Learn C/C++ Programming: A Beginner's Guide

[charming86]

hi
i simply know nothing about programming languages and related stuff, but i really want to learn one, c or c++, i don't know where to start
can you please tell what to do and where to start, websites, books...
please help
i appreciate ur help
thanks

 

[Mallignamius]

There's a "Programming Resources" sticky just above your topic. Have you looked there?

 

[neutrino]

http://www.cprogramming.com/

That seems a nice place to start.

 

[Mallignamius]

That is nice. I think I'll get into it, too, now.

 

[z-component]

Definitely learn C++ if you're choosing between that and C. It's an excellent skill to have. It shows that you can possesses a higher level of thinking and that you can write algorithms to solve real-life problems.

 

[charming86]

thanks neutrino!
thanks a lot

 

[fiziksphreak]

I would say C++ is the best route. Especially since all of the c language is contained in C++. C++ is also good because several other languages are derivatives of it such as Java. Java share a lot of similarities to C++ in its syntax.

 

[haki]

Java is NOT a derivate of C++!

For learning programming or a new computer skill I have the following algorithm: Go to the library, pick at least 5 books on the subject that look promising, read a few pages of each book,borrow the book that suites you best(I value simplicity and clarity of presentation the most).

I am a big fan of books written by Cay Horstmann so I would probably go with Big C++[1]. Most computer books are over priced so I prefer the library.

[1] http://he-cda.wiley.com/WileyCDA/HigherEdTitle/productCd-0471470635.html

 

[fiziksphreak]

Java is NOT a derivate of C++!

For learning programming or a new computer skill I have the following algorithm: Go to the library, pick at least 5 books on the subject that look promising, read a few pages of each book,borrow the book that suites you best(I value simplicity and clarity of presentation the most).

I am a big fan of books written by Cay Horstmann so I would probably go with Big C++[1]. Most computer books are over priced so I prefer the library.

[1] http://he-cda.wiley.com/WileyCDA/HigherEdTitle/productCd-0471470635.html

Java is a derivative see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_Programming_Language_language

Oh and here is another good read
http://ei.cs.vt.edu/book/chap1/java_hist.html

 

[haki]

You got to be kiding me.

Porhaps you were not reading the article very good, it is written "The language itself derives much of its syntax from C and C++"[1]. There is a difference between deriving syntax in contrast to deriving the language and platform itself.

Note C++ and Java are different in nature. For instance Java is compiled into bytecode, has different OOP model(class can only extend one Class, note there is different syntax for "extends" in C++ it would be the cryptic ":"), Java is run on VM which provides Garbage Collection, C++ is different.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_Programming_Language_language

 

[Your.Master]

Ultimately this amounts to a semantic quibble over what "derived" means.
It could go on indefinitely if we wish to invoke an appeal to popularity fallacy; Googling 'Java "derived from C++"' without single-quotes comes to a Google estimate of 1.02 million results. I suppose some of them could be "Java is not derived from C++" -- although a search for 'Java "not derived from C++"' gets us only 3 results, two of which don't address the issue and actually say "C# was not derived from C++". I don't feel like checking all other possible negations, like "wasn't derived from C++".

Java began as a set of extensions to C++, and eventually it was decided that it was better to start a new language in its own right. In that sense, it was not bubbled away from C++ entirely. It also draws influences from other languages that were derived in part from C++, so it too is derivative by transitivity. Not to mention that syntax being derived from C++ means that Java IS, in part, derived from C++. The "difference between deriving syntax in contrast to deriving the language and platform itself" is precisely that deriving syntax is more specific.

Java and C++ are very different. Nevertheless, understanding one greatly aids in understanding the other.

 

[haki]

Your words: "Java and C++ are very different". How can that be true if the former is the derivate of the latter?

Maybe it would be more correct to say that Java was influenced by C++. But never mind. Waste of posts for this.

Couldn't resist: "C# was not derived from C++" should this be true that would mean that Java was not derived from C++ since C# was derived from Java.

 

[MeJennifer]

If you want to learn programming I would definitely not recommed you start with C++.

I would recommend you start with Java. It is well-designed and object oriented. From here you could expand to other languages.

As an alternative to Java, you might opt for, the relatively new language, called Ruby, which might replace Java in the future. It is a bit richer in object oriented features than Java.

 

[Anttech]

start with some scripting before you start programing. Some Bash scripting would be good IMHO.