QT for OS programming

[JenniferLostTheWar]

Hello everyone and Merry late Christmas!

So I have some beginner questions.

First, I'm learning c++ in order to reach my goal of being a programmer on a operating system. (Windows, OS X, android core, etc)

So should I stay away from QT? I ask because I noticed some differences on it. For example Qstrings vs regular strings. Wouldn't it be better to have most practice with regular strings then Qstrings for what I want to do?

Let's say I end up working at Apple on OSX (wishful thinking I know) I strongly doubt they use Qstrings. I'm sure they would use the normal c strings or c++ strings. Right?

Guess what I'm trying to ask is, is qt worth learning for getting a job at a corporate company? Or should I stick with the libraries included with c++

Also another question that may sound stupid but it's about memory management.

Do I need to delete strings after I'm done using them? If so how do I do this?

If I'm reading a file line by line using something like getline(myfile, stringname)
Do I need to delete the string at the end of every loop?

Sorry I'm be mostly on Python since the beginning and I never had to worry about memory management.

[JLBorges]

> So should I stay away from QT?

Yes, while you are trying to learn C++. Qt has far too many C++ anti-patterns.


> is qt worth learning for getting a job at a corporate company?
> Or should I stick with the libraries included with c++

Learn standard, idiomatic C++ first.

Knowledge of Qt may be a plus point in a few set ups.
Lack of knowledge of standard C++ would be a big minus everywhere (everywhere where C++ is the core programming language).


> Do I need to delete strings after I'm done using them? If so how do I do this?
> If I'm reading a file line by line using something like getline(myfile, stringname)
> Do I need to delete the string at the end of every loop?

No.

std::string line ; // automatic storage duration
while( std::getline( my_file, line )
{
     // do something with line
} 

> I'm be mostly on Python since the beginning and I never had to worry about memory management.

You don't have to worry about memory management in C++ either (not for several months, till you are ready to start writing low-level code).

[Thomas1965]

is qt worth learning for getting a job at a corporate company?

It depends on the company. I am not sure what the most popular framework for C++ is.

I don't know where you live but I guess/hope that there is some kind of job centre around where you could get some career advice.

[Cody0023]

Operating System work is serious business. You're going to already have some sort of real world experience if an employer looks at you for developing those complex systems. I highly doubt there's an entry level job in that category.

[admkrk]

I highly doubt there's an entry level job in that category.

That is a good point. I would also add that how well someones knows C++. or any other language for that matter, is a much lower priority than understanding how the operating system itself works. I found this book more helpful in my OS class then the text book that went with the class:
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Operating-Systems-Ann-McHoes/dp/128509655X

A good source for information about creating operating systems is:
http://wiki.osdev.org/Main_Page

If you want to get real low level, assembly, this is an interesting set of lectures:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvZhgRO7hL4