Triad
Legions Developer
There is visual studio 2012 now...2006 is crazy old.... visual basic 2006 ...
Muktar, you'll want the Visual Studio 2012 Express edition for C++. Visual Studio is a great program, but it can be a little confusing at first since it has too many features like all Microsoft products. Feel free to drop me a private message if you have questions. I'm actually still using the 2010 version, but just go with the latest version which is currently 2012. The express edition is free, but doesn't have as many features which is completely fine.
If you are wanting something a little simpler, CodeBlocks is a good IDE for beginners. However, give Visual Studio a shot first and see if you like it since that is what is used in the industry.
C++ is not easy when you start working on real applications that C++ is typically used for. It's a huge language with many features, and it can get complex.I can say that both languages are incredibly easy to learn.
This is the best response I have seen in the thread. A language such as python would be better for a complete beginner since you will see results faster, and be able to focus on the logic of the program rather than the nitty gritty stuff that C++ is full of such as memory management (although you probably won't get to that point for a while anyway). I haven't used python much, but I know it's easy and quick. It has many libraries to make your life easier, whereas in C++ you typically have to go out and find libraries scattered all over the Internet and figure out how to import them into your project.My (limited) experience in C++ is that it takes ages to write the smallest bit of code compared to a higher level language (obviously). So it's great for learning the 'nitty gritty' but not so great if you want to jump in and start making interesting programs. Personally, I find TorqueScript severely infuriating since you have to work off already shoddy code that you have no idea or documentation as to how half of it works.
Python is great for beginners because you don't have to remember much syntax (apart from hitting tab, which it does automatically half the time), once you get the grips and concepts of that, you can look at what 'CPython' (the vanilla Python version) runs on, C. Python also has built in Garbage Collection, which means that it clears the memory you have used once you are not using it anymore, in C this would be your job, this is just one of the aspects in which you need to wrap your head around when learning C++.
Ultimately it comes down to how much time and dedication you are willing to put into this, following YouTube tutorials (bucky is a great) is a good way to start, but I find that I want to go off and figure out my own stuff as I get to grips with the syntax and basic ideas of the language. There are also some great books out there to read when you aren't in front of the PC.
C++ is a great language to know, but it's a massive language that is complex. You don't really know C++ until you start learning how to manage memory with it. The fact is there are tons of jobs out there for the younger langauges such as Java and C#. C++ is used for the big time games, and real time systems that need to be fast and efficient. Unless you become an expert with the language, you probably won't even use C++ at a job. Games on your phone and tablets are written in languages such as Java, C# and objective-c, or even Javascript. C++ is used for desktop gaming where you have intense graphics and need to be able to take advantage of every ounce of hardware on the machine.
C++ can do anything, but it requires a lot of knowledge. Don't start out making games, start with something more simple. Make a basic calculator and then do something harder. If you really want to do games, try hangman, then tic tac toe and then move on to harder stuff such as Tetris. I wrote Tetris my senior year in high school using C++ and SDL. However, it would be much easier to use something like Python, Java, or C#. If you really want to use C++ to make a game, take a look at Qt. It's a really nice cross platform C++ framework that makes your life easier, and I believe it's now possible to port a Qt game to Android and iPhone.Making games, I suppose. I'm not very sure what the limits of the language are.
If all you are going to do in life is make games, then maybe, but if you want to be a successful programmer you need to know more than one language. I think learning a slightly easier language will be more beneficial to you, such as Python, Java or C#.nop, I was told by Altimor, Mabel's TA buddy, that c++ is the only one I should invest my time on.