I have just completed my first year of study at university. The degree is called "Computing+Information Technology" (don''t you just love fancy titles ) and a part of that course was a C course. However, the only stuff we did with C was to program simple applications (mostly maths stuff) in the console with MSVC++ 6.0 However, what I want to do is write proper programs, maybe even some Windows stuff (which is VB?). So anyway, how do I move on from the console and get down to some serious programming? TIA

Buy a book perhaps? Dunno what kind you''d want, someone else might be able to recommend one. If you''re wanting to do 3D stuff then there are some tutorial sites about for DirectX or OpenGL. Search the forums for stuff

What do you mean by proper programs? Like do you want to write an actual program or a video game? Specify and I can reccomend some books.

Peace,
- Luc

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Original post by Ex-RoNiN
However, what I want to do is write proper programs, maybe even some Windows stuff (which is VB?).

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You can use MSVC to do windows stuff.

if you just got off of simple c++ stuff then you probably don''t want to write windows crap in msvc. its a lot harder than vb and its just no fun . i''d only learn that shit if i needed it for a job or somethin. if your going to do windows stuff then move to vb. however, games are very fun to make in c++. just use a simple DirectDraw wrapper and you''ll be up and making games in no time.

Visual Basic is not the only tool for creating Windows applications. Visual C++ is also capable of creating software for Windows. In fact, it can *only* create Windows software.

However, simply using C for console-programming is a huge step away from C++ in a "real" Windows environment.

I assume by "proper programs", you mean programs with a GUI, or which do more that is obvious to the user (with graphics, etc.).

I suggest stongly that you move to Visual Basic to start with if you want to move away from console programming. Otherwise, you can build an MFC-based (or just a Win32+dialog/window) app. by using the "New Project" command in VC++, and selecting create "Win32 Application" or "MFC AppWizard (exe)". The MFC AppWizard is an excellent starting point for Windows programming.

If you're looking to do games programming, you might also want to read up on DirectX and OpenGL. But these might be a bit furthur down the road for you.

Or, perhaps, use a DOS compiler, like Turbo C (which is available for free I believe from the Borland website), in which the programming environment may be a little more familiar. You might have to read up on using graphics routines, etc. though.

Anyway, I hope it goes well for you. I'm sure you'll be writing the next Doom in no time . Look around on the net for some general programming articles.

[edited by - samott on July 12, 2002 7:59:47 PM]

[edited by - samott on July 12, 2002 8:01:36 PM]

Jumping into VB or MFC is all fine and dandy, but if you want to learn something of what goes on behind the VB/MFC curtain you''ll want to grind through it using C or C++ to get acquainted with the Win32 API.

If you don''t have a copy of MSVC for home use or you don''t fancy the nag screens that acompany progs built with the student version (or so I''ve heard) - check out Dev-C++ (an ide for the MinGw version of gcc) or if you really fancy learning Windows programming in straight C, check out lccWin32 (an ide, debugger, compiler for Windows). Both of these compilers are freely available.

If you''ve got the compiler end of things already squared away and just want to get your hands dirty, start with Charles Petzold''s book "Programming Windows" and get your self a copy of the PlatformSDK from Microsoft - ~$9 US shipping costs for them to mail it to you on CD. There are plenty of additional books to get after that depending on what it is you really want to do in Windows - app stuff, system stuff or game stuff (naturally). The Microsoft newsgroups are an excellent source of information too. And of course I would be remise to not mention google.