When did you really start programming

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May 17, 2013 at 10:32pm
closed account (N36fSL3A)
i programed something useful a half a week after hello world... You must be a slow learner.
May 17, 2013 at 10:39pm
@Fredbill30

What exactly did you program?
May 17, 2013 at 10:44pm
closed account (N36fSL3A)
A program to keep track of my candy sales because I used to sell candy and other contraptions to make pocket cash.
May 17, 2013 at 10:58pm
@residentbiscuit

My first time touching anything programming related was DarkBasic when I was 12 and wanting to make a video game out of this imaginary character I made up when I was 8.


edit: whoops! skimmed and thought I saw a different user name :P
Last edited on May 17, 2013 at 11:15pm
May 17, 2013 at 11:23pm
@Fredibll30

It is awesome to see other young teenagers like myself here on the forum. I've been idle for quite a while but I've made a number of improvements to programming skills while I was away. In terms of a useful early project I made in C++ it would have to be a Password Generator using QT. It was pretty crappy(... now that I think about - using a dictionary lib might have helped). It didn't store passwords or anything.. it just generated them. It was my first hands-on experience building GUI from scratch and I enjoyed it. I think the WinAPI still scares me with all that boilerplate code just to set up a window.
May 18, 2013 at 12:39am
@Fredbill30
I meant something more useful than something that can be done on notepad :|
May 18, 2013 at 1:12am
closed account (3qX21hU5)
It is almost impossible to grasp the basics of C++ fully in 3-4 days yet along being able to grasp advanced concepts to make a useful program when you have no experience with programming in general. It will take most people years to be able to start building useful programs.
Last edited on May 18, 2013 at 1:21am
May 18, 2013 at 1:28am
closed account (N36fSL3A)
Give an example of useful. I got the basics down in like 3 weeks, I understood stuff like classes and variables along with basic I/O. I was looking into a graphics library by then.
May 18, 2013 at 1:50am
@Fredbill
But do you know how to implement the C++ syntax with these software designs?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_design_pattern (Courtesy of Zaita)
May 18, 2013 at 1:54am
closed account (ETAkoG1T)
Making a candy sales recording program after such a short time is awasome in itself though. I wasn't able to do anything really on my own before long after I had started learning programming...
May 18, 2013 at 1:56am
closed account (N36fSL3A)
That is irrelevant. I have my own personal design patterns.

Do you know how to implement the C++ syntax with it?
Last edited on May 18, 2013 at 1:56am by Fredbill30
May 18, 2013 at 1:57am
closed account (3qX21hU5)
That is irrelevant. I have my own personal design patterns.


I would get out of that type of thinking as soon as possible. You NEED to know about design patterns and how to use them effectively.

I got the basics down in like 3 weeks, I understood stuff like classes and variables along with basic I/O. I was looking into a graphics library by then.


Interesting, mind if I ask you a few questions about the basics of C++ then?



1) What is the virtual keyword used for? Bonus if you can tell me when you would need a virtual destructor.

2) What is copy control? Bonus if you can tell me when you need to define your own copy control.

3) How would you reverse a std::string without using any loops? Post both a explanation of the code and the code itself.

4) What is the comma operator and how does it work?

5) Explain what data abstraction is.


Bonus question based on graphics programming. What is a viewport? How would you create a viewport in SDL or your library of choice?


Its up you if you want to answer these, I'm just curious. If you did learn the basics of C++ (Classes, containers, loops, variables, OOP, ect) in under a month that is actually very good and nicely done.

Though remember just knowing the basic syntax of a language is completely different then being able to use that language effectively in real world programs.
Last edited on May 18, 2013 at 2:01am
May 18, 2013 at 1:58am
Fredbill, do you still have this? If its what I'm thinking...
May 18, 2013 at 2:01am
Does anyone else still feel like they know so very little even though you've been doing this for 5+ years?
I mean, maybe I just don't have a very big ego.
Last edited on May 18, 2013 at 2:02am
May 18, 2013 at 2:03am
closed account (3qX21hU5)
No Thumper I feel the exact same. When I first start I felt like I knew everything. Then after about a year and a half of programming I realize that I know MUCH MUCh less then I thought I did.

I think thats natural. I remember someone (Disch I think) on here saying something like "The more you know, the more you realize how little you know" or something along those lines.
May 18, 2013 at 2:13am
closed account (ETAkoG1T)
The more I learn, the more I learn how little I know. -- Socrates

Disch or Socrates, whatever :P I feel the same like thumper. When I start comparing myself to fredbill I don't feel I know much for all the time I have spent. He may be over exaggerating a little bit, but it took me way longer than 3 weeks to understand any of classes. I think maybe I would be able to make the candy program after 3 weeks, no more. Fred do you do anything other than programming and have you actually posted any code in the forums?
Last edited on May 18, 2013 at 2:21am
May 18, 2013 at 2:21am
I agree. :D
It took me learning OOP in C++ to understand how to use structs in C... (Yes, I know there is no OOP in C, but I found it helpful to imagine structs as a user-defined type).

To answer Fredbill, I learned how to use singletons. :3 I'm still trying to grasp factories and abstract factories and how to practice using them.
May 18, 2013 at 2:26am
closed account (N36fSL3A)
If you're saying I say I have the basics down why are you asking me questions about the standard library? You're not asking about basics but you're asking about programming practices.

I really don't look into the standard library really because I don't need to use it.

a virtual function is a function that can be redefined with the child classes of the parent class.

Reversing a string without loops, no.

I never had a use for comma operators, so no.

I honestly don't know what copy control is.

BONUS:
You can create a viewport (in SDL) easily by making a SDL_Rect for the camera. Then, you would make one for each object that you need to be viewed, (a tile for example). Check collision between the two and if it's true draw the tile at the camera's X position minus the object's X position. Do the same for the Y coordinate. Good?

The things I have no idea about had no real use to me, so I never learned them. I haven't found a real practical use for reversing a string.

EDIT: I swear I'm not exaggerating anything. Is there a real reason I'd lie for learning time of programming? Don't be silly.

I don't really know any other programming language. But I do know 2 and a half scripting languages. Ruby, GML, and some LUA. I have posted code in forums, mostly for help though :P.
Last edited on May 18, 2013 at 2:29am by Fredbill30
May 18, 2013 at 2:56am
@SpaceWorm

I am SpaceWorm, I am a young programmer ,in 17 years old. I love programming ,it has been my passion since 2010.
http://anongallery.org/img/4848/go-on-the-internet-and-tell-lies.jpg
Last edited on May 18, 2013 at 2:57am
May 18, 2013 at 3:09am
closed account (ETAkoG1T)
Haha yea that is actually funny. You can check out his public profile.
Something doesn't add up. 2013 - (17-8) != 2010


I started programming at 8 and now I am 17.
Last edited on May 18, 2013 at 3:09am
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