What is the best way, in your opinion, to learn C++ from nothing?
I know almost nothing about programming, even having taken a high school course in Java a year ago (straight from a workbook that was way too advanced and had no glossary whatsoever). I would rather not just watch videos but rather be shown an example and then try to imitate the concept. Does such a thing exist? I know how important coding is and would like at least a background in it before college. Thanks in advance. https://mobdro.bio/ https://luckypatcher.tips/ https://kodi.bio/
Last edited on
Find tutorials on things you want to do, then follow them.
Lazy Foo’s SDL2 tutorials (for game programming) even help you get your environment set to compile your programs.
Follow them, then modify them. A lot of stuff will not make much sense, but do them as shown anyway. As your knowledge grows, you learn more.
Google around everything you have questions about. Read how-tos and blogs about C++ programming stuff.
Next, I recommend a good book. SO has The Definitive C++ Book Guide and List
(https://stackoverflow.com/questions/388242/the-definitive-c-book-guide-and-list), which I recommend you take a look through ASAP, since it is one of those meta-contentious threads that sometimes disappears without warning and reappears only when someone both sane and with sufficient authority listens to the public outcry.
Finally, find a forum you like, check your ego and start asking questions about everything. Remember that every forum has people both very nice and people who are absolute *holes, and that in all cases they’re just another person sitting at a computer somewhere being nerdy and/or stupid.
Good luck!
Lazy Foo’s SDL2 tutorials (for game programming) even help you get your environment set to compile your programs.
Follow them, then modify them. A lot of stuff will not make much sense, but do them as shown anyway. As your knowledge grows, you learn more.
Google around everything you have questions about. Read how-tos and blogs about C++ programming stuff.
Next, I recommend a good book. SO has The Definitive C++ Book Guide and List
(https://stackoverflow.com/questions/388242/the-definitive-c-book-guide-and-list), which I recommend you take a look through ASAP, since it is one of those meta-contentious threads that sometimes disappears without warning and reappears only when someone both sane and with sufficient authority listens to the public outcry.
Finally, find a forum you like, check your ego and start asking questions about everything. Remember that every forum has people both very nice and people who are absolute *holes, and that in all cases they’re just another person sitting at a computer somewhere being nerdy and/or stupid.
Good luck!
Too many of the video tutorials are horrible. Very outdated and wrong information, and when they get the information correct the video really doesn't give clear and easy to understand examples.
An online (written) tutorial. not updated in a while though, is right here at CPlusPlus:
http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/
Another online tutorial that is frequently updated is:
https://www.learncpp.com/
While the following link is a bit outdated it does provide good ideas about what types of C++ books to buy. Yes, BOOKS. Not just one.
https://isocpp.org/wiki/faq/how-to-learn-cpp#buy-several-books
Do understand that most books, especially beginning books, don't use the latest language standard. Currently that standard is C++17.
C++11 made some radical changes to what can be done and how code is written compared to how things used to be done. Lots of new features that most school/university courses don't address.
C++14 didn't make a lot of changes, IMO mostly minor fixes.
C++17, which I am still trying to get a firm grasp of, is almost as much of a change as C++11 was. Lots of new features to drool over.
What is proposed for C++20 (or whatever it called when 100% finalized) will be more to learn. Retraining will never cease. ;)
Two reference sites for the C++ language, NOT for learning C+++:
1. http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/ (sadly it appears to no longer be updated)
2. https://en.cppreference.com/w/ (This is updated, but is not the easiest format for a beginner)
There are examples with most of the language features at the reference sites. Copy'n'paste the examples into your compiler. See what they do. And then "play around" by rewriting the code and extending what you think the examples do.
As you learn by coding your own examples you can always post code here and ask questions.
Demonstrate you want to learn by writing code, and sharing it, will get help from some very knowledgeable people. Both experts and others learning.
Expect to get frustrated when code you write and adapt don't work the way you expect.
Learn how to debug code.
And if possible use more than one compiler. If you are a Windows user, Visual Studio Community. And a GCC variant. Learn how to use command line compilation, and and IDE.
I am a long time self-taught programming hobbyist. All of what I know is from books and tutorial websites.
And writing a LOT of code.
Not formal training, no programming job.
An online (written) tutorial. not updated in a while though, is right here at CPlusPlus:
http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/
Another online tutorial that is frequently updated is:
https://www.learncpp.com/
While the following link is a bit outdated it does provide good ideas about what types of C++ books to buy. Yes, BOOKS. Not just one.
https://isocpp.org/wiki/faq/how-to-learn-cpp#buy-several-books
Do understand that most books, especially beginning books, don't use the latest language standard. Currently that standard is C++17.
C++11 made some radical changes to what can be done and how code is written compared to how things used to be done. Lots of new features that most school/university courses don't address.
C++14 didn't make a lot of changes, IMO mostly minor fixes.
C++17, which I am still trying to get a firm grasp of, is almost as much of a change as C++11 was. Lots of new features to drool over.
What is proposed for C++20 (or whatever it called when 100% finalized) will be more to learn. Retraining will never cease. ;)
Two reference sites for the C++ language, NOT for learning C+++:
1. http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/ (sadly it appears to no longer be updated)
2. https://en.cppreference.com/w/ (This is updated, but is not the easiest format for a beginner)
There are examples with most of the language features at the reference sites. Copy'n'paste the examples into your compiler. See what they do. And then "play around" by rewriting the code and extending what you think the examples do.
As you learn by coding your own examples you can always post code here and ask questions.
Demonstrate you want to learn by writing code, and sharing it, will get help from some very knowledgeable people. Both experts and others learning.
Expect to get frustrated when code you write and adapt don't work the way you expect.
Learn how to debug code.
And if possible use more than one compiler. If you are a Windows user, Visual Studio Community. And a GCC variant. Learn how to use command line compilation, and and IDE.
I am a long time self-taught programming hobbyist. All of what I know is from books and tutorial websites.
And writing a LOT of code.
Not formal training, no programming job.
Topic archived. No new replies allowed.