View Full Version : Long way to go ...

11-23-2003, 08:20 PM
I have been a C/C++ programmer for about 10 years now and I have a long way to go for things like game programming, OpenGL, etc.

Start by just learning how to program. C++ would be tough for a first language but it is done by a lot of folks. Once you've got a handle on the programming language then start with the technologies that make graphics and game programming possible.

This may take a while so have patience.

Good Luck!!! :thumbsup:

11-26-2003, 11:28 AM
I don't see why people recommend not starting with C++. This gives the programmer all the experience he needs to tackle any other language that he'd like to use. I can't say I'm more experienced that you, but I do have a lot of hands on experience for the last 3-4 years.

Design patterns are quickly becoming an industrial standard for creating just about any type of software. Even if a coder might not be able to create DX or OpenGL programs, a good OO programmer will still be more important in a team.

If you can do small graphic demos, that don't mean you can create an entire game. So I guess what I'm trying to say, is have more patience! :)

11-29-2003, 05:44 AM
First off, I am nowhere near the point where I could call myself a programmer. I've been studying and writing little programs in C++ and scripts in Python, LScript and MEL for a while now but I've never really written anything that would qualify me as an authority on the subject. Still, I think I do have something valid to say from a perspective of learning to program because I've been doing it for so long. :)

I started to learn programming back in 95. There wasn't any books that I could find at the time that didn't expect a full knowledge of C first. Now there are all sorts of books that cover this. Now that I know more about C++ and Object Oriented Programming, I can see where learning about OOP first would actually be a much better way to go about it. Most books I've seen that are out there today that cover C and C++, tend to cover the latter in a sort of last minute fashion and tend to gloss over the fundamentals of OOP design and focus mainly on things like overlading (which is important but is more in relm of implementation). This usually leaves people feeling like OOP is just an optional tack on that you think about after you write your main functions. For me, when I was learning C++, I just couldn't get my head around "When" and "Why" you needed to use OOP. And those books that do manage to go into more detail usually have a the flaw of, " Here's how you program in C... OK, forget all that cuz now you should program like this with OOP!"

To me, OOP should be the first step you learn. I mean, to me, OOP is sort of something that helps most in the planning and design stage. It makes you think hierarchically. it make you think about what features are dependent on others and how things fit together as a whole and not just the little tiny functions here and there. Once you start leaning about that, then as need be, start thinking about the actual implementation. I find that when I start planning things out in an outline fashion, that's usually how things are going to work when I start writing classes. Then it just becomes a matter of filingl in the blanks.

Thanks for reading. ;)


12-04-2003, 09:52 PM
Hmmm... the book "Moving from C to C++" is very good for the transition. It doesn't just say do this and that - it first explains the concept, then shows why the C++ way is better.

CGTalk Moderation
01-16-2006, 07:00 PM