C++ .net

[RocketMan]

Merry Christmas Everybody,

Can anybody recommend a good C++ .net book?

Thanks

RocketMan

[Elysia]

Just heads up, but most will discourage you to use C++ .NET / CLI / CLR or whatever to call it. It's a vendor lock-in, supported only by Microsoft.
I would recommend you to use C# or just native C++.
Keep that in mind, if you didn't already.

[Ducky]

You mean that we can make real windows programs (not console) without C++ .net?

[Elysia]

Of course you can. All thousands of applications (including) games out there are native C++ and not .NET.
I don't know why anyone would think of such an absurd thing. Console apps are mostly for beginners and for CLI-type apps.

[laserlight]

Yes, e.g., with the Windows API.

Console apps are just for beginners.

You may get spanked by a couple of people here for saying that, you know

[Ducky]

Wow thats so cool , i thought we were condemned to use C++ .net.
The reason maybe that every beginner thinks that way is that no c++ book mention it.
They all speak of c++.net when talking about windows programming.

And what compiler should we use for it?
In the book where i learned c++, it said that Dev-c++ not so good for it.

[h3ckf1r3]

hey I am new to C++ but I use dev-C++ and it works great and oe thing I lov about it is that it automaticaly compiles it to a executable.(they may all do that but I dont know sry) I have used other languages where the compiler makes you like rename and all this other jusnk just to make an executable. But with dev-C++ it is just as simple as making the program work and compiling it.

[Elysia]

All C++ compilers do that (and all C compilers too).

[eaane74]

if you are really interested in using a cross-platform compiler, I would suggest code::blocks, this compiler also comes with nightly builds.
IIRC dev-cpp isnt supported anymore. And if your using dev-cpp mainly for the devpaks, you can also use those with code::blocks.

http://codeblocks.org

oops...
code::blocks is a cross platform IDE, it supports GNU GCC (MinGW/Cygwin), MS Visual C++ Free Toolkit 2003, Borland's C++ Compiler 5.5, DigitalMars Free Compiler., OpenWatcom and Small Device C Compiler (SDCC).

[laserlight]

And what compiler should we use for it?
In the book where i learned c++, it said that Dev-c++ not so good for it.

What's it? Windows programming with otherwise standard C++, or Windows programming with C++/CLI?

All C++ compilers do that.

And Dev-C++ is not a C++ compiler

if you are really interested in using a cross-platform compiler, I would suggest code::blocks, this compiler also comes with nightly builds.

Code::Blocks is not a compiler either

[Elysia]

Yes, e.g., with the Windows API.


You may get spanked by a couple of people here for saying that, you know

Board didn't save my edit :/
It should be
"Console apps are mostly for beginners and for CLI-type apps."

Beginners do console apps simply because it hides the complexity of doing windowed applications. Beginners concentrate mostly on the language before moving on to making real applications.

And Dev-C++ is not a C++ compiler

Grrr. Same again.
Board didn't save my quick edit. Have to do full edit to submit the edit.

[Salem]

So Elysia, if you have a complicated idea you want to test out, do you throw it straight into your main application, or perhaps start a separate (and simple) console project to get an understanding of exactly how it works (and debug it).

I know I do the latter.

GUI isn't further up the "evolutionary tree" of programming. It's just another API.
Plus there are plenty of other GUI interfaces to play with, not just win32 or .net.

[Elysia]

So Elysia, if you have a complicated idea you want to test out, do you throw it straight into your main application, or perhaps start a separate (and simple) console project to get an understanding of exactly how it works (and debug it).

Of course, the later. I usually do a simple console app.

GUI isn't further up the "evolutionary tree" of programming. It's just another API.
Plus there are plenty of other GUI interfaces to play with, not just win32 or .net.

Agreed. I'm not implying they are the only either.
But GUI if "further up the 'evolutionary tree'" in that it isn't easy. There are a lot of things to understand, there are platform issues, the code rarely works the way you want it, requires a lot of time to investigate, debug, and so on.
Usually, books deal with console apps to learn the actual language before starting into the world of GUI, which is a little more complicated. The idea with any language is to learn it properly first and then move on to making real world applications.

Just as you do, when I want to try something, I usually use a new console project or an existing project that suits my needs so I don't have to waste time trying to fix things that aren't related to what I want to do, or try.

[cpjust]

And what compiler should we use for it?

Visual Studio is a virtual standard when writing Windows software. Here's the free version: http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/

[Ducky]

@Laserlight
"What's it? Windows programming with otherwise standard C++, or Windows programming with C++/CLI?"
Im sorry i dont even know what youre talking about.
How many c++ programming exist?
I thought there were two, either console or windows application.
Now im completely confused.

@cpjust
I have Visual Studio but i thought it was c++.net.