GP32 Getting Started


SephirothIce

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Well I have been thinking long and hard about what I want to make out of my life and I think I have came to a conclusion. I want to work in the video game industry since it is a hobby that I would love to turn in to a career. Anyway I want to learn some languages and how to do graphic work. I can do sprites and stuff, but I want to know what are the best programs to get for learning and what books would be recomended. I not only want to develop for the GP, but also PC as I have heard it's easier to learn on a pc.
 
I just recently started learning C++ so I think I can help out a bit. First, you're going to learn how to code for the PC first, then learn how to code for the GP32 because it's just A LOT easier that way. Second, what do you mean by programs? Computer programs or programs as in C++ classes? Third, I highly recommend you start out with a book and not an internet guide because a book will be more thorough. I recommend C++ For Dummies 5th Edition. So far, it's been working real nice for me. It teaches you basically everything you need to get started and it doesn't always confuse you with a lot of terms (Though sometimes you might have to re-read certain sections). It also has a little mild humor here and there, so that's something. It also comes with a nice compilier, Dev-C++.
 
C++ For Dummies was very hard for me. I only have the old version though. Sams Teachyourself C++ in 21 days was pretty nice. There was a version free on the internet released by Sams but I have no idea what happened to it.

For games I'd recommend www.libsdl.org
 
What edition of C++ For Dummies did you have? It's been revised a lot since the first edition, so SephirothIce shouldn't have a problem understanding what the author is trying to say.
 
If you are new to programming I would strongly recommend that you buy a book that has excercises at the end of each section and that you actually do all the excercises.

When reading a programming book it is very easy to look at the excercises and say "Yeah, I understand how to do that". Unfortunately, you will learn more by doing those actual programming assignments then by anything else.
 
Azure posted on Jul 21 2004 at 11:48 PM said:
What edition of C++ For Dummies did you have? It's been revised a lot since the first edition, so SephirothIce shouldn't have a problem understanding what the author is trying to say.
Actually I thought I had the second edition but it turns out I had the fourth. I think I confused it with another book. It was still very confusing to me. I don't know why :(.
 
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How's it confusing? How far did you get into the book? I thought it was rather simple. It has code snippets pratically everything that they mention, making it easy to learn.
 
I don't know. We all learn different. I'm not insulting the book or nothing. I just found the other book easier.

I like C a little more then C++ sometimes. The best book that I like is Herber Schildt's Teach Yourself C. Its not the Sams version but its by Osborne. Its more of a reference though but if you take it one thing at a time then its easy to learn from.
 
i tried to learn with c++ with a book
it happened to be C++ for dummies but i lost interest quickly

i think im going to have to take a class
 
Too boring? Meh, it wasn't boring to me because I was always learning more and more and getting one step closer to being able to program well for the GP32.
 
I've heard that it's easier to learn C and then C++ however, I am going to buy several books and go with whatever is easier. I have heard a lot about C++ for Dummies so I will probably go with it since it is working out good for you and it sounds more mainstream so it must be for someone who knows nothing about the language. Also when I said programs I meant software for graphics and the best compilers and development tools. Also what classes should I be looking to get in to? My highschool is very small and doesn't have a lot of selections for electives so I will have to wait another year when I am in college to take them, but if I can get started it should make the courses a lot easier since I will already have a grip on what they are talking about. Also thanks for the help everyone it really makes me appreciate the community a lot more seeing how friendly people are. I know a lot of places are pretty rude and cocky when talking to newbies.
 
Your HS should have some computer related classes, just pay a visit to your counselor and tell him that you're interested in computer programming and would like to know if there are any classes available in that field. It might be under the math courses (That's where it is for my HS), so check there.

EDIT: About compiliers, just use the one that's included with the book you're following for now. Then, when you become a better programmer (When you've finished the book and you're looking for an advanced C++ book), get TextPad.
 
Nah I am positive that we don't have any classes like that in our school. We don't have many students (like under a 1000 in the whole school) so we don't have the resources to offer such classes. The only class we had was a technology class and we never did anything in that class, but talk because the teacher was more worried about being a friend than a teacher.
 
