beginner:help

[udit99]

I'm a beginner where C++ is concerned, but I've more or less finished reading,comprehending,implementing Robert Lafore's "OOP in C++" . But now I don't know where to go. I'm up 2 my neck in theoretical concepts and jargon but I haven't really made one useful app ( Calculators are nice ...but boring). Well since I had heard all so much about the immense power of C++ can anyone recommend any direction in which to go forth from this point. BCoz any/all of the resources Iv looked for on the net are either simple stuff or way over my head or they simply discuss some abstract concepts. I Initially thought of connectivity with some backend lik SQL server but I think there's no point in spending time fr that when it can be done in VB in 1/4th the time.

Please don't recommend studying more concepts from more books--I want to create something and implement what all concepts Iv studied till now

[Destined Soul]

For my 2nd semester Computer Science class we implemented an elevator simulator. This could be pathetically simple, but if you work on it enough, it could be quite complex. (Multiple classes, GUI, etc..)

Some people made a simple, two-floor, one elevator, text simulator, whereas others made adjustable, numerous elevators, different floor ranges, etc, and a full graphical display of all the people (icons) and elevators moving.

I could probably program the first one in less than an hour, whereas the other one would take me a while to learn how to do it in DirectX.

Just an idea..

Destined.

[udit99]

thats a nice idea...I'll giv it a try ,but I was thinking on lines of something more useful--something like a real-life application.
BTW, does any1 know how we can build an editor application in C++. Something like the EDIT in dos.

[JoshT]

How about making a screen saver or something like that? You can go crazy with graphics if you want.

[udit99]

I was told tt all u hd 2 do 2 make a screen saver was 2 create an executable which did all the graphics , rename it scr and put it in the Windows directory where all the other ones are. Is that it ??
or is there more 2 it ?

[JoshT]

Well, to make a GOOD screen saver, you have to:

1. Be able to tell what mode its running in by what is passed by the command argument.
2. If its in preview mode, display your screen saver on the preview window.
3. If the user is running Windows 9x, you have to check for and handle the password stuff.
4. You have to notify Windows that the screen saver is running.
5. You have to "correctly" position your Windows, etc.

Then there's other tricks, like the fact that Windows NT+ will create a new blank desktop and run your screen saver on top of that, while 9x runs it on the current desktop. Also, windows gives the screen saver low priority, so that gives you the change to write really optimized code. (The screen saver I wrote in VB started getting slowed down when I added a resource file containing some .wav files to play, so I'm gonna rewrite it in C when I get the free time).

[udit99]

know of any web resources on how 2 do all the steps involved with examples.
Or if any1 just has some code examples in VB or C++ on how 2 make a screensaver using the steps Josh has mentioned...can ya guys pls donate sum stuff.

[JoshT]

Here's the one from VB world, although I think Karl oversimplifies things a little too much. Search these forums for screensaver - somebody posted a link to a VB screen saver page that has a great link to a C++ screen saver page.

http://www.vb-world.net/graphics/screensaver/