After almost a year of programming, I have to say I’m not happy with the level I’m at. I don’t have that programmer mentality. Like, if someone gave me an unfinished class, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. I’m not sure whether it’s due to inexperience, or if I’m just a bad programmer. I really want to get started on making games, but I realize I don’t have a strong enough foundation. Like, I read TYC++in21Days, understood most of it but it still feels like there’s a lot of gaps in between. Anyone got advice? has anyone ever felt this way before? should i buy a book? Please, help!

Buy "The C++ Programming Language" by Bjarne Stroustrup. If you can completely understand everything in it and are able to use it correctly in your code, yuo are teh C++ mastar!!!1

Have you tried coming up with ideas for things to program, and designing the structures and code to make it work? Practical application is one of the greatest teachers.

Reading reference works to learn helps make you aware of what''s possible, but the translation from "what do I want or need to do" to "how can I make that happen" is the ultimate goal of learning to program.

thanks for the posts! i guess it''s the "how to make it happen" part that''s my problem. i think i''m just going to by a book that deals with object-oriented programming and design.

Try to assign some homework to yourself, if the books you read don''t already challenge you so.

You know, I don''t know of any programming books geared toward example-driven homework. (e.g. "I''ve showed you how to write classes that could be used to manage a bank account in memory. Now add the functionality to keep track of all the transactions in a history and provide a function to output all activity on a given account given the begin and end dates.")

Everyone hits walls like this. You know almost everything there is to know but when you need to apply it...uh, stuck!
Try to use everything you learn in a practical manner, it helps a lot. Why do you think you did all those experiments in science class?
Oh, and don''t think its your fault, its just a natural progression. The problem most people have is that they understand all the nitty gritty individual details, but they don''t always understand the ''big picture''. Like any subject, that comes with practice. An OOP book would be a good help, but be sure to create something smashing with it

pan narrans
Study + Hard Work + Loud Profanity = Good Code

Do not get discourage, we all have frustated at one time or another. Just take in all in stride. Try to make small things games/programs like guest the number and/or tic-tac-toe. Keep reading those books, after u read a chapter see if you can write your own examples.


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"There are ones that say they can and there are those who actually do."

"...u can not learn programming in a class, you have to learn it on your own."

thanks alot for the posts guys. it made me feel alot better. i''m glad i''m not the only one this has happened to. -Waverider- "Try to assign some homework to yourself, if the books you read don''t already challenge you so..." it''s not that what i read isn''t challenging, it''s just that i don''t know what to do with the stuff i do know. i think i''m going to read "Thinking in C++" and see where that takes me. again, i appreciate your posts

I feel the same way about programming, I have been learning how to program for about 6/12 months and only recently have I accerated upwards to the Tic-Tac-Toe stage. The next step for me is to do a lot of reading. I think the the best way to learn is to read a lot about it and implement/test code once you understand how it works.

Once your passed the Paper/Scissors/Rock and Tic-Tac-Toe stage you can start to make simple but interesting games. Once you have a good knowledge of code under your belt "thinking" is what accerates you into games dev I would say. I tend to write things down on paper as I program, just small notes ploting out what I need to acheive and ways to acheive it.

Heh, I''ve probably been in programming for 2-3 years (actually I attempted to learn C when I was 11 or 12 but didn''t understand it), yes I''m lazy and lack time with school but also I when I was learning C++ I learned other stuff like basic webdesign stuff a little &#106avascript, which slowed me down but owell, I found that learning that other stuff has helped me understand certain aspects of programming, and also another really good thing to help you apply yourself with programming is going to www.ca-osi.com or other sites with programming challenges they really get you thinking, like I can understand python code somewhat but can I write it myself no because I never use it I don''t apply what I''ve learned and work with python, well anyways I think I''ve said pretty much what everybody else said so I''ll shutup.