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].