Greetings everyone. This is my first post on this forum. I''m glad to have found it because i feel most of the people who post on it are very knowledgeable about programming. I''m not very skilled, and have many questions and am hoping to find answers from those willing to help others even though the questions may be very lame to the experienced person. I''ll start by saying that I do have a degree in Applied Science, my knowledge lies mosly in electronics. I was introduced only briefly to the C++ language and have been very interested for some time in becoming better at it and being able to develop my own programs, particularly games. I read a lot of articles, and have several books, such as "Tricks of the game programming gurus". Yes I have books for "dummies" also. but I have so many questions. I work for a large company using my background skills, and work 60-70 hours a week. I don''t get a lot of free time, but I do use and intend to keep using it to learn all I can about programming. I want to let you know that I am serious about it, and that your suggestions and comments will be put to good use. I know this will make many of you cringe, and I hate having to ask, but really, where does someone begin? I have some idea of what is necessary. I guess I''ll tell you what I have. I have been using Borland Turbo C++ 3.0 to learn on, which for all I know is probaly outdated, but it''s a start. So I know I need to work hard on getting the programming down, but sometimes I get lost. Maybe if someone could point me to someplace, a site or specific title, that someone just beginning can go for help with questions and encouragement as well. I read a post ealier about how someone asked how to get started and people laughed about it. I''m sorry if a lot of you don''t take me seriously, but I am. I just want to know where to go to get some answers. Everyone had to start somewhere. I noticed a lot of people started out at a very young age. I wish I could say the same, but I was not exposed to that sort of thing until much later in life. I''m now 25, and I guess one concern I have is I wonder If I may be starting out a little too late. I''d enjoy being able to get into to the industry, but will I be able to gain what is required in a decent amount of time? I''m really in no rush, as I intend to do this for my own personal entertainment as well. Pretty much, I''m asking you veterans if it is ok for newbies or wannabes to ask the dumb little questions you would probaly rather not trouble yourselves with. I am grateful for your time, and would appreciate any responses.

quote:
I know this will make many of you cringe, and I hate having to ask, but really, where does someone begin?

You start by learning the language you want to program in. It doesn''t matter if you''re using an old compiler, as long as it works, it''s good for learning

quote:
Pretty much, I''m asking you veterans if it is ok for newbies or wannabes to ask the dumb little questions you would probaly rather not trouble yourselves with.

Yes it is Ask away

Hi! This is the first time I´m on this page, and I only can say that I´m not a veteran, because I just do the same like you. I try to learn how to write good games.

I can´t tell you about good internet-sites, but I can tell you which books I read.

First of all I read "learning c++" or something like that, I don´t realy know the name, because I lend it to a friend, but it appeared at "Addison Wesley". They have many good books, you just should go to a store and ask for it. It is a very good book for absolut beginners, just as I were when I read it. Then you should read a c++-book which is for advanced users, but I´m terribly sorry I can´t tell you which one because the one I read appeared at a german publishing house.

If you know a little about c++ and you want to know about Windows-programming you should read "Windows programming 5th Edition" by Charles Petzold appeared at Microsoft Press. That´s a very very good book, even if you don´t like object-orientated programming, because you don´t need it.

However, for programming games you need to know about DirectX. I started with it by reading "Inside DirectX" also appeared at Microsoft Press. It is good, but it is not written so detailed as Charles Petzolds´ book, so it is sometimes a little bit difficult.

For writing C++ code it is very useful to have Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0, because it is very comfortable and Charles Petzold introduces every newbee how to use it. I know it is very expensive, but I got it (or better: the whole Visual Studio) as a pupils-licence for ca. 100 Dollar. To get this licence you should ask in a big bookstore, they should know more about it.

Of course I know, that books are very expensive, but I think reading books is much more easier than reading internetaricles, and I also have to pay them for my own (I´m 17).

I hope I could help you and I also hope my English is not that bad because, I am from Germany. So, good luck!

