Learning C++ and VB

Laurio · 28 Apr 2006 at 13:46

Hello all

Im just wondering if there is a great difference between C++ and Java.

Ive done java programming and i know a little of C but for a possible new job, they program in C++ and Visual Basic, so will it be difficult to pick these languages up? Im prepared to learn them, so has anyone got any useful tips to get started?

Cheers

Laurio

Inquisitor · 28 Apr 2006 at 13:55

Well, VB is a lot easier to learn, but is considered a beginners' language (hence the name... Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), and some people even consider it not to be a real programming language. C++ on the other hand, is the work horse of the industry really. Very complex and fiddly in comparison but very powerful.

With regards to Java, C++ has similar syntax, but is a lot more verbose. It's completely unmanaged, so you have to handle things like memory management yourself, instead of having a runtime environment such as the Java virtual machine to do it for you.

PARUK · 28 Apr 2006 at 14:15

The following free book (yep, free unless you want the CD or printed version) will get you into C++ pretty quickly:

http://mindview.net/Books/TICPP/ThinkingInCPP2e.html

Laurio · 28 Apr 2006 at 18:09

PARUK said:
The following free book (yep, free unless you want the CD or printed version) will get you into C++ pretty quickly:

http://mindview.net/Books/TICPP/ThinkingInCPP2e.html

Cheers mate, have downloaded it and will start coding soon

Laurio

the_gof · 29 Apr 2006 at 10:22

picking up a new language is easy

especially tiny languages like C and C++. the syntax is nothing

learning the libraries, now that's the challenge. and that's where the power of the language comes from. my advice, if you're aiming at a specific job, is to find out what platform they develop their C++ on, and what specific libraries they use (eg MFC, Borland VCL) and get some experience with using them.