sick of vb
Hello, I have been making games with VB6 for about 10 years now with DirectX and such; I can''t make the move to C++. I know I should buy some books and stuff but I have no budget for that. Please tell me how I could learn VC++ and DirectX easily so that I can finally use C++ instead of VB to make games.. any good tutorials or sites out there?
The best thing to do mate is goto msdn.microsoft.com and have a look there.
It offers a tutorial from displaying a basic D3D ready window up to a moving textured mesh. thats where i began and im currently writing a simple graphics engine.
The exact link to the tutorial is below.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive/default.asp?url=/archive/en-us/dx8_c/directx_cpp/graphics_using_754j.asp
Have a gander there, if you want further help mate
ace_lovegrove@hotmail.com
msn or email me
Take care
It offers a tutorial from displaying a basic D3D ready window up to a moving textured mesh. thats where i began and im currently writing a simple graphics engine.
The exact link to the tutorial is below.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive/default.asp?url=/archive/en-us/dx8_c/directx_cpp/graphics_using_754j.asp
Have a gander there, if you want further help mate
ace_lovegrove@hotmail.com
msn or email me
Take care
from VB you might choose to try C# first ... it''s a lot simplified over C++.
I personally think C++ is the most powerful general purpose language there is right now, but C# is a good step between VB and C++. It has most of the power and features of other common langauges like Java, and has much cleaner syntax in many areas than C++, and many less tricky things to remember (because Standard C++ is built on top of early C++, on top of Standard C, on top of early C - there is some crude that is less than ideal in it) ...
Another great thing about C# (if you are wanting to program .NET) is that A) the basic tools for development are included free inside the .NET SDK ... so people who can''t afford to upgrade to Visual Studio 2003 can still program C#. And also, the CodeDOM which allows you to compile code at runtime, is built into .NET runtime ... so you can use C# as a scripting language too ... pretty cool.
If you aren''t going .NET development, then only Java and C++ are real alternatives ... Java is very like C# in that it is tied to one platform (the Java platform - which runs on all major platforms, but makes them look like each other) and is a Simplified C++, in fact Java and C# are almost exactly the same. C++ on the other had is cross platform, and truely usefull for ANY type of programming, from apps and games, to systems programming, device drivers, anything ... AND IT HAS TEMPLATES (my favorite thing).
I personally think C++ is the most powerful general purpose language there is right now, but C# is a good step between VB and C++. It has most of the power and features of other common langauges like Java, and has much cleaner syntax in many areas than C++, and many less tricky things to remember (because Standard C++ is built on top of early C++, on top of Standard C, on top of early C - there is some crude that is less than ideal in it) ...
Another great thing about C# (if you are wanting to program .NET) is that A) the basic tools for development are included free inside the .NET SDK ... so people who can''t afford to upgrade to Visual Studio 2003 can still program C#. And also, the CodeDOM which allows you to compile code at runtime, is built into .NET runtime ... so you can use C# as a scripting language too ... pretty cool.
If you aren''t going .NET development, then only Java and C++ are real alternatives ... Java is very like C# in that it is tied to one platform (the Java platform - which runs on all major platforms, but makes them look like each other) and is a Simplified C++, in fact Java and C# are almost exactly the same. C++ on the other had is cross platform, and truely usefull for ANY type of programming, from apps and games, to systems programming, device drivers, anything ... AND IT HAS TEMPLATES (my favorite thing).
C++ Interactive Course
By: Robert Lafore
ISBN 1571690638
Purchase on Amazon, but since Amazon isn''t selling it, read it FREE (with a bit of transcription error) on Freebooks
By: Robert Lafore
ISBN 1571690638
Purchase on Amazon, but since Amazon isn''t selling it, read it FREE (with a bit of transcription error) on Freebooks
if you now how to use the windows api from vb then I doubt your have much of a problem with windows c++.
I think you do a search for some online courses some are free
I think you do a search for some online courses some are free
the problem with .net is that it has lots of baggage. users have to download the framework which is a large file. I have been coding in vb.net for a year now and yes, the language is very easy and powerful but its just too slow and has too much weight to it. I won''t be coding in .net too much, i dont like it. The reason i want to finally learn vc++ is that its the fastest, cheapest, most reliable, and most universal language for windows, especially for game writing.
I totally agree, it''s just that your late to the party ... cause the next big version of windows (Longhorn), will expose the current Windows API, plus a .NET interface for every system feature (currently .NET still has to use COM and Win32 API calls for many core features) - and the version after that will no longer support the Win32 API at all. Also, Microsoft is now considering .NET their primary focus for all development, and so things are added to and fixed in C# with higher priority than C++ ... this trend will likely only get worse ...
Now, of course they aren''t even considering dropping C++ support, just trying to shove MANAGED C++ down our throats ...
But C++ is still the idea place to be, and be going for cross-platform sitautions.
Unfortunatly, by the time you learn C++ well enough to get into the intricate working of the awesome template system, .NET will have its own brand of generics ... which will mean A) C++ will not be as far ahead of C# as it currently is, and B) C++ programmers will have to know BOTH systems, to write good C++, and to use the .NET components others distribute.
Now, of course they aren''t even considering dropping C++ support, just trying to shove MANAGED C++ down our throats ...
But C++ is still the idea place to be, and be going for cross-platform sitautions.
Unfortunatly, by the time you learn C++ well enough to get into the intricate working of the awesome template system, .NET will have its own brand of generics ... which will mean A) C++ will not be as far ahead of C# as it currently is, and B) C++ programmers will have to know BOTH systems, to write good C++, and to use the .NET components others distribute.
quote:Original post by gilfoshI am afraid there is no shortcut in transitioning from VB to C++. You have been using GUI all the time in VB. However if you want to learn C++ you must revert back to the old "Hello World" text mode to learn the syntax first. When you learn the GUI, the nasty Win32 API will make your head spinning. Once you get used to Win32 API, then you can start using DirectX. Quite a journey there.
Please tell me how I could learn VC++ and DirectX easily so that I can finally use C++ instead of VB to make games.. any good tutorials or sites out there?
There is not shortcut from vb to c++. If you are truly interested, go out there and but some books on Visual
C++, C++, and definetly look for books by Bjarne Stroustrap.
He is the creator of c++. Be prepared to invest 50+ hours
just learning basics of the language if you are truly dedicated to reaping the languages rewards...
Sagar Indurkhya (SIndurkya@yahoo.com)
C++, C++, and definetly look for books by Bjarne Stroustrap.
He is the creator of c++. Be prepared to invest 50+ hours
just learning basics of the language if you are truly dedicated to reaping the languages rewards...
Sagar Indurkhya (SIndurkya@yahoo.com)
If C# is not an option then try Borland''s C++ Builder.
Accelerated C++ is suppose to be a really good book for learning C++.
Accelerated C++ is suppose to be a really good book for learning C++.
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