How to start on C++

Hi rodama48 - You're on the right track - Java and C# are both in demand right now, with respect to potential employers. Both are object-oriented languages, like C++, and so becoming proficient in either should prepare you to a certain extent on the road to becoming a programmer using C++. In the US, Microsoft has partnered with local community colleges to make licenses of Visual Studio very inexpensive for student-learners, and so you may want to speak to your instructor about purchasing a discounted license of Visual Studio (that includes support for C#, C++). For Java, there's software available on SUN's web site to try. Good luck! -april05

You should start with C#.

Java paradigm is simply C wrapped in interpreted paradigm objects called Java. So it has all the limitations of C, hence if you do already know C then you will have problems writing around the problems of the Java paradigm. Besides, Java is not very strict on the data encapsulation any way.

In any event, after C# you should have fun with C++, I know I did.

Good luck and take care.

You got some good advice so far... I would like to add that I learned C# basics from getting a couple of those "Learn C# in 24 hours" and "Learn C# in 30 days" type of books. They cover the topics fairly well. I admit I was not learning my first programming language, but I thought the material was explained well enough for a first timer. One of those books even spoke of how to get a free or open source compiler for C#. Also, I have been told that you can download a limited version of visual studio that may be useful for learning purposes???

well first there was C then C++ and now C#

there enough good books and online tutorials to immediatly start with C# and a good programmer should know several programming languages so why not learn both?

(i mean Java and C#)

In 20 yars I have gone through Basic, Fortran, VBasic, C++ and recently Mathematica.

Firstly, don't expect to instantly know C++ in depth after you finish any course! It will take effort to digest.

My opinion is that, as long as you don't try to digest too many concepts at once, C++ has no prerequisites. Besides, it allows so many different programming paradigms that I don't think any single programmer uses all its features.

It is also my opinion that the 1st language we learn becomes something like a mother tongue: we tend to default to it and are reluctant and slow to absorb different paradigms.

So if C++ is your target language, find a good course (best of luck) and learn it directly. Don't follow the C/ Java/ C#/ whatever route to C++. Make it your mother-tongue from the start. You'll speak it better.

Use Let's C by Yashwant Kanitkar B.P.B Publications. It is very good book studying C programming. For the unsolved programs in that book you can use Let's C Solutions by the same author. Good Luck.

I apologize if you are well aware of this already, but if you have no programming experience at all I would begin first by becoming familiar with the concepts of sequence, choice, and repetition. You will need to know these no matter what high level language you want to program in. That said I think C++ is a fine place to start. If you learn C++ very well you should be able to adapt to other languages fairly easily.

EDIT: Just realized how late of a post this is, but maybe it will help someone else