Thread: C or C++ for first language ?

  1. #1
    Registered User Mobidoy's Avatar
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    C or C++ for first language ?

    Hi everyone,

    I am new to this board. *Shakes everyone hand*.

    I could call my self as a new programmer... Not that i dont have any experience but, it's been a long long time, bak when dad bought a nice TI99/a and it was quite a powerfull computer.

    I've learned basic at that time and, well, let say that life got me into something else.

    I would like to come back to my first love but, i dont know wich language would help me get back into it. Someone told me to look into C. But, as i found out, there is C++ too so, my question is, wich of the 2 should i go for, or should i try something else ?

    My goal is to create an old style RPG kinda like The first Final fantasy, Y's, sword of vermillion, well something around that.

    So, any ideas ?

    Thanx for you opinion

    (Btw, i will look thru the board but, hints on books and tutorial to help me get into it will be gladly accepted )

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    Well are you talking about old school graphics games or text based? If it's text based then either would do fine(I prefer c++ since I find it simpler)

    If its graphics base well then... thats a whole another basket of trouble

  3. #3
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    For a rank beginner to programming I would probably recommend a language like Python instead, as I feel that neither C nor C++ are particularly good beginner languages. However, since you already have tried your hand at programming, I would suggest that you pick up the book Accelerated C++ (by Koenig and Moo) and see if you can understand it. My guess is you can, and that book will help you get up to scratch on modern C++ pretty quickly, along with some basic problem solving techniques.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  4. #4
    Registered User Mobidoy's Avatar
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    I will see if it will be text or graphic but, i would like to go graphic.

    As for python, i started learning it a bit and, didn't like it very much.

    I started to learn C about 3 3 days ago with a french tutorial i found and, to my surprise, i didn't found it to hard to learn. I've made it to the pointers without a sweat

    Next topic was tables but, i decide to look for an english ressources site before going forward just in case the french tutorial would had missed important info. Also, i though of finding a book or another tutorial in english that i could go through and try to do the exercise to see if i really understood what i learned so far.

    This is what got me here, and now i am asking myself, if i might have to learn c++ later on, should i start with C or should i go with C++ right away.

    I really want to learn a programming language. I dont need it, i just want it !

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    Just keep in mind that making an application with a complex GUI like a game is very hard, especially for beginners. You should lower your ambitions for the near future.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mobidoy View Post
    I will see if it will be text or graphic but, i would like to go graphic.

    As for python, i started learning it a bit and, didn't like it very much.

    I started to learn C about 3 3 days ago with a french tutorial i found and, to my surprise, i didn't found it to hard to learn. I've made it to the pointers without a sweat

    Next topic was tables but, i decide to look for an english ressources site before going forward just in case the french tutorial would had missed important info. Also, i though of finding a book or another tutorial in english that i could go through and try to do the exercise to see if i really understood what i learned so far.

    This is what got me here, and now i am asking myself, if i might have to learn c++ later on, should i start with C or should i go with C++ right away.

    I really want to learn a programming language. I dont need it, i just want it !
    It's not the language that is hard, it's the application of it.

  7. #7
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    This is what got me here, and now i am asking myself, if i might have to learn c++ later on, should i start with C or should i go with C++ right away.
    Start with C++ right away, unless you want to use C, upon which you should start with C. However, as Desolation pointed out you would need to take things step by step, not rush into your final project, however tempted you may be
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  8. #8
    Registered User Mobidoy's Avatar
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    Dont worry, this is a very long term project.... Very very long term.

    The project that i have in mind that i would like to do is something the help my daughter study, a program where i coould record the words she as to study in a wav files or something like that, i type the words in another file, when she starts it, it will play one of the wav and, she will have to type the word with the right grammar....

    Will i have more difficulty if i start with C++ or should i finish to learn C then, go on with C++ ?

