No errors but still a problem.

you're my freakin programming god!

(same joke)

@OP: Your excitement shows that you may very well succeed in programming if you started from square one and continued through. A few months back, I did my first console/ASCII "game" programming and it was very enjoyable. (Also very difficult, but rewarding for sure.)

Your excitement shows that you may very well succeed in programming if you started from square one and continued through

that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside... i am going back and doing the "hello world" stuff and working my way through... i'm still going to continue with the tutorials and make my game but i will hopefully understand more as i go and will eventually get to the point and improve on the game (beyond what the tutorials suggest)

Have you looked at XNA? A free game development framework for C# / VB.NET from MS.

Might be a bit easier to start with than C++ (especially if you are doing WIN32 in C++). There are plenty of tutes, code and samples.

If you want to continue on and code professionally then C++ is not a great choice, compared with C#. [where I live there SEEK has 3 C++ jobs and over 100 .NET ones, C++ appears to dying out unfortunately.]

Microsoft XNA - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by novacain

If you want to continue on and code professionally then C++ is not a great choice, compared with C#. [where I live there SEEK has 3 C++ jobs and over 100 .NET ones, C++ appears to dying out unfortunately.]

I disagree. C++ is a great place to start. I found it really easy to pick up C#, and I attribute this to the fact that I was already experienced in C++. even as a .Net programmer, it's still often very helpful to know C++. I have found numerous occasions where I have been working on a .Net project, only to come across an issue that was better dealt with in native code. Knowing C++ was an invaluable asset in these situations. My experience (and that of those around me) has shown me that starting with C++ and later learning C# is a preferred course (your results may vary) because if you start with C#, and move to C++, you'll be wondering why you can't do certain things, or why you have to manually delete any objects created with "new". Learning C# after C++, for me, provided a lot of moments where I literally, out loud, said "wow, I can do that? that's really cool".

My vote is for continuing your C++ adventure until you're comfortable with it, and then learn C# if you want to expand your horizons.

Originally Posted by Elkvis

...or why you have to manually delete any objects created with "new"...

TBH, you never really do that in modern C++. You wrap them in smart pointers and be done with it.
But I might see users having trouble with understanding that just allocating them and using them won't deallocate it when you're done with it.

Learning C# after C++, for me, provided a lot of moments where I literally, out loud, said "wow, I can do that? that's really cool".

I find that hard to believe. The only thing C++ "lacks" is reflection.
Otherwise I have found, in my experience, that C++'s arsenal of tools is far superior to that of other type strict languages.
For example, deterministic destruction.

My vote is for continuing your C++ adventure until you're comfortable with it, and then learn C# if you want to expand your horizons.

I'll just say that I recommend you learn C++ and then broaden your language horizon by learning other languages because being an amateur in many languages is better than being an expert in one language in today's world.

Originally Posted by Elysia

The only thing C++ "lacks" is reflection.

and properties
and partial classes
and extension methods
and consistent event handling

it's true that most of these things can be emulated or worked around in C++, but their inclusion in the C# language makes writing code go much more quickly. C# was created to help increase the speed at which applications can be developed, and its features do that quite effectively. if C# had deterministic object destruction and better native code support, C++ would lose most of its advantages.

And what is consistent event handling?
I doubt C++ would lose its edge. I'm pretty sure C# disallows you to do a lot of things (like Java)?

It is not about C++ doing or not doing things.

Nor is it about the 'best' language.

It is about what teh OP wants to acheive from his coding.

If he wants to make games that involve a GUI (rather than text based) then the XNA framework will save him months to years of learning.

If he then decides to pursue a proffession in game development or other programming then C# is a MUCH better choice than C++.

Realtime graphical UIs, timings and resource handling in WIN32 C++ or MFC are all VERY difficult to learn, design and maintain, even for an experienced coder.

With XNA you can have a Windows 2D game skeleton in a few minutes and actual, encouraging results in a few hours (as XNA handles all those things in the background).

Originally Posted by Elysia

And what is consistent event handling?

In WIN32 C/C++ messages have incosistent params and returns.

C# events all have the same params and allows you to add subscribers or consumers to events / publishers.

Using delegates allows thread safe interaction with UI elements (which is unavailable in WIN32 or MFC).

You cannot blame C++ for the shortcomings of Win32. Qt uses a slot/signal mechanism, which sounds similar to what you are saying.

Also, I'm sure C# is easy to learn, but I'll bet there is equivalently easy Game [Engine]/[Library] out there that does the same thing.
I'm pretty sure that if you go professional game programming, you will need C++ more than C#.
While the world loves C#, I wouldn't let me world revolve around it just yet.

Guys, please don't argue over which is better, or which lacks what. It's not cool... I just wanted to learn to do something I didn't know how to do. The particular tutorial i found was written in C++ so that's where I'm starting Idk what C# is yet, but I'm sure I'll learn it next. SO, it time... this debate won't mean anything. It will be some relic from an almost forgotten past. Seems to me, from what you guys are saying, that C++ is older and I've always been a big fan of knowing where u came from so that's a good as place as any to start. I would also say that you three (Elysia, Elkvis, and novacain) seem to know a great deal about both C++ and C# so I'll more than likely be calling on you (and everyone else) to help me along in my trek into this world.