First, I think you should look at www.gamedev.net/reference/start_here.

Second, if you want to get into games and maybe learn how to program a game and what's involved I suggest you try picking up DJGPP and Allegro. DJGPP is a free 32-bit DOS compiler, and Allegro is a free game library that lets you focus more on the game code and handles things like actually drawing the pixels and loading the files and such. Other than that, I guess you should just keep trying new things, don't try to make a game as the first thing you ever do, but maybe try a demo or a character walking across the screen or something, that way you can learn the language and game programming practices at the same time. Hopefully you can manage that and move on in no time.

DJGPP - www.delorie.com/djgpp
Allegro - www.talula.demon.co.uk

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- outRider -

Edited by - outRider on September 30, 2000 3:52:11 PM

On the subject of *actually* learning C++, I think the best way to do that would be to find a local university, and buy the textbooks that they use for introductory/intermediate C++ programming.

Then take em home and read them through COVER to COVER, doing every exercise you can.

By the end you will have a thorough understanding not only of how to do stuff in C++, but how everything WORKS in C++, which is what you really want.

Then its just a matter of piecing techniques together to make a whole program.

There is no quick and easy way of learning a programming language, and if you simply copy/paste from tutes you will get nothing out of it.

Good luck

Cel

I''ll assume you''re at the very beginning of programming. My advice is to do some very simple programs in dos. Start with a simple i/o (input/output) program. Then add some structs or classes to organize it. Then learn to save those to files, et cetera.

After that make that same (basicly) i/o program in Windows (not because it is the best OS but because it is the most used OS).

If you are going to make games, then learn DirectDraw (allegro uses DirectX to do Windows art I am told). After DirectX move to OpenGL (and OpenAL) and/or the rest of DirectX (mainly DirectSound and Direct3D).

If you don''t plan on games, or you just want to be thorough (which is never a bad idea ) learn how to do a lot of the other Windows stuff.

Gamedev.net, Mr-Gamemaker.com, Programmersheaven.com, Cpp-Programming (very basic windows tutorials), and many other websites are great resources.

If you ever purchase a compiler I have to put my suggestion in for Borland C++ Builder .

Null and Void

Thank you all very much for the input. I do have a couple of quetions. One being what do I pretty much need to get started? I think I can answer this myself, as far as the software goes. I do have Borland Turbo C++ Suite, which includes the builder I belive. But do I want to start out using this since I have been introduced to C++ a little, though I don''t know much about it, or would you recommend using something simpler like QBasic or something else for practice. I have definitely decided to use C++. What other programs should I look for in the future. I do plan on progamming games, but will not rush it. I want to learn to program well before attempting anything big (or small).

Also, what should I invest in as far as hardware goes? I am currently running a Pentium III 500 MHz with 128 Mb RAM. So all I have is the computer, monitor, mouse and keyboard. Any other things recommended? What about backup? What do most of you use? I have nothing aside from my hard drive (12 Gig).

Your computers fine its quite a bit better than mine. Check out the coronado enterprises tutorials on my site they''re what I used to learn how to code.

Get the free Borland command line tools or Dev-C++. Borland www.borland.com Dev C++ www.bloodshed.net

C++ Builder is the compiler I use.

My Homepage

Thanks for that info crazy-vasey. I''m reading through that C++ tutorial now. You say this is what you used to learn to program eh? Hopefully it will help me out as well.

Learn how to program first. Learn about variables, functions, classes, methods, compiling, using libraries, text i/o, control structures etc... Ask questions...

Then program a game.

The first thing (after hello world) that I try to program when I am learning a language is pong. I do this because it lets me learn how to do most of the useful game programming things without being at all complicated.

-draw a background
-draw a bat
-move the bat using the keyboard
-draw a ball
-move the ball using the game loop
-make the ball bounce off the screen edges
-make the ball bounce off the bat
-.....add whatever you feel like.