I jumped straight into C++ at university with no prior programming experience. That was hard enough, it must be hell trying to learn it on your own - and if thats the case maybe you should follow the advice on this thread and try something simpler first.

well - try making a DirectX program (that''s what I tried @ first - but DX is boring) after you''ve written Hello World in C !

I was stupid enough to think that a Game Programing starter kit would make me able to program any games. if someone knows it -
there were several good (e-)books in it but it didn''t do what it said - who expected

well - try making a DirectX program (that''s what I tried @ first - but DX is boring) after you''ve written Hello World in C !

I was stupid enough to think that a Game Programing starter kit would make me able to program any games. if someone knows it -
there were several good (e-)books in it but it didn''t do what it said - who expected

well is here anybody else who bought something like that ???
just want to make sure thatr I''m not the only one who was stupid as newbie

your not alone

but i was more stupider
since after hours of reading direct x tut, i never realized i didnt understand a thing untill the end

but now im smarter now and i learned opengl
and even came up wit my own camera system!! (its really just gluLookat controled by arrow keys, nothing big..)

unfortunatly, the way most books go about teaching programming, is to throw utterly pointless examples at you, just to show you a technique or feature, and they often will not finish the example. This does lead to extreme bordom because there is no furfilment. What I''d suggest is dive in and try and make something fun... just really simple things at first. You will then come accross things you can''t do and or things that you know can''t be right, at these times, it''s then wise to head to the books.

that way you learn through experience, which, in my opinion, is infinitly better than learning form a book.

also, Can I stress how INSANLY important it is to learn C++ and NOT C. C is quickly becomming a dead language. (IMO)
finding good C++ tutorials is extremely hard.

in fact, because of this, I''d actually recommend learning Java before C++. there are some very good java books out there. and they will teach you OOP. very few ''C++'' tutorials will.

the game programming starter kit (is the current revision number 4?) looks to be very poor to me... a general rule is to steer away from the sams "teach yourself in 30 minutes" rubbish... which I believe that contains a couple of..

also, a lot of ''visual C++'' books teach MFC, not C++. you have to be careful of that.

Programming is my hobby.
i've learned programming from QuakeIIIArena game source code...
its very useful. and contains things with the right way to make'em...
I never liked Delphi btw Mr Lithander! because if u don't register window class you will never understand how it works, do u?. am kinda person who likes to know how every thing is made

hairycoconuts Mabe your problem is that you are trying to make myOpenGL . start making simple functions first. even if the functions are available eg: myStrcpy(). create your own lib, this lib will help you later on. Create you own address book, export it to self-encrypted files. Search for any thing u like in life and try to make it through C++. C++ is the best...

check this story:
i had a course in school in the Engineering Mechanics field called "Dynamics 3D". i love programming and needs to pass this! so i made a program that solves 80% of the book's problems, and dedicated it to my teacher. i my self can't solve 10% of'em :D, and i got 'A'!
you may do almost any thing in C++ ...

And don't forget music! its the best for a programmer. i lesten to Yanni when working on the thinking stuff, and "rap/dance" when on the baoring stuff...

Edit: RipTorn posted when i was writing so... learning through experience is my point too

"The Railgun Master"
DaHeR


Edited by - DaHeR on February 2, 2002 8:08:15 PM

I took yeasrs on and off and got virtually nowhere. Then a friend pointed me to

"The C Programming Language"

by Brian Kernigham & Dennis Ritchie, the creators of the languaage. Its not the largest book but it is the best, and explains all aspects of c. the mistake i made in the first place was trying to learn c++, when i really needed to learn c.

quote:

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Original post by daher
I never liked Delphi btw Mr Lithander! because if u don''t register window class you will never understand how it works, do u?. am kinda person who likes to know how every thing is made

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I won''t start a discussion about the pro''s and the contra''s of Delphi here.
However, registering a windows claas is not the most important thing you have to learn when you are beginning with a programming language. the win-api isn''t very easy to use and you''ll find yourself worrying a lot with designing your programs visual elements instead of solving your real problems.
Delphi doesn''t force you to take the easy way. If you want to save memory you can use the win-api as you would in c++. There are 64k demos programmed in Delphi and they are as good as C ones.
The important point in my eyes is that Delphi (as well as VB) allows you to skip the borring parts (setting up you controlls in an app) and concentrate fully on the challanging and therefore fun parts.
Because of that I think it''s good to start with an other language then C++ when learning the art of programming.

That''s just my opinion. You guys might do it as you prefere.

cya
Lithander

quote:

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Original post by Lithander
I have begun programming in turbo pascal (yes Sigma I remember 80x25 screens and Kurt Cobain, too - none but Metallica is a better band ) and quickly advanced to Delphi.

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I like Metallica, but I listen much more to stuff like the Scorpions. They''re a German rock band, so many people forgot about them in the ''90s, so their albums have become almost underground in the States (if you''re a fan, you know there''s a new album out; if you''re not, you don''t). Calmer stuff like Eagle Eye Cherry and Dave Matthews Band is cool too.

...

To answer your question: You get the hang of it, and you develop a style to fit your strengths and weaknesses. You develop over time, and as you do, you become stronger in areas that you were weak in at first (like classes). Cryin out loud, for a while there I just couldn''t understand that when you write a class, you have to end it with a semicolon.

//Do thisclass Oopsy{ //...member data...};//Notice the semicolon! 

//Don''t do thisclass Uppsy{  //...member data...} //No semicolon, Doh! 

Why is that so hard to remember? Don''t know. Get used to it and you won''t do it. That''s what I did on a lot of things.

--Some Guy

I am trying to learn C++, the only other programming experience I have is that of HTML, and little java-script. I guess I chose C++ because i heard it could do anything. I realise that it is one of the hardest programming languages to learn, but you can spend years and years learning more stuff (so i heard).

I am only 15, and learning from "Sams teach yourself in 24 hours, and the complete idiots guide to C++"

All the examples in both of the books explains what each function etc does, but it doesn''t give you any progects or anything to do yourself, which i think isn''t good thing.

I have been learning for a few months now, and still realy don''t understand the full capabilities of C++. It''s this information I would like to know, so i can aim for something in the future.

Thankz for all your ideas etc, they help me alot, keep posting




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