Good Language/book?

I want to start programming and I thought C++ would be a good beginner programming language to learn. Well to be honest with you i know little to nothing in programming C++. I want to buy a book that would help me to learn C++ on a beginners scale. I bought C++ 7 in 1 book for dummies and that failed completely. I tried to use the compiler (dev++) that it came with and it did not work at all when i tried making a console application and compile running it. (figured out that it was for windows 98 and higher but apparently vista and xp are too high.). Anyway if you have any recommendations on a good starter C++ book please tell me! Thanks

Personally, I think python is a much better language to learn as your first, since:

1. no need to compile
2. built-in shell-like prompt to run python code line by line and experiment with
3. lots of books aimed at beginners
4. many other reasons

However, if you still are interested in learning about C++ first, amazon.com is probably a good place to look.

stealth- wrote: Personally, I think python is a much better language to learn as your first, since:

1. no need to compile
2. built-in shell-like prompt to run python code line by line and experiment with
3. lots of books aimed at beginners
4. many other reasons

However, if you still are interested in learning about C++ first, amazon.com is probably a good place to look.

C++ is not that hard in complexity…That could be that I already had experience with PHP, but it is not the high of a learning curve.

Start with a few basic online tutorial before buying a book to get a basic feel for the language, I personally recommend cprogramming.com .

Normally I would contribute more helpful post, but I really don't feel like typing right now for some odd reason.

p4plus2 wrote: [quote]stealth- wrote: Personally, I think python is a much better language to learn as your first, since:

1. no need to compile
2. built-in shell-like prompt to run python code line by line and experiment with
3. lots of books aimed at beginners
4. many other reasons

However, if you still are interested in learning about C++ first, amazon.com is probably a good place to look.

C++ is not that hard in complexity…That could be that I already had experience with PHP, but it is not the high of a learning curve.

Start with a few basic online tutorial before buying a book to get a basic feel for the language, I personally recommend cprogramming.com .

Normally I would contribute more helpful post, but I really don't feel like typing right now for some odd reason.[/quote]

I wasnt saying that is was hard in complexity, I was just saying I found it easier to start with python. I think PHP is similar in python as kind of an introductory programming language. Im not saying that PHP is just that, php is increadibly powerful as a server side language, just that in terms of learning multiple languages php and python are ones that build good "stepping stones" to other languages. Of course, you could just jump right into C++ like this OP appears to be doing, I just found it a little harder. (perhaps it depends on the tutorial I was reading for C++)

I found it difficult to learn a language via digital means, since I always seemed to find better things to do on a computer with internet and thought scrolling was annoying. Not to mention how portable a book is (depending on the size), and how easy it is to use as a reference (depending on the ammount of moniters)

SpencerC9992 wrote: I want to start programming and I thought C++ would be a good beginner programming language to learn. Well to be honest with you i know little to nothing in programming C++. I want to buy a book that would help me to learn C++ on a beginners scale. I bought C++ 7 in 1 book for dummies and that failed completely. I tried to use the compiler (dev++) that it came with and it did not work at all when i tried making a console application and compile running it. (figured out that it was for windows 98 and higher but apparently vista and xp are too high.). Anyway if you have any recommendations on a good starter C++ book please tell me! Thanks

Don't use Dev-Cpp, it's really old and hasn't been updated since 2005. I suggest you use Code::Blocks, wich is a similar program that can be downloaded here. Code::Blocks is also multi-platform, so you won't have to switch programming-enviroment just because you switch to some other OS. As someone said earlier in the thread, start with reading online-tutorials (google "C++ tutorials"), it's easier to understand the books later if you have a basic knowledge of the language.

I usually find that the books called "The <language> programming language" are excellent since they imitate the classic K&R book on C (The C programming language by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie ).

BUT, they are usually an [excellent] overview of the language for people that already know programming in general: they wont teach you what a loop is, just how to make one in that language.

anyways, i recommend anything called "The C++ programming language" or similar

Disclaimer: i don't know C++

1. all languages are based on the same programming theory , and after learning one you have no problem writing/reading any other language.

2. most tech college, start there students with C programming language, after that you can with no problem move to a object-oriented programming language like C++ or C#, i personally recommend C#

3. learning the essence of programming is one thing and learning the actual programming language are two very different things, not to be mixed

4. it is possible to learn the essence of programming without learning actual programming language, but it is easier to learn both at the same time.

