Whatever you do, make sure you get a copy of Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language. I know that this goes without say, but you might overlook this after you feel comfortable with the other text that was referenced here (which are all good, I own them all and love them). You will need it as a last-resort technical reference...or a fun read while on the john =)

-- 
Regards,
Gregory Peet

Fellow Digital Martian
STLSoft FAQ: http://stlsoft.gregpeet.com

"Greg Peet" <admin@gregpeet.com> wrote in message news:bbpncg$1uqe$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> You will
> need it as a last-resort technical reference...or a fun read while on the
> john =)

With that and Microsoft's iLoo, well, nevermind!

I'm sure I'll get a copy once I'm up and running.
I think I'll start off with Accelerated C++, Programming by Example and
Thinking in C++.

I'm still not sure about the windows side of things.
Win32 & MFC ??
Could I get by using just Win32 ??
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using MFC ??
Is MFC compatible with DMC++ ??

Too many questions !!


"Greg Peet" <admin@gregpeet.com> wrote in message news:bbpncg$1uqe$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> Whatever you do, make sure you get a copy of Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language. I know that this goes without say, but you might overlook this after you feel comfortable with the other text that was referenced here (which are all good, I own them all and love them). You
will
> need it as a last-resort technical reference...or a fun read while on the john =)
>
> -- 
> Regards,
> Gregory Peet
>
> Fellow Digital Martian
> STLSoft FAQ: http://stlsoft.gregpeet.com
>
>

"jim p" <x@y.com> wrote in message news:bc2mk8$125o$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> I'm sure I'll get a copy once I'm up and running.
> I think I'll start off with Accelerated C++, Programming by Example and
> Thinking in C++.
>
> I'm still not sure about the windows side of things.

No-one ever is, as it's always changing. MSDN is the best searchable source of information, but not useful for actually learning the stuff in the first place. You need to get hold of a Charles Petzold book (not a .NET one, but one from pre-2000, e.g. "Programming Windows"), however, I would recommend that you ...

> Win32 & MFC ??

... put this in the when-I'm-confident-with-command-line-programming basket for the moment.

> Could I get by using just Win32 ??

Yes. The best way to learn, since whatever "framework" you end up using will not answer all questions, and if you don't know what's going on under the covers when you need to, you're lost.

> What are the advantages and disadvantages of using MFC ??

It hides a lot of the grunt work from you.
It hides a lot of the grunt work from you, and is fatter than a software
engineer's arse (or ass, for you American English speakers)

> Is MFC compatible with DMC++ ??

Yes

>
> Too many questions !!

Not in the least

>
>
> "Greg Peet" <admin@gregpeet.com> wrote in message news:bbpncg$1uqe$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> > Whatever you do, make sure you get a copy of Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language. I know that this goes without say, but you might overlook this after you feel comfortable with the other text that was referenced here (which are all good, I own them all and love them). You
> will
> > need it as a last-resort technical reference...or a fun read while on
the
> > john =)
> >
> > --
> > Regards,
> > Gregory Peet
> >
> > Fellow Digital Martian
> > STLSoft FAQ: http://stlsoft.gregpeet.com
> >
> >
>
>

jim p wrote:
> I'm sure I'll get a copy once I'm up and running.
> I think I'll start off with Accelerated C++, Programming by Example and
> Thinking in C++.

You'll be reading the same things over and over, which might be frustrating... and each book is thousands of pages. :) but if you do, please tell us which you liked best. :)

> I'm still not sure about the windows side of things.
> Win32 & MFC ??
> Could I get by using just Win32 ??

Win32 API is a *MUST*. MFC is worth considering, but you might just as well want to consider wxWindows or VCL or some other wrapper around Win32 API, which are many and MFC is one of them. Not necessarily the best one from POV of ease-of-use and target program reliability!

-i.

I'm a Brit, so i put an r in my ass !!
If you see what I mean....oh, and an e, and drop an s.....

Thanks for the advice.
Command line C++ for me it is then....
For the time being at least.




