards to standards compliance (e.g. GCC and Clang are the most standard-compliant), quality (performance) of generated code (e.g. ICC is considered the best compiler for x86 and x86-64), and other features (e.g. Clang does static code analysis as an inherent step of compilation and optimization, which is nice).
If you can choose any compiler, you can literally choose any compiler. The particular choice isn't very important.

Which libraries you choose will depend, as I said before, on your requirements. You can go for minimalism and make the simplest program that just performs its function (but does it well), or you can put all the bells and whistles you want.

[chitwanjit]

Thanks Helios.

Can you please elaborate or simplify what QT and Witty are all about ?? It is basically framework. So is it C++ ?/

[mutexe]

I guess I can use Netbeans as IDE

I don't understand sorry. You're first post implied you use VS for .net stuff, so why not stick with that? Unless i've assumed incorrectly, which i do quite a lot :)

How are textboxes, dropdowns made in C++

I use MFC, but that's fairly old now. You might want to wait for someone younger to answer that one :)

[coder777]

It is basically framework. So is it C++ ?/

Yes, Qt is GUI and Wt is a 'web toolkit'.

There's nothing wrong with using C++ for the web as soon as you can do what you want with it