5. i personally think with all the languages is the same process of learning, there isn't easier programming languages or harder programming languages to learn they are all the same.

6. some one mentioned python, i know it but never use it, it's a perishing language.

7. stop asking questions and start doing something

mestar wrote:

1. all languages are based on the same programming theory , and after learning one you have no problem writing/reading any other language.

2. most tech college, start there students with C programming language, after that you can with no problem move to a object-oriented programming language like C++ or C#, i personally recommend C#

3. learning the essence of programming is one thing and learning the actual programming language are two very different things, not to be mixed

4. it is possible to learn the essence of programming without learning actual programming language, but it is easier to learn both at the same time.

5. i personally think with all the languages is the same process of learning, there isn't easier programming languages or harder programming languages to learn they are all the same.

6. some one mentioned python, i know it but never use it, it's a perishing language.

7. stop asking questions and start doing something

shall i explain how wrong you are?

Folk Theory wrote: shall i explain how wrong you are?

Do it.

first of all, i'd like to see someone understand metaprogramming or functional programming from just learning C or C++. secondly, python is in no way dying, heck, its growing every year.

mestar wrote:

1. all languages are based on the same programming theory , and after learning one you have no problem writing/reading any other language.

2. most tech college, start there students with C programming language, after that you can with no problem move to a object-oriented programming language like C++ or C#, i personally recommend C#

3. learning the essence of programming is one thing and learning the actual programming language are two very different things, not to be mixed

4. it is possible to learn the essence of programming without learning actual programming language, but it is easier to learn both at the same time.

5. i personally think with all the languages is the same process of learning, there isn't easier programming languages or harder programming languages to learn they are all the same.

6. some one mentioned python, i know it but never use it, it's a perishing language.

7. stop asking questions and start doing something

8. True, the fundamentals of most programming languages are the same. However, they can vary hugely in the way that you use them and how they look.

9. I don't know where you got your information from, but I didn't start with C and I don't know anyone else who did.

10. Not arguing on this one.

11. Not on this one either.

12. Programming languages are not the same. There are some that are harder to learn, in the sentence that it takes longer to be able to do something useful with them. However, the more languages you know, the easier it is to learn new ones.

13. Last time I checked it's not.

14. Asking questions is good, although checking if someone already asked that same question before is better.

@ op:

Microsoft seems to support "C++ Beginners Guide" (link). A couple things that will help you with programming/hacking are good logic/deductive reasoning skills and loving to read in general. That helps me anyways. Every now and then, I find it's best to take a break from the dry text books and read something interesting or do something fun. Usually between chapters. Sitting around for hours on end is a screaming bore, period. It's given me a few mental blocks when I wished that I could just do what I wanted to do already. I don't know if that's you too.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/beginner/cc305129.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/beginner/bb308891.aspx

Also, you may like the scheme programming language. I hear a few computer science majors have had to start there as a prereq. C++ works too. Whatever floats your boat.

Ivor Horton's Beginning Visual C++ is an excellent book to read. I have a link if you want pm me for it, I won't post it in the forums.

6. some one mentioned python, i know it but never use it, it's a perishing language.

What? Python is growing more and more each day, That's mainly what I use.

YES python is DEFINATELY not perishing its a good language for both standard and OOP programming. Perl is perishing a little developer wise but still used highly for network admin tasks etc. I'd suggest Python or C++.

Perl is sweet also. Use it once in a while not that good with it. But python just kicks man.

I used to use Perl all the time but had to take Python for classes so really got into it. Believe i'll have some advanced perl in linux environments for my next quarter and then after that exploiting with perl towards my last quarter of school.

Never really got into perl because I can use python in place.

Perl runs faster apparently, i nver notice too much of a diffrence.

I'd go with some HTML and javascript so you can later learn PHP and apply it usefully. After you have php down, I recommend C++.

Hopefully though this thread is one week old my post will help someone (=

I picked up C++ (the basics of anyway) fairly quickly (Probably due to previous Python, VB.NET, HTML, and Javascript knowledge).

My method for learning C++ was basically take someone elses code (usually if it had errors) and read over it until i understood it (and fix it up if necessary until it worked). Then I discovered tutorials. http://cplusplus.com/files/tutorial.pdf This particular tutorial was helpful in covering what I had missed/didn't understand. It also good as something to refer back to when i need to "re-understand" something.