"Matthew Wilson" <matthew@stlsoft.org> wrote in message news:bc2ufg$19gs$1@digitaldaemon.com...
>
> "jim p" <x@y.com> wrote in message news:bc2mk8$125o$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> > I'm sure I'll get a copy once I'm up and running.
> > I think I'll start off with Accelerated C++, Programming by Example and
> > Thinking in C++.
> >
> > I'm still not sure about the windows side of things.
>
> No-one ever is, as it's always changing. MSDN is the best searchable
source
> of information, but not useful for actually learning the stuff in the
first
> place. You need to get hold of a Charles Petzold book (not a .NET one, but one from pre-2000, e.g. "Programming Windows"), however, I would recommend that you ...
>
> > Win32 & MFC ??
>
> ... put this in the when-I'm-confident-with-command-line-programming
basket
> for the moment.
>
> > Could I get by using just Win32 ??
>
> Yes. The best way to learn, since whatever "framework" you end up using
will
> not answer all questions, and if you don't know what's going on under the covers when you need to, you're lost.
>
> > What are the advantages and disadvantages of using MFC ??
>
> It hides a lot of the grunt work from you.
> It hides a lot of the grunt work from you, and is fatter than a software
> engineer's arse (or ass, for you American English speakers)
>
> > Is MFC compatible with DMC++ ??
>
> Yes
>
> >
> > Too many questions !!
>
> Not in the least
>
> >
> >
> > "Greg Peet" <admin@gregpeet.com> wrote in message news:bbpncg$1uqe$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> > > Whatever you do, make sure you get a copy of Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language. I know that this goes without say, but you might overlook this after you feel comfortable with the other text that was referenced here (which are all good, I own them all and love them).
You
> > will
> > > need it as a last-resort technical reference...or a fun read while on
> the
> > > john =)
> > >
> > > --
> > > Regards,
> > > Gregory Peet
> > >
> > > Fellow Digital Martian
> > > STLSoft FAQ: http://stlsoft.gregpeet.com
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

So MFC is just a wrapper around the win32 api.
I hadn't thought of it like that.
Thanks



"Ilya Minkov" <midiclub@8ung.at> wrote in message news:bc4hgo$2kol$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> jim p wrote:
> > I'm sure I'll get a copy once I'm up and running.
> > I think I'll start off with Accelerated C++, Programming by Example and
> > Thinking in C++.
>
> You'll be reading the same things over and over, which might be frustrating... and each book is thousands of pages. :) but if you do, please tell us which you liked best. :)
>
> > I'm still not sure about the windows side of things.
> > Win32 & MFC ??
> > Could I get by using just Win32 ??
>
> Win32 API is a *MUST*. MFC is worth considering, but you might just as well want to consider wxWindows or VCL or some other wrapper around Win32 API, which are many and MFC is one of them. Not necessarily the best one from POV of ease-of-use and target program reliability!
>
> -i.
>

Most of software engineering involves putting a wrapper around an API. ;)

"jim p" <x@y.com> wrote in message news:bc73iv$1ubt$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> So MFC is just a wrapper around the win32 api.
> I hadn't thought of it like that.
> Thanks
>
>
>
> "Ilya Minkov" <midiclub@8ung.at> wrote in message news:bc4hgo$2kol$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> > jim p wrote:
> > > I'm sure I'll get a copy once I'm up and running.
> > > I think I'll start off with Accelerated C++, Programming by Example
and
> > > Thinking in C++.
> >
> > You'll be reading the same things over and over, which might be frustrating... and each book is thousands of pages. :) but if you do, please tell us which you liked best. :)
> >
> > > I'm still not sure about the windows side of things.
> > > Win32 & MFC ??
> > > Could I get by using just Win32 ??
> >
> > Win32 API is a *MUST*. MFC is worth considering, but you might just as well want to consider wxWindows or VCL or some other wrapper around Win32 API, which are many and MFC is one of them. Not necessarily the best one from POV of ease-of-use and target program reliability!
> >
> > -i.
> >
>
>

"Matthew Wilson" wrote:
> Most of software engineering involves putting a wrapper around an API. ;)

That's the wonderful thing about C++: classes!

If you don't get a book on MFC (or other wrapper) and want to learn exactly what it is doing, pop open the header files for the members and methods.

NOTE: Jog down and take heed to M$'s Hungarian notation. It is something you *must* overcome and it's not always consistent =(