Hi I am working on a game with gamemaker but now I have a question. The built-in language of gamemaker is like Delphi. I am now learning C++ aswell and my question is: Does programming in Delphi influence the learning process of C++ in a bad way, like bad coding habitats etc? Whitecrow

I started out learning Pascal & Delphi before moving on to Java, C++ and other languages and I don''t think it had any negative effect on me. That doesn''t mean it was an easy transition though, just that nothing in particular about Delphi set me back.

By the way, Delphi is technically a development environment (IDE), the language behind it is Object Pascal.

bad coding habits has nothing to do with a programming language.

Current project: 2D in Direct3D engine.
% completed: ~20%

Well it's my understanding that some languages are more strict that others, and this can affect a person's code when the try another language. As an example, object cleanup is automatically handled in Java, but in C++ the programmer must take care to delete objects allocated with 'new'. It's nothing that will put your programming career to an end, but it's something to look out for.

About Delphi to C++, I'm not to familar with Delphi so I can't comment.

[edited by - punx on March 21, 2003 4:24:28 PM]

My first language was Applesoft Basic on Apple 2GS computer. Didn''t have any transitional problems to C++. Mainly because I didn''t start using advanced C++ features right away.

Pascal influnces C in a good way

I have no experince with Object Pascal, so I cannot tell you how it affects C++...

Pascal was written to prevent bad structured programming techniques, by leaving everything out that would let you make badly structured programs...so its influnce is good(tm)...

(horrid spelling errors corrected)

[edited by - dede on March 21, 2003 12:14:37 AM]

Hmm, it depends. When you read books, they say that bad coding habits will ruin you. I hear tgis all the time. It just depends on how you learn. If you get confused, learn C++ only. If you can learn multiple languages like the average person, learn em all! It is just a matter of learning habits.

A Confused N00b

quote: Original post by Punx
...
As an example, object cleanup is automatically handled in Java, but in C++ the programmer must take care to delete objects allocated with ''new''. It''s nothing that will put your programming career to an end, but it''s something to look out for.

Not exactly... all java does is automatically clean up object instances that are no longer referenced in some way traceable to some variable. Naively this appears to be equivalent to cleaning up objects automatically, but on further inspection it''s not--in fact, "forgotten cleanups" aka memory leaks in java are a common occurrence in java. The only difference is that instead of having to remember to ask the language to delete what you once new, you have to remember to ask some service (i.e., user-written class or library service) to undo the done.

Basically, from what I''ve seen in cleaning up memory leaks in java, the main problem is two-fold--one being the library classes themselves that implement memory leaks (i.e., require you to remember to unregister for something you registered for--esp those that provide feedback to your class later, as this requires the service to hang on to a reference to your class), and the other being the misconception that java takes care of all of the cleanup and thus that it''s not necessary to worry about things.

I would tend to think that the lack of concern over memory leaks, coupled with the opinion that memory leaks are a thing of the past not to worry about (which one could gain when reading certain naive java literature), would be a negative point for java as far as a first language is concerned. Nevertheless, a person who learns java could simply be told about this, making this problem "go away".

As far as not worrying about memory leaks in simple applications is concerned, I''m not sure it matters... java won''t exactly nullify your ability to learn how to handle memory leaks later when you code more in java and/or learn C++.

Personally, I think everyone should start like I did, and have as their first language BASIC on a VIC-20, with a tape drive (of the "cassette tape" genre, not that fancy DAT stuff), 2K of memory, and some sample code from Byte magazine (which taught me the concept of top down design, before I even knew said concept had a name).

-- Joshua Lusion           | If you will tell me why the fen Sr. Software Engineer/  | appears impassable, I then hobbyist game coder     | will tell you why I think that I                         | can get across it if I try. (M. Moore)

-- Joshua Lusion           | If you will tell me why the fen Sr. Software Engineer/  | appears impassable, I then hobbyist game coder     | will tell you why I think that I                         | can get across it if I try. (M. Moore)