Thread: What can C++ do for me?

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    What can C++ do for me?

    I've never had any experience with C++ before, I've only heard of it, but I do have slight knowledge of Javascript. If I learn C++, I don't plan on ever using it professionally. So, if it's at all possible, how can C++ be useful for me? Powerful applications are developed by many professional programmers, right? Will C++ ever help me out in life? (Besides simply expanding my knowledge)

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    Well C/C++ 2 of the most used languages in very big applications like games made by Blizzard and both Linux's and Windows' kernel. I think it could do you a lot of good... if what you want to make is something that needs to be bloody fast and need a lot of control. It's a complex language and it may not suit your needs. You first need to establish what you want to do. VB is much more suited if you plan only on making simple utilities and you can import DLLs written in C/C++ with it which adds a lot of possibilities. Java has many possibilities similar to VB yet it has the trade-off of being an interpreted language which means that it is slower and absolutely needs the Java Virtual Machine to run. Perl would be the best choice when working with string manipulation and researches in text. It's also a very widespread language for CGI scripts and other scripts on the internet. If I recall, PHP's regular expressions come from Perl. There are many other languages with many other pros and cons but I don't know them very well.

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    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    >If I learn C++, I don't plan on ever using it professionally. Will C++ ever help me out in life?
    Based on what you said, probably not in life, but it will help you out with your computer. Like what Desolation says, there are better languages to learn if your primary concern is intarweb development for your web site.

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    (?<!re)tired Mario F.'s Avatar
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    However, let it be said at this point that any language makes an excellent tool for developing problem solving methodologies. That helps in life.

    C++, having a fairly complex (yet meaningful) syntax , having an enviable array of features, and being a multi-paradigm language, makes for an excellent tool for training problem decomposing and solving.

    There's more to it on what comes to this notion. Stroustrup himself makes a mention on his book to some of the non-programming advantages of learning C++ (if I remember correctly. Not going to check right now).
    Originally Posted by brewbuck:
    Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.

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    But if I need a certain application that accomplishes a certain task, certainly I can find one that is a heck of a lot better than one that I could make with C++, right?

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    (?<!re)tired Mario F.'s Avatar
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    Not sure if I understand your question...

    a) you mean you could find an application made by someone else that would be better than one made by yourself.

    Answer: Definitely. Of course. You are not even learning as of yet. You are pondering the possibility of learning C++. But when you do learn it, who knows? You can be a good programmer... or not. If you don't try, you will not know.

    b) You mean some other programming language could do a certain application that one done in C++.

    Answer: C++ is not better or worst than any other language. It's just a programming language. What it does, it does well, but so other programming languages. It's a matter of taste.
    Originally Posted by brewbuck:
    Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.

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    I meant a)

    But not only individual programmers, but also software companies like Microsoft. No single programmer could make a better application than many programmers working together in a company like Microsoft.

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    (?<!re)tired Mario F.'s Avatar
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    Well if that is your sole motivation to learn c++ programming (do it better than anyone else), then I suggest you invest your time with something else. Programming is not for you.
    Originally Posted by brewbuck:
    Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.

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    int x = *((int *) NULL); Cactus_Hugger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mario F.
    a) you mean you could find an application made by someone else that would be better than one made by yourself.

    Answer: Definitely. Of course. You are not even learning as of yet. You are pondering the possibility of learning C++. But when you do learn it, who knows? You can be a good programmer... or not. If you don't try, you will not know.
    Not always true! I wanted to have instant updates of snow closings for my county (I'm a student ) - is there a program to do this? Not really, and not the way I wanted. So I wrote one. Downloaded the HTML from the web, parsed through it, and IM'd any new closings to a chatroom. Written in PHP (and a bit of C to get the IM part). It was a kludge, but it was written the night of the school closings.

    You won't be able to do that off the bat though - took me a few years to get to that point. (But it does definately help with problem solving.) This was a custom program that did a custom task - only I was interested in it. But usually, yes, if a group of professional programmers sets their minds on something, it'll usually be better than an individual attempt.
    long time; /* know C? */
    Unprecedented performance: Nothing ever ran this slow before.
    Any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature.
    Real Programmers confuse Halloween and Christmas, because dec 25 == oct 31.
    The best way to accelerate an IBM is at 9.8 m/s/s.
    recursion (re - cur' - zhun) n. 1. (see recursion)

  10. #10
    semi-colon generator ChaosEngine's Avatar
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    surely the question is not what C++ can do for you but what you can do for C++!

    seriously though, if all you want is to knock up a few simple custom apps (like the one Cactus_hugger described) C++ is not the language for you. It's too low level, and doesn't have the library support that languages like python or ruby (hell even vb) has.

    don't get me wrong, C++ is a great language and when you want to write performant system level code that is reuseable and maintainable, nothing beats it (IMHO). But for a simple app it's just not worth the amount of work it requires.
    "I saw a sign that said 'Drink Canada Dry', so I started"
    -- Brendan Behan

    Free Compiler: Visual C++ 2005 Express
    If you program in C++, you need Boost. You should also know how to use the Standard Library (STL). Want to make games? After reading this, I don't like WxWidgets anymore. Want to add some scripting to your App?

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    VA National Guard The Brain's Avatar
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    i think the better question is.. what can you do for c++
    • "Problem Solving C++, The Object of Programming" -Walter Savitch
    • "Data Structures and Other Objects using C++" -Walter Savitch
    • "Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers" -Kip Irvine
    • "Programming Windows, 5th edition" -Charles Petzold
    • "Visual C++ MFC Programming by Example" -John E. Swanke
    • "Network Programming Windows" -Jones/Ohlund
    • "Sams Teach Yourself Game Programming in 24 Hours" -Michael Morrison
    • "Mathmatics for 3D Game Programming & Computer Graphics" -Eric Lengyel

  12. #12
    semi-colon generator ChaosEngine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Brain
    i think the better question is.. what can you do for c++
    hah! beat you to it.
    "I saw a sign that said 'Drink Canada Dry', so I started"
    -- Brendan Behan

    Free Compiler: Visual C++ 2005 Express
    If you program in C++, you need Boost. You should also know how to use the Standard Library (STL). Want to make games? After reading this, I don't like WxWidgets anymore. Want to add some scripting to your App?

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    lets put it this way ,knowledge in c++ html java javascript etc dont look bad on a resume...

  14. #14
    semi-colon generator ChaosEngine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lilhawk2892
    lets put it this way ,knowledge in c++ html java javascript etc dont look bad on a resume...
    Quote Originally Posted by alpine_sc
    If I learn C++, I don't plan on ever using it professionally
    if he's not gonna use it professionally, it's not gonna do much on his resume...
    "I saw a sign that said 'Drink Canada Dry', so I started"
    -- Brendan Behan

    Free Compiler: Visual C++ 2005 Express
    If you program in C++, you need Boost. You should also know how to use the Standard Library (STL). Want to make games? After reading this, I don't like WxWidgets anymore. Want to add some scripting to your App?

  15. #15
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    yes but knowledge of c++ or something similar shows knowledge of algebra and methematics...

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