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Best way to switch from Visual Basic to C++?

NeTo

Emu_64 HiP Coder
I have been wandering a while books and info about both C and C++ languages. Since I know Visual Basic, i was wondering if first pick up somthing (book, magazine, web page, etc.) about C specifically and then something related to C++, or just start directly from C++ related material

Also I'm a bit confused about if wathever i pick i can go well using Visual C++ 6.0, or if it's better to pick a book about C++ .NET and learn from there (and get C++ .NET obviously). And... there is also a C#?

Any suggestions and recomendations are welcomed...
 

Doomulation

?????????????????????????
C and C++ is pretty much alike :)
I'd say go for c++ directly if you wish to learn it. IT shouldn't be really hard to write anything in C if you did learn it.

VC++ .net doesn't offer many advantages...I'm not even sure how to access the .net framework, but if you can, believe me it has many features. .Net is very expensive, though, so unless you want to buy it go for c++ 6.

And C# is maybe the best for vb -> c++ developers. It has many low-level access touches but it's still a high-level language such as vb.
But for real professional apps, you'd of course use c++ ;) or c. :happy:
 
OP
NeTo

NeTo

Emu_64 HiP Coder
Lol, well it's not that much, so it shouldn't be hard to forget jejeje
 

ra5555

N64 Newbie
hehe I am right now learning C++ in UW, I think the best way is to take some class and do the assignment :p
 
OP
NeTo

NeTo

Emu_64 HiP Coder
Unluckily this semester i have an obligatory C course, but it's... horrible to be gentle. I already know what it's gonna be taught there. I don't know how they dare to call it a C course if they only pass what ints and longs and doubles are.

I've heard that the final course exam is to write code for solving a cuadratic equation the user enters... I already did that without knowing C lol
 

aprentice

Moderator
You should start with C if your serious about learning it. C++ is object oriented (classes, etc crap). Learn the basics from a dos C book, then work on projects that test your skills, you'll get there eventually, but it takes time, theres no such thing as learning everything in a semester. Once you learn it, you'll never wanna go back to vb =p

Btw, ignore Doomulation, he tries to help people with stuff that not even he has comprehended :p
 

Moose Jr.

Raging Moose
Doomulation said:
.Net is very expensive, though, so unless you want to buy it go for c++ 6.

The academic version is a boatload cheaper. I think it was 80 when I got it. Or maybe 140. I can't remember. Either way it's not too expensive when you consider what a valuable tool it is.
 

aprentice

Moderator
Moose Jr. said:
The academic version is a boatload cheaper. I think it was 80 when I got it. Or maybe 140. I can't remember. Either way it's not too expensive when you consider what a valuable tool it is.

Even 80 is too much, m$ doesnt realize school isnt cheap :p
$19 would be more like it, they are rich enough already.
 

dcook32p

New member
Book Recommendations

NeTo said:
Since I know Visual Basic, i was wondering if first pick up somthing (book, magazine, web page, etc.) about C specifically and then something related to C++, or just start directly from C++ related material.

Before you start learning how to use the Microsoft Foundation Classes, Component Object Model +, the .NET Framework, and other 32-bit Microsoft Windows application programming interfaces you should learn ANSI standard C++ 98. And I know of no better way to learn that than by this book:

C++ Primer (3rd Edition) [amazon.com] by Stanley B. Lippman. It is often considered to be the best book for learning C++ from scratch since the book is devoted entirely to the ANSI standard.

Once you've gone through that there are several books you should obtain on object-oriented development, modeling, and architecture. Your local Half-Priced Books or other discount book store should have several very affordable volumes on these topics.

Finally, once you feel comfortable with using the Standard Template Library (STL) and have slightly familiarized yourself with Unified Modeling Language (UML) [omg.org] you should begin reading Bjarne Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language (3rd Edition) [amazon.com]. He is the creator of the C++ programming language, and his book is one of the most advanced on the topic. However, don't pick this up unless you're serious about becoming an advanced C++ developer and already have at least an intermediate grasp of the language.

Eventually, you'll need to pick up one of the hundreds (if not thousands) of books on programming C++ on 32-bit Microsoft Windows. I would almost forego learning the Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) in favor of learning their .NET Framework.

And no matter what people tell you, C++ is still a better language than C#. The only difference is that C# was designed so that monkeys could use it.

By the way, while learning the language you may as well save some money and download a free compiler such as the GNU Compiler Compilation (GCC) [gnu.org].
 

Goomba

New member
blight said:
best way to switch from VB to C++?
forget everything you have learned about VB ;)

That is actually a great idea. I took a VB course in school and still it feels like I don't know real programming, although the teacher said that VB was the best language to learn.
 

Doomulation

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Goomba said:
although the teacher said that VB was the best language to learn.
Ya, if you're not into serious programming such as emulators n' stuff. VB is quite good for that, then.
Btw, what was the point of digging this up? :baaa:
 

aprentice

Moderator
Doomulation said:
Ya, if you're not into serious programming such as emulators n' stuff. VB is quite good for that, then.
Btw, what was the point of digging this up? :baaa:

In the business environment, vb is great for rapid developement and database programming.
 

Malcolm

Not a Moderator
aprentice said:
In the business environment, vb is great for rapid developement and database programming.

Isn't that all VB is good for? And wouldn't it be more effieient to use, say, PHP for database programming and have all your offices running the databases on servers that don't have direct net access; thus giving you the ability to read/write to the database anywhere in the company?

;)
 

Hacktarux

Emulator Developer
Moderator
Malcolm said:
Isn't that all VB is good for? And wouldn't it be more effieient to use, say, PHP for database programming and have all your offices running the databases on servers that don't have direct net access; thus giving you the ability to read/write to the database anywhere in the company?

;)


Nah, many companies like wasting money on useless software and only after buying them they're searching how to use those softwares :p At least that's what it oftenly looks like....
 

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