Re: What can C++ achieve and how to learn C++?
TB wrote:
Hi Everyone on comp.lang.c++:
I am thinking about learning a programming language and I want to
decide whether it is worthwhile spending my time learning the C++
programming language.
I am a starting C++ programmer. By that I mean that I have written one
small application in C++ on a real job that required some modular
programming. I am also familiar with the Object-Oriented Programming
techniques although I haven't used them extensively with C++.
Have you used them in some other language? Which ones? See these FAQs
on learning C++:
http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/how-to-learn-cpp.html
I have no
experience with the STLs, the MFCs, COM/DCOM, or CORBA.
There's only one STL, and MFC is generally taken to be an abbreviation
already in the plural. In any case, MFC, COM/DCOM, and CORBA are all
off-topic here. See this FAQ for what this newsgroup is about:
http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/how-to-post.html#faq-5.9
I have a few questions regarding what it takes to pick up C++ and
regarding what good the language is for. Basically, I want to know -
1) what are the top five ways to learn the language
Get a good book (e.g. _Accelerated C++_ by Koenig and Moo), and read
and absorb the teaching of that book. And practice, practice, and
practice. See also the Creator's advice:
http://www.research.att.com/~bs/bs_faq.html#how-to-start
and the associated platforms
Off-topic and too broad. There are far too many platforms that support
C++ to even begin to answer your question.
and how long does it take to progress from the beginner's
stage to an intermediate or expert stage?
It entirely depends on your abilities, your ambition, and your
opportunities.
2) what can be achieved using the language that is difficult to achieve
using other languages (for example, Java)?
Search the archive of this group for tons of discussion on this topic.
There's no need to rehash it all here. See also:
http://www.research.att.com/~bs/bs_faq.html#compare
3) What are the areas where the language is found useful and what are
those uses (again, say, in comparison to Java)?
See, e.g.,
http://www.research.att.com/~bs/applications.html
Cheers! --M