C vs. C++

GyroVorbis · Post by **GyroVorbis** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 7:39 pm

Seriously, I have scrounged up barely enough pennies to afford one programming book. I want this book to aid me in my DC development, nah, more guide me. Without this book I'm nothing. I'm wondering, C or C++ book. I've heard good things about C, but is C a very useful language for other things besides the DC? I want this language to stick with me for the rest of my life. Could C land me a job?

I could buy a C book then move to C++, but is that transition very smooth, and what do you gain by learning C first?

BlackAura · Post by **BlackAura** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 8:22 pm

The C++ book will undoubtedly deal heavily with the STL (Standard Template Library). This does not work on the Dreamcat at all.

GyroVorbis · Post by **GyroVorbis** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 9:34 pm

C IT IS!

Post by **Quzar** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 12:46 am

i would look into online tutorials first, learn the basics then judge the book based on what you see online and what you CANT learn online. you want the book that will give you the most that you cant get elsewhere

ragnarok2040 · Post by **ragnarok2040** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 1:24 am

I suggest O'Reilly's Practical C Programming, 3rd. Edition, if you're gonna buy a book. It helped me.

humandislocation · Post by **humandislocation** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 6:04 am

I think you should start with whichever one you decide is best, but I think the most important thing to learn is that there is no best language. A lot of people learn C, or C++ and then think that the C or C++ way of doing things is the only way to go, and that the other is wrong. They'll then refuse to learn other languages, because they think they're "too inefficient", or "too low level".

I think whatever language you learn, it's important to stay open minded about different languages, and learn a good range of languages.

GPF · Post by **GPF** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 9:00 am

For learning programming I would recommend to learn the easiest language possible. The goal is to learn programming not a language. Once you know how to program it just a matter of finding out how you do it in a particular language.

All languages are pretty similiar for high level. loop, logic, etc. its just a matter of learning different coding styles, and frameworks, top down design, object oriented etc.

The language is just the tool, used to solve a problem or to engineer something new.

Troy

Post by **Quzar** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 4:43 pm

That is a good point, maybe something in the BASIC family or better yet JAVA would be a better precursor to C/C++. Java is syntactically very similar to C and C++ but is more protective and user friendly.

speud · Post by **speud** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 5:09 pm

i wouldnt say basic is a simple language.
it may be good to do simple things but its structure is very "old fashionned" and you need to use goto and subs a lot while in other languages you dont.
java may be a good idea, javascript is one of the simplest to me.

but i think supersonic actually knows programming already, judging from his site he knows perl.

so if you only want to know which one to choose between C and C++ i would recommend C.

ragnarok2040 · Post by **ragnarok2040** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 5:48 pm

I was taught with pascal, so I'll suggest that as a beginner language, but that book I pointed out teaches C just like I was taught pascal, and it is a textbook, complete with all the beginner exercises and etc., so it teaches you how to program, how to analyze problems and develop a solution, the whole 10 yards.

Kamjin · Post by **Kamjin** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 7:02 pm

Guess I'll toss my penny..

Since I started on pdp.. 8080/Z80, and 6800/6502 assembly..
Cobol.. rpg..err fortran... err... grey hairs are showing... (kill me!)

If you've never programmed before.. here's the catch..

If you plan to bang harware, write assembly. make api's/kernals/drivers.
Then start with Basic.. the using goto's, and gosubs,
developing a linear execution mentality, where you have to "imagine"
structures, learn ways of jumping into/out of middle of functions..

The downside to this.. you'll find C++ very confusing the first
time you see a com object.. you'll cry..
The plus side (in several years)... you won't need KOS or any api to actually
program.. you can make your own faster than it takes you to understand
the api..

If you plan on coding games for DirectX, GL, or other api's
then the idea of classes will become essential, and will be
much easier to understand when you brain starts to see coding
as a non-linear lego set, rather than a mindless number munching
beast.. Start with Pascal, or C.. in essence pascal is easier to
start with, but you're probably better off starting in C, and not knowing
what you're missing from a higher level language.

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 6:47 pm

I've heard good things about C, but is C a very useful language for other things besides the DC? I want this language to stick with me for the rest of my life. Could C land me a job?

Which language you learn isn't really the important part. If you understand the underlying concepts, you should be able to learn new languages pretty quickly (even INTERCAL). That being said, C is probably the single most enduring language that has ever existed in the computer industry. There is still nothing that can even pretend to replace it for portable systems and embedded programming. C is supported in one form or another on virtually any platform that can possibly handle the basic datatypes - everything from Game Boy to high-end supercomputers. It's the native language of Unix and its derivatives, which run the Internet. You can't really go wrong learning it if you want to be a programmer.

BlackAura · Post by **BlackAura** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 9:31 pm

Aside from the fact C runs on anything, most modern languages use largely the same syntax (C++ is mostly a superset of C, Java and C# both use the same basic syntax as C), and a lot of other languages use the same principles.