Which way is more proficient? Programming using console to compile and emacs for an editor, or using gui like kdevelop? The thing I don''t like about kdevelop is the way it makes all these files for my program. Don''t you just need the .cpp files .h, etc, and the make file? I know this isn''t a very big issue.. oh and it doesn''t really matter what os you program in first(windows and linux), right? I am going to start in linux anyways. Thanks

Well, my opinion is: if you have the IDE available, why not use it? IDEs like Anjuta or KDevelop generate everything you need (which really is too much for small console applications, but we''re talking about games here, right?). For smaller programs, I use the IDE to write the code, but also write the makefile myself. That way I get the comfort of the IDE (Anjuta, in my case) and the project stays clean.

cya,
Drag0n

-----------------------------
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the universe trying to build bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning..." -- Rich Cook

quote: Original post by HTML
Which way is more proficient? Programming using console to compile and emacs for an editor, or using gui like kdevelop?

Doesn''t matter. Either way you''re using some editor to write the code and invoking the same software "underneath" to build it (you could use a different build system outside of KDevelop, but you don''t really have a reason to want to do that, as of now).

quote: Original post by HTML
The thing I don''t like about kdevelop is the way it makes all these files for my program.

The GNU build system stuff? You''ll likely have to make all of that yourself (not that it''s particularly difficult) if you make any large pieces of software outside of KDevelop anyway.

quote: Original post by HTML
Don''t you just need the .cpp files .h, etc, and the make file?

If that''s all you want. Using things like autoconf, automake, and libtool (the "GNU build system") you can query the system for various requirements before building (autoconf: the configure.in or configure.ac file and its resulting configure, the config.* files, and any Makefile.ins), make maintaining your make files nearly automatic (automake: depcomp, install-sh, missing, mkinstalldirs, and the Makefile.ams), as well as handle shared libraries transparently (libtool: libtool and ltmain.sh). You also gain a certain amount of easy-portability by relying on them. (Lots of more temporary files ignored in that listing...)

The rest of the files (AUTHORS, COPYING, ChangeLog, INSTALL, NEWS, README, et cetera) are just common files that it''s trying to help you out with. You can tell automake not to generate most of them; maybe there''s a way to tell KDevelop how to invoke automake?

quote: Original post by HTML
oh and it doesn''t really matter what os you program in first(windows and linux), right?

In what regard?

Ya thats true. Thanks for the replies. Its just that some of the tutorials I saw made linking with sdl and stuff easier by just typing a few links instead of trying to find where it goes in an ide.

edit :
As for the windows and linux compatibility..I mean which one is better to start programming with first. As in, not having to change the code as much if you want to get it to the other os and easier to change.

[edited by - HTML on March 13, 2004 5:57:53 PM]

It entirely depends on what your program does. Simple command line stuff is usually pretty easy to port. Games and other multimedia type stuff can be a pain if you''re not careful in the beginning, like choosing a cross-platform library like SDL or ClanLib.