C++ Help

**DarkMoose** · Mar 13th, 2001, 03:05 PM

Well, i'm bored with VB. From what I've heard, C++ is better fer makin gamez so I wanna see what this is all about :D I've been teaching C++ to myself because I figure I could probably become an expert in the same amount of time it would take to write "Hello World" in school.. derned slow teacherz ;D Anywayz, the best game I can make in C++ right now is a trivia game, or any other all-text program. So, can any of you point me in the direction of a website or tutorial or anything about some advanced C++ stuff? Particularly graphics and other game programming lessonz.

**HarryW** · Mar 13th, 2001, 06:38 PM

www.gamedev.net has a lot of tuturials on DirectX and the like. There is no one universal way to do graphics in C++ because graphics is pretty platform-dependant.

Mar 13th, 2001, 07:27 PM

This is not a webiste, but you can read the book Teach yourselkf DirectX in 21 days.

**DarkMoose** · Mar 13th, 2001, 07:42 PM

Kewl, thanks fer the help! But before that i still have to finish "Teach yourself C++ in 21 days" ;D Which has a silly title cuz i've been reading like.. 3 chapterz in one day ;)

**HarryW** · Mar 14th, 2001, 02:23 AM

Well don't expect to be an expert in a week.

**substring** · Mar 14th, 2001, 06:45 AM

Harry is right. You cannot be an "expert" on anything simply by reading a book or by teaching yourself at home. You need to include the dimension of programming enterprise software in the real world and solving complex business problems. Then you might be able to call yourself an expert.

By the way, I attended the MSDN meeting on C# and it seems that C# is pretty good with game too. You should check that out also.

Happy programming.

**DarkMoose** · Mar 14th, 2001, 11:13 AM

Yep. Practice makez pefect! Although I think 15 is a bit young to be applying fer a job as a programmer and getting that much needed experience... so looks like I'm gonna have to stick with the books fer now

Teaching yourself can be really effective, going at your own pace. I hate those evil classes in highschool.

Mar 14th, 2001, 11:36 AM

Remember: What you learn in theory can be entirely different from what you learn in practical.

**HarryW** · Mar 14th, 2001, 11:36 AM

From what I can tell about C#, it's more or less Microsoft's version of Java. Not the same as Java, just aimed at the same market. It doesn't sound too great for game development.

Mar 14th, 2001, 11:49 AM

I've been teaching C++ to myself because I figure I could probably become an expert in the same amount of time it would take to write "Hello World" in school.. derned slow teacherz ;D

I am in a C++ class. It took us about 2 weeks to write our first program. But, the first week and a half, we didn't learn anything about C++, it was all about the history of computers, and different number bases. You know why the teachers are so slow? People who don't know anything about C++ need to have time to learn. If they made the class fast enough for the advanced kids, the other kids would hardly know how to print something out to the screen.

Practice makez pefect!

No, nothing makes perfect, nobody is perfect, and nothing is perfect.

Teaching yourself can be really effective, going at your own pace. I hate those evil classes in highschool.

Why do you think they are evil? Have you ever been in one of them? What gives you the impression they are the devils work? Was fire spewing from the computers? Did the teacher have a torture chamber?

**DarkMoose** · Mar 14th, 2001, 01:06 PM

My Visual Basic teacher wuz POSSESSED i tell you!!! He's PSYCHO!! ...er.. hi

We did history of computers for the first week of visual basic. That's alwayz important. Plus we had no computerz in the room at the beginning of the year, so...

I have nothing against classes. I was in a VB class last year. I'm in pascal now. C++ is next year. The reason I'm teaching C++ to myself now is because A) I don't feel like waiting for the class to start! I need C++ right now

B) Classes are extremely slow, which we've already pointed out. Which like you said is good for the slower people, so no one gets lost. But I get pretty bored with them, working at such a slow pace. The only reason I'm even taking that class is just to make sure I learn everything and it will make me even better!

And no, classes aren't evil... I guess I need to use more

's in my posts, you guys take me way too seriously

Mar 14th, 2001, 02:34 PM

The only reason I'm even taking that class is just to make sure I learn everything and it will make me even better!

Or you can take it to get 100%, thus boost your average up. ;-)

Mar 14th, 2001, 02:44 PM

They don't teach you everything in those classes.... just the basics, syntax, good programming style, and intermediate programming...

Right now we're up to using math.h and recursion... not even getting into pointers until next year

**parksie** · Mar 14th, 2001, 02:47 PM

Next year??? Following good examples and tutorials, you can get to pointers within a couple of months at an average rate of learning.

**DarkMoose** · Mar 14th, 2001, 03:00 PM

In my visual basic class, we learned the basics, then we did some looping for quite awhile, and the last thing we covered was arrays. That's barely a dent in the whole language. We spent a long time covering one topic, which is why i get bored in those classes. Hey, has anyone taken classes in college? What are they like?

**HarryW** · Mar 14th, 2001, 04:05 PM

They're just as bad. I am surrounded by people who don't know the difference between a statement and an expression.

**HarryW** · Mar 14th, 2001, 04:05 PM

Not that I'm bitter or anything....

