Hello,

I'm trying to learn C/C++ and I'm looking for an online guide. I'm looking for something easy to follow and easy to read.

I really appreciate your comments and advice. Thanks a lot!

Are you a programmer? Will this be your first attempt at programming? If it is your first attempt at programming I am going to save you some serious struggles.

First, don't learn C/C++ first. They are much too complex for a "first language" and especially for someone who has never programmed before.

Second, don't try to learn C/C++ from tutorials etc. You need to pick up a good book. If you want to spend some money for a good book let me know and I can recommend some.

If you are a programmer and have some experience with other langauges I would still recommend picking up a book and learning C/C++. Tutorials do not do a good job of explaining a lot of C/C++ nauances and intricacies (sp).

If you are a hardcore programmer you already know C/C++ and would not be asking this question.

Let us know where you are and we can give you further advice.

-Weaver

Weaver,

That really clears up a lot for me, seriously, thank you.

Well, here's where I'm at: I've been working with online tutorials and have been getting frustrated, like you hinted at. (Huh.) Anyway, I would be willing to put up some money for a good book for a programming language that a beginner like me should start with. I have never programmed before and I don't know very much of the programming language C/C++. I know a few commands like [cout] and [cin] or something like that but nothing major.

Weaver, thanks again for your help. I really appreciate this! Let me know what books you would recommend. Thanks!

If you want to pursue C++ that is great, I will ask you some questions at the end of this thread. First off I will tell you where to go for instruction/books. The only book I can recommend to a new programmer who wants to learn C++ is Bruce Eckel's "Thinking in C++" There are two volumes to this book, both are actually available free online. Yes free, this guy puts its work up for free.

Even though the books are free in electronic form, I would highly recommend purchasing them from Amazon.com for two reasons. First off, you are supporting this amazing author (the books are not expensive from Amazon). Second, it is much easier to learn from a book than to learn from reading on the computer. Nothing wrong with reading online, but you can't take the computer everywhere. Need to do your business for the night? A book is really one of the only acceptable things to bring in with you...

Seriously, get both the electronic version and pay for the printed version (Volume 1 is $31 and Volume 2 is $35). The books are unvelievable values when you compare them to the college textbooks I have used. The price is very low, and the quality and content is overall much better than my Intro C++ textbook.

Appropriate links:
http://www.mindview.net/Books
http://mindview.net/Books/TICPP/ThinkingInCPP2e.html

Purchase links:

Volume 1: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0139798099/bruceeckelA/

Volume 2: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0130353132/bruceeckelA/

Now, some questions for you? Why are choosing to learn C++? Do you plan on doing systems programming or games programming? Mission/time critical programming? If you are not planning on doing any of those you would be much better suited to other languages. C++ is a great language, don't get me wrong. However it takes a lot of its values from C, thus it is very machine efficient and very unforgiving to the programmer. You may be better suited learning a language like Java. I am in no way trying to steer you away from C++, it is just that C++ is both a tough language to learn well and its niche is shrinking every year. I am not saying it will go away soon, but it is definitely being phased out for UI's and being replaced by Java-like languages.

If you have any questions/comments or problems be sure to let us know.

-Weaver

Thanks for the links Weaver, I have two pretty big books infront of me one is titled Instructor's Solutions Manual for Computer Science by Behrouz A Forouzan and Richard F. Gilberg, The other is Problem Solving and Program design in C by Hanlt Koffman. I am just wondering if you are familiar with either books and if they are worth reading.

Nope, not familiar with those particular books. I can't really recommend any purely C books as I did not learn C from a book. I learned C++ and then just picked up the differences through online material. If you learn one well, it is much easier to the learn the other.

-Weaver

I got an e-book of Sam's Teach yourself in 21 days using Visual C++...

Quote:

I got an e-book of Sam's Teach yourself in 21 days using Visual C++...

Personally I wouldn't recommend books like these for serious learning. Yes, they will teach you C++, but not they will not teach you C++.

Second, it is a Visual C++ book, nothing wrong with that, but a lot of the information in that book will appy to the Windows operating system only. That is fine if you are going to develop Visual C++ applications, but if you want to learn the C++ langauge, spending your time learning the extra bits that make Visual C++ and MS stuff could be better spent learning more about C++ itself and the Standard Template Library (STL).

-Weaver