Yes, I'm an gnuB! I've been writing plain old console programs for years, that's what they teach you in college when you are a comp. engineering. major believe it or not! All that fancy booklearnin n' stuff, and all you learn is how to write a console app!! they DONT get into windows programming at all (at least at FAU in Floriduh) All they teach are those stupid and basic "inventory" console programs and text file sort programs, no Windows.
When I look for books at Boreders or Barnys n' Gnobles all those c++ books just have more of the same "basic concept" programs similar to school. I want to write programs for Windows that output in more than a command line console!! I look at the index of all these books and they might at best have ONE page referencing Windows, and it's usually junk.
All they Do have are M$ Visual C++ and maybe a Delphi book with an inch of dust on it's wrinkled and torn cover.
Must I buy and use MS Visual C++ if I want to write windows apps, or is there an alternative. I can't seem to find much on the net for writing Windows apps without some sort of reference to the M$ product monopoly. Don't get me wrong, Microsoft's product is probably great, heck they wrote the OS!! But it seems that I would have to learn a completely new language, because from what I've seen C++ and Visual C++ at least appear to be VERY different language-wise (or maybe I'm to used to seeing procedural code, and very basic use of objects....remember I am new!)! I figured this would be the BEST place to ask! So let me have it, just be gentle, please!