  9. #9
    Deathray Engineer MacGyver's Avatar
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    It all depends upon what you want to do. C++ offers a richer library, and a safer way to get stuff done. It'll also be somewhat easier to get tasks done in C++ than in C.

    With that said, I learned C first, and I think in terms of C. I prefer C over C++ most of the time. Also, the procedural nature of C is more how your computer will process the data, and might be easier for you to think in right away (although you can do the same with C++).

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    I would suggest you to start with C++ since you won't use C (right?). If you thinking of using C think again, why. I'm 99% sure you can do it with C++.

  11. #11
    Its hard... But im here swgh's Avatar
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    C is a lower level language than C++. Thus some of it's snytax is harder to pick up than C++. But the thing to remember is, anything C can do C++ can do, C++ just took C and made a few things easier to do, plus with the added advent of Object Oridentated Programming. Which you must learn if you want to achieve your dream goal you stated.

    In the proffesional gaming world, alomost every game is written in C or C++. More C++ nowdays mind. Like Mcguyver said, take whatever languge you find easier to grapple and stick with it. Oh, and there is no harm in learning both at a later stage. But make sure you get to grips with one of two as best you can. Good luck.
    Double Helix STL

  12. #12
    Woof, woof! zacs7's Avatar
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    bare in mind that most Linux programs, GUIs (GTK, Qt), interfaces (GNOME, KDE) and the kernel itself is in C. I would recommend C if you plan on doing "Linux-Based" programming. However if you want to make games and the like then definitly go with C++, most opensource game engines are in C++ and it's easier to treat everything as an 'object' (OOP).

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    I think that for any given task, you can learn how to do it in C++ at least as easily as in C. C++ is a much bigger language, but you can learn just enough for the task at hand and expand your knowledge organically later. Some things can be done more easily/efficiently/safely in C++, which means that doing these things the "C way" in C++ is considered bad practice (although C++ is for the most part a superset of C, so C code can be turned into valid C++ with a few minor tweaks), so learning C++ first avoids picking up bad habits. There are some existing projects such as those zacs7 mentioned that are written in C, but since you're creating your own project, that's not an issue.

  14. #14
    Registered User Mobidoy's Avatar
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    I love to have opinion from peeps...

    As i can see, it looks like i should go with C++.

    I dont have any problem with that. As i said earlier, i am not on a rush to learn and get all the twist to get me where i want. If you guys say i should go Python/C/C++, i dont have any problem with that. If it is C++/C, i will. I just want
    to be sure that i learn it the right way. The logical mind for programming, that i got. The analysis mind too. If i make errors, i dont have any problems tracking them down. Where i lack, is in the synthax.

    Structure, arrays, variables, constants, operators are all things i understand.

    So to resume, i just want to learn today's language for my own personnal use and because it is something i always wanted to learn. If you guys tell me to Start with Python and then the conversion to C or C++ will be easier, i dont mind. If it takes me 6 months, fine, 2 years, no biggie.

    Thanx for your support all

  15. #15
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    Mobidoy:

    I just found your thread today (joined recently). I'm a developer with 25 years experience, from C to C++, assembler, C#, Java, all over the map.

    Between C and C++, there's no question you should study C++, but you already got that part.

    However, I thought I'd suggest that you if you are targeting Windows, and you do find you'd like a slightly faster route to getting things going (childhood only lasts so long - I have a 6 year old myself) - consider C#.

    C# has a related syntax, gives you excellent access to Windows (including Vista - which I do not recommend at this time), and is faster for the development phase (you can get results sooner). It is not faster 'running' that C++ counterparts, but your time to completion is faster, there's far fewer sources of bugs (technical bugs, not logical ones), and you can get the compiler free in one of the Express Editions of Visual Studio from Microsoft.

    C++ is a serious study. If you just want to know, it's good stuff. It's also a technically involved study, with low level access to the underlying machine, and can give you fits for days if you're not familiar with pointers and pointer related bugs. For the seasoned pro, there's nothing better.

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