**HarryW** · Mar 14th, 2001, 04:10 PM

Actually, we were taught more in my A-Levels (age 16-18) than we have been taught so far in my degree course (I'm in the second year). I've learnt pretty much nothing in terms of programming from my course, but I learn a lot of other stuff.

**parksie** · Mar 14th, 2001, 04:10 PM

Noooooooo....course not.....how could we possibly get that idea

**DarkMoose** · Mar 14th, 2001, 04:39 PM

Is API and DirectX and all that considered college level?

**SteveCRM** · Mar 14th, 2001, 04:44 PM

VB class was boring....tic tac toe was our biggest project

hopefully c++ 1 and 2 next year will be better (even though I already know every thing they go over I think

)

**HarryW** · Mar 14th, 2001, 04:55 PM

They don't really concentrate on specific implementations, it's more general. From what their expectations have been so far, I would be absolutely stunned if they decided to teach us any API usage, and I would probablt have a seizure if they even mentioned DirectX. People complain when they're asked to write a simple recursive function, I don't think they're quite ready for COM interfaces.

Having said that, it doesn't mean the course is easy, just the implementation bits. We learn a lot of things like how to make knowledge bases (that's AI-related and involves declarative programming), how to make a computer see objects in images, modelling of dynamic systems, good interface design, blah blah blah. I don't do a Software Engineering course though, that might involve more actual programming.

My point is, you might think you understand programming pretty well already, but it won't make you some star computing student alone. Many of the other people on my course are perfectly intelligent people, they just don't give a sh*t about programming. Lucky for them that it's not the be-all and end-all of the course.

**Lee M.** · Mar 15th, 2001, 12:10 AM

I just finished C++ (Got an A-) and still have no clue why anybody in their right mind would enjoy that God Forsaken language.

Oh yeah, it would have helped if the instructor was a programmer.

I knew more than she did, and I know just a little bit above nothing about C++...And still don't

I think I got ripped off!

Go VB!

A language that makes sense!
Lee

Mar 15th, 2001, 10:13 AM

How can you say C++ does not make sense?

**HarryW** · Mar 15th, 2001, 10:26 AM

A lot of people find C and C++ are like heiroglyphics to them, but I think it's beautifully concise. I think that's really the only difference between C++ and Delphi, apart from C++ being more used in industry, Some people just prefer the different styles of syntax.

**HarryW** · Mar 15th, 2001, 10:28 AM

Well okay maybe not the only difference.... just the main reason people choose one over the other.

**substring** · Mar 15th, 2001, 11:30 AM

C++ is probably the greatest language that ever exists, past and present.

Even Java was partially created with C.... I rest my case.

**DarkMoose** · Mar 15th, 2001, 01:04 PM

Visual Basic was also made with C++, I think. Anywayz, C++ seems like it could do a lot if you know how to use it.

**sail3005** · Mar 15th, 2001, 08:21 PM

I spent a week or two on VB, and then realised how much i hated it (for many reasons). Then i moved onto C++, and have been working with it for a few months now. I just like having the ability to move from platform to platform relativly easily, and also the power of the language.

Mar 16th, 2001, 04:53 AM

Originally posted by DarkMoose
Visual Basic was also made with C++, I think. Anywayz, C++ seems like it could do a lot if you know how to use it.

Please do not use z where an s should be.. That is really annoying and looks very unprofessional and child-like.

**DarkMoose** · Mar 16th, 2001, 01:00 PM

Welcome to the internet.

Mar 16th, 2001, 01:15 PM

I've been using the internet for three and a half years, so I know people talk like that, I am not trying to say they don't, I'm just asking you to stop. Thanks.

**SteveCRM** · Mar 16th, 2001, 01:33 PM

|-|A |-|A I hav bene on da spida web fo bowt fore yearz!

Yeah I find it really annoying too

(have the smilies changed?)

Mar 16th, 2001, 01:36 PM

Relax

This is almost as bad as that one time when someone told everyone to spell properly and use correct notation (e.g: more semi-colons, remove excessive use of "..." and "!" etc.)

**SteveCRM** · Mar 16th, 2001, 01:51 PM

dennis got me addicted...to...the...periods!!!!...grrrrr...

**parksie** · Mar 16th, 2001, 02:51 PM

I like full stops...they free me...to do...what is needed

Mar 16th, 2001, 08:13 PM

Megatron: I would prefer if everybody used correct grammar and punctuation usage, but it doesn't matter to me very much as long as more than 50% is correct. I have a pretty high tolerance for most things, but I cannot stand intentional incorrect spelling and grammar. It's like walking up to a girl; farting, burping, telling her you masturbate everynight, and still expecting her to be impressed, and respect you. It just doesn't make sense.

(NOTE: I did not do the things mentioned above, so don't ask me how it turned out

)

BTW; Steve, about the periods; MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA

**MPrestonf12** · Mar 16th, 2001, 08:50 PM

hahahaha that is funny dennis

**DarkMoose** · Mar 16th, 2001, 09:39 PM

Ok then, I don't think I'll be posting here anymore :\ I dunno about you, but I'd rather be learning C++/VB than arguing about the way we type...I guess I'm just weird...

Mar 16th, 2001, 10:30 PM

I'm sorry, I won't bug you anymore about that, but it just annoys me a lil' bit.

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