Considering learning C++

[Magelord648]

Well I mod Morrowind, I'm learning the Valve Hammer editor. I try to make models and textures. I'd say I've got enough free resources on my computer to have a go at writing my own programs and games. I understand it'll be hard and it'll take years to produce something good but I want to learn.

Am I out of my depth here? How many 14 year olds can write C++? Is it possible without any advanced computer knowledge? I found a tutorial that looks good but apparently I'll need a compiler. What's a trustworthy Freeware compiler?

Please help

Thanks

Ml

[Siberys]

How many 14 year olds can write C++?

It's a mid-level computer language, and most of the time it's heavy object creation oriented, so I doubt very many 14 year olds know it. I'm not saying they can't understand it, but I will say that it's no walk in the park either.

Is it possible without any advanced computer knowledge?

Not at all. C++ is it's own individual programming language that differs from many other programming languages, but you still need to know other languages as to merge them into a C++ program. I'd recommend you start with BASIC, then go into Javascript, C++, and then Perl. Perl is extremely hard, but if you can get the basics down for all four of those programming languages, you can make some pretty neat stuff in programming.

What's a trustworthy Freeware compiler?

Visual Studio 2005

Visual is probably the best one as it's the most user friendly. So, visual Basic, visual C++, those would all be good programs to learn from. Not to mention, rather than just working with letters and numbers and coding, it has a GUI of it's own for creating other GUI C++ programs.

[fable]

Am I out of my depth here? How many 14 year olds can write C++?

Go for it, and good on you. At 14, I was reading the 16th century original of Spenser's The Fairie Queene, despite being ridiculed for it by my family. Push yourself. C++ is certainly not beyond your limits, and you've shown both skill and ambition in what you've done, thus far. Good luck with this.

[Xandax]

Age have little to do with learning any programming language, it is interests which count. If you want to learn C++, you can just pick up C++.
Most languages are very easy to get into, and once into them the more complex things will come "on their own" (well, not really, but figure of speech, you'll have to read/try/learn it). It is after all "just" another way of typing But there is no reason to go another route, if you want to learn C++.
However you need to consider *why* you want to learn C++ and whether it is the best language for that. Getting to code games will take quite a long time if you're leaning it by the base and up. There might be a better route for getting into game-coding then just learning C++, but I never looked it up myself though, so I can't say which route to go. But don't just take up C++ because you've heard something from somewhere about it being "right". Might as well go the best route for your goal/desire.

Depending on how complex you'd like to go, you should know that at least a decent grasp of mathematics and logical thinking will help you along and make it easier then otherwise. Especially for the complex stuff.

[Naffnuff]

I suggest you do not start with BASIC, since it is so different from all languages that are any good at all. I actually went from BASIC to C++ at about your age, whereby I discovered that programming can be fun and fruitful. So, no, 14 is not too young by any means.

If you want a soft start, I can recommend shell scripting for bash (Linux) or something similar. All the commands can be found on the internet, and there are detailed manuals accessible from the prompt. There you will get a sense of the sort of structured thinking necessary for most languages (the one big problem with BASIC is that it is totally unstructured).

Java is essentially the same language as C++, but with some of the more excruciating features removed/automatized. It also has the significant advantage of having the official compiler available free. It is not considered as high-performing as C++, but with today's computers the difference is not noticable for most purposes (kernels and drivers excluded). The community support for Java is absolutely outstanding.

If I were interested in imperative, object-oriented languages I would go for Java, or perhaps both, since they are so alike. However, I abandoned both of them when some years ago I discovered functional programming in Haskell. To me it makes both the former ones seem like elephants in a porcelain shop. But it is probably not a very good way to start, if you are not particularly well-versed in mathematics.

[AvatarOfLight]

I'm afraid I can only echo what has already been said. I'm 20 years old now and I'm learning C++ at College. I wish had the ambition to start at your age, I would've been off a lot better. Go for it!

[Xandax]

Actually I would never personally go for Java myself anymore unless of course what you have to make is Java.
I'd use C# for that - or Visual Basic.NET if coming from a Visual Basic background. However C# and VB.NET are not terrible different.

C# however, retains the C++/Java-ish notation/syntax so it is easier to interchange between those then it would be to go from VB.NET to C++/Java - but again it is "just" syntax and the commands which you can find in any reference document.

The "common consensus" is that once you "learn" one programming language, the second and third and onwards will be much easier. This is because if you lean the fundamentals, changing syntax and commands aren't as big a hassle.
So basically - IMO it doesn't matter much which language you start out with, if you have the interests for programming.

[Magelord648]

Thanks for the advice anyone. I'm going with C++ because that's the code used with Valve's source engine so it must be good. I don't think I'll start with C BASIC. I prefer to go into the advanced stuff and get stuck in.

I know it's an extremely weak but would the knowledge of the Morrowind scripting language give me a small head start? I've been doing quite a bit of work with that lately.