start with c++ immediately?

Hi guys, I'm a newby here so please, don't get angry if I'm not supposed to ask this here.

In the past I've programmed a little in VB and PHP for college, but I forgot most of it (However, I'm sure that I can pick it up again). I do however understand quite a bit of the "theory" behind programming.

I had to quit college a year and a half ago, but lately I've been really interested in getting into programming (again...), and I was wondering what the wise thing to do would be:
-Start learning C, then move on to C++
or
-Start with C++ right away

I already own a book on C++ that is regarded as the best one to begin with in my language (Dutch) by alot of people.

My goal in the end would be to be able to program games (cliché, I know), but my motivation to start learning C++ is because I want to go to college to study Application Development, and I think it'd be nice to have knowledge of a powerful language like C++.

tl;dr
should I start to learn programming in C++ or start off with C?

Start with C++, unless your goal is to learn C(or both).
Btw.. there are a lot of bad C++ books, and the worst ones are often the most publicly recommended ones(teaching old C++, C with classes..etc).
So, it'd be better for you to pick up a standard one.
( The Definitive C++ Book Guide and List - Stack Overflow )

Thanks for the tip!

Well I have
Aan de slag met C++ by Gertjan Laan
and
Sam's Teach yourself C++ in 21 Days (read good reviews after I saw it on this site, so ordered it)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DennChooch

Sam's Teach yourself C++ in 21 Days (read good reviews after I saw it on this site, so ordered it)

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That would (probably) be an example of what I said, read this review : ACCU :: Book Reviews Search

Btw..mentioning 21 days will get you this reply almost everywhere. :D
Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years

Obviously there's no one right answer, but I'd start with C, personally. C++ is a huge language with an awful lot of pitfalls - I think you'd save yourself a lot of pain by getting a good grounding in C (which, will include things like pointers and addressing) before moving onto C++.

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Originally Posted by JohnGraham

Obviously there's no one right answer, but I'd start with C, personally. C++ is a huge language with an awful lot of pitfalls - I think you'd save yourself a lot of pain by getting a good grounding in C (which, will include things like pointers and addressing) before moving onto C++.

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That makes sense. I also heard C is a little less complex than C++, so yeah, getting a decent grounding in C sounds like a good idea.

What would be a great book to begin with?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DennChooch

That makes sense. I also heard C is a little less complex than C++, so yeah, getting a decent grounding in C sounds like a good idea.

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You may end up with a lot of bad habits though if you start with C. When learning something, I always go from high to low for avoiding these hazards! :)

Hmmm.. well that´s something I´d rather avoid... It´s hard to decide what to start with, haha, I don´t want to get demotivated so that´s why I´m asking you guys for help. Thanks for the help so far, keep it comin´!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DennChooch

I also heard C is a little less complex than C++, so yeah, getting a decent grounding in C sounds like a good idea.

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In my opinion, if you are going for "little less complex" as your main criteria for a programming language as a beginner, then you would be better off with Python. The syntax can read the pseudocode once you know the basic structures, upon which you will be concentrating on developing your program problem solving skills.

But should you? If you are set on learning C++, then learn C++. Yes, C++ is complex and has many pitfalls, but you don't have to tackle all that complexity on the get go. Bjarne Stroustrup, the designer and original implementer of C++, has written an article on Learning Standard C++ as a New Language (PDF) in which he recommends against learning the C subset of C++ first, in view that it "leads to an early focus on low-level details (...) obscures programming style and design issues by (forcing) the student to face many technical difficulties to express anything interesting". One idea here is to use the high level facilities of C++, especially the commonly used components of the C++ standard library, then move towards learning how to implement the tools that you use.

The book I recommend in this regard is Accelerated C++: Practical Programming by Example. It is slightly dated given that the latest version of the C++ standard was published last year, but by and large you will still be able to use it to learn how to program in C++, then get up to speed on the latest and greatest in C++ elsewhere.

Alright. I decided to order Accelerated C++, and will work that through once I have it.
More tips are welcome, though, and I thank you all for your help so far.

Edit: had to cancel the order due to money...