Changing languages (Visual C)

[McLEMUR]

Hi, 

I decided to switch over to another mainstream language recently, Visual C++. 

AutoIt is my first language, besides HTML, and I have been using it for 4 years. But even after completing 3/4 of tutorials in cplusplus.com I'm still lost when I try to recreate same of my own programs in C, even the most basic aspects.

So, the question is, How hard was it for you to learn C++, comparatively to AutoIt?

And, where can I possibly find a good help file for C++? (like the .chm of AutoIt)

I realize that C is vastly different from AutoIt, but are there any sites that help to smooth the transition?

 

p.s. This is a longterm project, so I don't need sites like "C++ in one month", I need something just to keep me moving in the direction.

Btw my compiler for C is Visual Studio 2013, and I also have CodeBlocks. 

Edited March 1, 2015 by McLEMUR

[RTFC]

Hi McLEMUR,

A decent starting point with lots of simple examples is http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/, or try https://www.learncpp.com/

Two other reference sites I've found useful in the past are http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp and http://www.java2s.com/Tutorial/Cpp/CatalogCpp.htm

But coming from AutoIt, diving into C++ will be an uphill struggle (if you'll forgive me the metaphor mixing ). There is a lot of basic functionality that you'd expect any sophisticated language to have (*cough* garbage collection *cough*), that you'll either have to add yourself or find a good library for. An immense help for me has been the (free!) Boost libraries, see http://www.boost.org/, (and tutorials I found here, although I didn't use these much myself). Boost has really saved me acres of time, and it's quite intuitive to use.

You'll need plenty of perseverance though, and think of your C++ compiler as simultaneously retarded and autistic. Every typo  will likely crash your code, and the error messages you get may have nothing whatsoever to do with what actually went wrong, or be so generic that they don't help you.

Of course, there's always http://stackoverflow.com/ if when you get stuck, but in my experience, some C++ forum members take on some of the same attributes as C++ compilers, i.e., being unforgiving towards beginners. Just google "I hate C++" to get an idea of what people run up against in your position. On second thought, maybe you'd better not, to remain motivated.

Personally, I use C++ only for tasks that require speed and a reasonably high-level of complexity (CUDA interfacing in parallel computing, matrix computing with Eigen), but user-friendly it ain't, nor will it ever be. Can't really tell you much about the transition from AutoIt, because I started from the other end (Assembly), so it was more a question of mapping the concepts used there onto the C++ framework. I fear that coming from AutoIt, it'll be much harder.

As far as compilers are concerned, CodeBlocks is much easier to start with, but at some point you'll run into situations where you'll need the extra control of literally hundreds of compiler/linker settings that MSVC offers. So you either start easy and have the extra pain of switching later, or bite the bullet now (although these newer versions of MSVC are more user-friendly than the earlier stuff).

Hope it works out for you (but please do not PM me if you get stuck, okay? )

Edited September 16, 2020 by RTFC

[McLEMUR]

RTFC, Thank you very much! This is exactly the advice I was looking for! The humor made it so much more fun to read!

Thanks!

[kcvinu]

Is there any name for the fear of "{" ? If so i have that fear. It's not curely braces, it is cursed braces. C++.. Oh..such a horrible language. Is that language made for humans.. I think it is for aliens.

[jaberwacky]

Is there any name for the fear of "{" ?

I used google to translate bracket to latin which is ancon.  So Anconophobia?

[kcvinu]

Hi 

jaberwacky, ha.ha.. that's a good one. Anconophobia ...

[TheSaint]

I went from C and derivatives to VB then to AutoIt, and saw it, and still do, as an advance in programming.

P.S. No need for anyone to point out the value of C etc, I already know, so I'm just saying.

We are empowered by what we can efficiently use, not by what is a powerful tool alone.

Understanding is all!