HELP!! Visual C++ and c++

yucao89 · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2003 9:18 am Post subject: HELP!! Visual C++ and c++

i bought a book on C++ called teach yourself visual C++ in 21 days, and i am wondering if visual C++ is a language or a tool, it seems that this book only teachs you how to use the tools on microsoft visual C++ and not the real C++ language. Can some one tell me the diferece between visual C++ and c++??
I wanna learn C++ not microsoft shit of language.

Thanks,

royko · n00b Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 21 Location: Chicago, IL

Visual C++ is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) from Windows to help you write C++ applications for Windows. It gives you tools to draw your gui (windows, buttons, whatever) so you don't have to code it all by hand, and it helps you with some of the Windows API stuff. It comes as a part of Microsoft's Visual Studio.

Since it's a beginners book, there is probably some pure C++ info in it, but it's obviously tailored for MS's development app, so it's probably not the book for you if you want to learn C++, or write C++ apps for Linux.

A lot of GUI linux apps either use the Gimp Toolkit (GTK) or the QT libraries for creating GUI objects like buttons and things (there are other libraries for doing this...you can learn more about the different ones on the web). Kdevelop is an IDE somewhat similar to the idea behind Visual C++, but for developing KDE/QT apps.

A lot of people learn to write simple console type stuff (non-GUI) to get the basics of C++ before trying to get into writing GUI apps.

Anyway, I'd look for a different book.

markkuk · Guru Joined: 29 Nov 2002 Posts: 446

Visual C++ is Microsoft's tool for programming C++ on windows. The latest version supports standard C++ quite well, but it includes lots of Windows-specific extension libraries like MFC and ATL.
Many "beginner" books on Visual C++ concentrate heavily on using MFC and are useless for Linux programmers. If you want to learn standard C++, get Lippman's "C++ Primer".

jrz · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2003 9:06 pm Post subject:

Ivor Horton's Beginning C++ from Wrox Press is also a good book, if a bit merciless, it'll whip you into hax0ring shape in no time![/u]

Beginning C++

check it out

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yucao89 · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2003 9:32 pm Post subject: thanks

credmp · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 8:39 am Post subject:

Hi,

MFC is microsofts GUI toolkit, on linux you have GTK and QT being the most popular as already mentioned.

ATL (ATL FAQ) it's their active template library.

One good thing to do when progging C++ is to use the STL Port library (it is also available for Windows).

regard

yucao89 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 10:16 am Post subject: Well, does java...

Java also have IDE for windows or linux or it works different. what is API? (i know that is application programming interface but i never understand it!)

darkwing · n00b Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 70 Location: New Zealand

A book like Visual C++ in 21 days will already assume you know c++ and want to learn how to use MFC, ATL and COM. Here is a list of beginners books on C++.
http://www.accu.org/bookreviews/public/reviews/0hr/beginner_s_c__.htm

wilson81 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 8:47 pm Post subject:

i found a pretty good book by sams publishing(same people who made the one you have) to be C++ for Linux
[url]http://www.samspublishing.com/catalog/product.asp?product_id={47F33797-291C-474E-ABCA-90BD4CA1FEA9}[/url]

you can find it on ebay for like $13 or half.com for $19

credmp · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 6:22 am Post subject: Re: Well, does java...

Estariel · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 85

get Bruce Eckels "Thinking in C++"
it is free (as an ebook) and it's the very best thing out there (imho):

http://www.mindview.net/Books/TICPP/ThinkingInCPP2e.html

Stalione · Guru Joined: 21 Apr 2002 Posts: 335

yucao89 sounds to be like you need to just look up some of the basic terminology to get aquainted with what you are getting into. Check out http://www.whatis.com and just type in simple terms like MFC, IDE etc to get what they mean. Also I'd suggest you learn some basic c++ (stuff that jsut uses console) before jumping into Visual stuff.