Thread: Should I learn a FULL language first?

  1. #1
    C++ and openGL Raeliean's Avatar
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    Should I learn a FULL language first?

    I'm learning c++ and plan to do openGL. Would it hurt to learn openGL at the sametime as c++ or should I focus on c++ until I've learned it all then start with openGL?
    Be inspired.

  2. #2
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    Learn most of C++. Certainly you need to have a good grasp on object-oriented programming, you need to familiar with all of the commonly used constructs, and a fair amount of experience under your belt so you can deal with debugging, etc... If you're asking questions about the purpose of pointers, my guess is that you probably shouldn't be learning third-party libraries or doing anything that would require OpenGL yet.

  3. #3
    Deprecated Dae's Avatar
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    You should probably learn most of C++ first. See the list of topics on this C++ eBook: http://newdata.box.sk/bx/c/

    Day 1 Getting Started
    Day 2 The Parts of a C++ Program
    Day 3 Variables and Constants
    Day 4 Expressions and Statements
    Day 5 Functions
    Day 6 Basic Classes
    Day 7 More Program Flow
    Day 8 Pointers
    Day 9 References
    Day 10 Advanced Functions
    Day 11 Arrays
    Day 12 Inheritance
    Day 13 Polymorphism
    Day 14 Special Classes and Functions
    Day 15 Advanced Inheritance
    Day 16 Streams
    Day 17 The Preprocessor
    Day 18 Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
    Day 19 Templates
    Day 20 Exceptions and Error Handling
    Day 21 Whats Next

    on Day 21, whats next? openGL programming.
    Warning: Have doubt in anything I post.

    GCC 4.5, Boost 1.40, Code::Blocks 8.02, Ubuntu 9.10 010001000110000101100101

  4. #4
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    > See the list of topics on this C++ eBook:
    Do you know for sure that that's a legitimate electronic copy of a copyrighted book?

    Why recommend something dubious (and out of date) when there are better things which are both legit and current
    http://www.mindview.net/Books/TICPP/...ngInCPP2e.html
    If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
    If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.

  5. #5
    Registered User Frobozz's Avatar
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    I'm going to guess that the site is hosting the ebooks illegally. My assumption is based on the fact that the books are ones that are typically sold - the C++ book is a SAMS books for example. If you go up one directory, to http://newdata.box.sk/bx, you will notice three other books on the site. Two of them are from SAMS and the other I'm not really sure on.
    Last edited by Frobozz; 07-11-2005 at 04:57 PM.

  6. #6
    Deprecated Dae's Avatar
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    I wasnt recommending the book, merely showing which topics should probably be learned before moving on to OpenGL.

    The book got a nice review, being good for pure beginners but not much coverage on advanced topics. I'm not sure if that sites putting that ebook up there illegally, I just have the link because someone else posted it. Oh yeah and it isnt out of date, Ive read it.. the only outdated part is the author for some odd reason uses iostream with a .h

    There are a few free ebooks though. Thinking in C++, C++ in Action, etc: http://www.freeprogrammingresources.com/cppbooks.html
    Warning: Have doubt in anything I post.

    GCC 4.5, Boost 1.40, Code::Blocks 8.02, Ubuntu 9.10 010001000110000101100101

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    I wasnt recommending the book
    Recommending or not, you'd still be posting illegal material. Please check on the legality of links you post - that Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days book sounds awfully commercial.

    the author for some odd reason uses iostream with a .h
    The "odd reason" you refer to is that the book was probably written for a standard other than the most recent one.

  8. #8
    x4000 Ruski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Raeliean
    I'm learning c++ and plan to do openGL. Would it hurt to learn openGL at the sametime as c++ or should I focus on c++ until I've learned it all then start with openGL?
    I don't think that it's possible to learn all C++ (but I maybe wrong)
    what does signature stand for?

  9. #9
    Deprecated Dae's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sean_mackrory
    Recommending or not, you'd still be posting illegal material. Please check on the legality of links you post - that Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days book sounds awfully commercial.



    The "odd reason" you refer to is that the book was probably written for a standard other than the most recent one.
    You're right. I looked the book up and its by Sams, published in 1998 (I believe the standard was removing the .h was in 1997? but I guess it took time to spread word). I wasnt worried if its commercial, there are a few companies/people that publish commercial books but also believe in sharing the information over the internet and put them on the book's site. It was hard to tell if it was legit or not, to a lot of people.. this link is highly rated and you'll find its recommended over tons of C++ boards, and therfor highly rated on google too. I did a "site:newdata.box.sk" search and you're right. Its an illegal ebook, and they also have tons of other ebooks and documents hosted on that site. It seems like the site is dead but the domain still exists, I read a few pages that were written by the actual site owner, 5 years ago, and its all a bunch of misc pages about phreaking, cracking, crashing computers, hacking, assembly, etc. :-/

    Well.. mystery solved, though it wont help.. while searching I found more than 25 c++ boards listing the site being recommended by posters, and 5 sites with C++ links listing it, as well as other misc "free books" sites listing it. But I'll be going around and editting out my links.

    The funny thing is that most of the people on the boards recommend that its a good book/first learned, etc. Yet on amazon.com its gotten the worst ratings.
    Warning: Have doubt in anything I post.

    GCC 4.5, Boost 1.40, Code::Blocks 8.02, Ubuntu 9.10 010001000110000101100101

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