Is C++ for me?

[Tom]

Hi,

I was looking into learning C++ and was wondering whether someone could
answer as to what type of programs can be created? Is the language very
functional?

For example if I wanted the program to recieve some input from an outside
source and then convert this into data that can be displayed on graphs and
tables would this be the language for me?

Thanks for taking the time to reply

Tom

 

[John Harrison]

Hi,

I was looking into learning C++ and was wondering whether someone could
answer as to what type of programs can be created? Is the language very
functional?

For example if I wanted the program to recieve some input from an outside
source and then convert this into data that can be displayed on graphs and
tables would this be the language for me?

Thanks for taking the time to reply

Tom

I would say the main consideration is whether you have done any
programming before. C++ is quite a difficult language.

Also C++ has no built in support for graphs or tables. A C++ program can
do graphs or table of course but to do so must use a third party
library. Learning how to use that would be an additional task to
learning how to use C++.

john

 

[Mike Wahler]

I would say the main consideration is whether you have done any
programming before. C++ is quite a difficult language.

Agreed. Some other languages are imo better suited as first
languages, such as Pascal or BASIC.

Also C++ has no built in support for graphs or tables. A C++ program can
do graphs or table of course but to do so must use a third party library.
Learning how to use that would be an additional task to learning how to
use C++.

To clarify: If you're looking for high-resolution raster
graphics for creating (possibly color-coded) tables and graphs,
what John says is true. But for some applications depending upon
your needs, often 'drawing' with text is sufficient, in which case
standard C++ can do it. E.g. simple displays such as:

A table:

Sales in Units
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Product A 1534 786 1232 987 1777
Product B 895 693 1187 508 245
Product C 1008 965 812 1894 465


A graph:
Average temperature
0..............................................100
Jan XXXXXXXXXX
Feb XXXXXX
Mar XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Apr XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
May XXXXXXXXXX

As a matter of fact, writing code to create this kind of
display is a good learning exercise in any language.

-Mike

 

[Brent Ritchie]

C++ is incredibly functional given the amount of add-on libraries you
can use with it. Do a search for SDK or API. Most are written to work with
the C family of languages.

Agreed. Some other languages are imo better suited as first
languages, such as Pascal or BASIC.

C++ was my first programming language. It was fun and incredibly
frustrating at times, but a very rewarding experience. If you want to create
graphs and tables, from outside data sources like databases then C++ is well
suited with a plethora of third party tools to do it. But may I suggest
Java? It has widespread use and also has functionality for databases, XML
and GUI elements like graphs and tables out of the box. Plus it has the
advantage of being managed, so you don't have to worry about things like
memory leaks that most new C++ programmers have a hard time with. Java also
has *lots* of online documentation that is easy to understand and is totally
free. Another choice is C#, much like Java and C++. The C# compiler is
totally free and comes bundled with the .Net sdk. The Visual Basic .Net
compiler is also bundled with the sdk for free. There are also a few free
IDE's for each, I use JBird for Java and SharpDevelop for C# and VB.Net. All
of these are very good beginner languages because all have tons of free
documentation and tutorials.

If you do decide on C++ as your first language then I suggest looking at
prices for beginning textbooks on C++. Some are better then others and most
are quite expensive, usually in the range of $60 - $80 cdn. There was a site
that dealt with book reviews on everything programming. Maybe someone here
can remember the URL. But that site as I remember had quite a few
bookreviews and allowed me to make a few critical decisions on which books
to buy.

 

[Mike Wahler]

If you do decide on C++ as your first language then I suggest looking
at prices for beginning textbooks on C++. Some are better then others and
most are quite expensive, usually in the range of $60 - $80 cdn. There was
a site that dealt with book reviews on everything programming. Maybe
someone here can remember the URL. But that site as I remember had quite a
few bookreviews and allowed me to make a few critical decisions on which
books to buy.

http://www.accu.org/bookreviews/public/index.htm
This can indeed save one from throwing money away on poor books.

Another good quality C++ info source for both novice and veteran
is of course our venerable FAQ:
http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/

-Mike

 

[Alberto Cabello Sanchez]

Hi,

I was looking into learning C++ and was wondering whether someone could
answer as to what type of programs can be created? Is the language very
functional?

For example if I wanted the program to recieve some input from an outside
source and then convert this into data that can be displayed on graphs and
tables would this be the language for me?

C++ is extremely powerful and flexible, but not an easy language to
begin with. Besides that, there are no standard way of creating
graphics in C++. For the kind of job you just said, you could give a try
to python or php with GD graphics library.

Anyway, if your interest in programming is serious, I advice to you to
learn at least the basics of C++, so you can have a taste of.

 

[Ciro Alibabich]

I've seen that Java has great library for creating graphs through applets or
as standalone apps. I suggest you go for Java with those tasks. C++ is for
some "advanced" things (like programming a new Operating System, or the
latest FPS game)