Just a warning - I finally encountered functions in the book and got REALLY confused. I read it over several times for about 20 minutes, then I went into IRC and talked with someone about it for over an hour and I finally understood it. This could be a fault on my own or the book.
 
My suggestion to would be, first learn C, then look at C++. I'm not sure how much more powerfull C++ is but it seems to me that it might be a bit complicated. But, if you have the time and patience, first learn BASIC. God knows that helped a lot! What I did was after I had a fair knowledge of Basic was get a PC tutorial, read the first three pages about for loops, while loops and everything. Then get bored with the PC tutorial and just go and get pieces of code to snoop through. Do what you like best but my advice would be to just learn basic C, then go get a few code snippets and look at how it's done. Then take Mr Mirko's description of how his functions work, and you'll have your first app/game in no time.
That's how I did it anyhow.
 
I want to be able to get a grip on it and understand it enough to begin working on a full game by next summer. So what route do you guys think I should go? Learn C and then C++ or just go with C++ from the start?
 
The problem with C++ is that it can "hide" a lot of down-to-earth features you MUST use and understand in C. This will hurt you more then help down the road. Consider the two languages like this: C++ is C with better design potentional. Now if you can't code, your design isn't going to be worth squat. So try to get fluent with C first. There are, of course, other aspects to C++, but these benefits do not outweigh the problems learning C++ first can cause.
 
generalnmx posted on Jul 23 2004 at 02:51 AM said:
C++ is C with better design potentional. Now if you can't code, your design isn't going to be worth squat. So try to get fluent with C first.
I'm not sure I agree with this. It is VERY easy to go from C++ to straight C. However, if you learn C first it can be hard to change your way of thinking to one that is appropriate in C++. This is especially true becuase the languages are syntactically so similiar. Also, C++ compilers tend to be stricter, which can help the beginner. Lastly, IO is quite a bit more intuitive in C++.
 
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Hi, SephirothIce :)

My advice would be to take your time in selecting your first book. Selecting the wrong book could lead you to giving up in despair and frustration because the author's way of explaining things may not make any sense to you, even though you may unknowingly have vast potential. On the other hand, if you can find a book whose author is on the same wavelength as you, then you will be better able to make sense of his explanations. If you are unlucky, you may even end up selecting a book whose author simply doesn't know what he's talking about :angry: This can be very damaging early on when you are trying to lay down a solid foundation of understanding, because it forces you to relearn the parts you were misled about. One way to help combat this unpleasant prospect is to have a reference book written by a different author to that of the tutorial book you are following, against which you can verify what you are learning and obtain extra insight from a different perspective.

In my humble opinion, it's very important that you get a good grasp of, not just the basic principles of programming, but also of the basics of how the programming language you've chosen actually hangs together. If you do this, then, not only will you feel more confident that you know what's actually going on, you will also find that the more advanced stuff will be easier to understand because you will have a good grasp of the building blocks upon which they are based.

As far as whether or not to learn C or C++ is concerned, it's probably worth emphasizing that C++ is just a superset of C anyway, so all the functionality of C exists within the C++ language. Therefore, if I were you, I would get hold of a C++ compiler, buy a C++ reference book, but buy a C tutorial book. Because C is a much smaller language than the full blown and rather overwhelming C++, a tutorial book on C will provide a lot more focus on the fundamental basics, whereas a C++ book is much more likely to gloss over them. Not only will doing this make things easier for a beginner, it will also stand you in good stead when you decide to move onto the more advanced topics within the C++ language. Furthermore, by writing your C-style 'procedural' programs within a C++ compiler as actual C++ code, you won't even get into the position where you have to unlearn any bad habits that a less strict C compiler would allow you to get away with, thereby allowing for a smoother transition and learning experience. On the other hand, if you are able to find a C++ book that explains the basics well and in a way that you easily understand, then this may also be a sensible option.

C++ is a wonderful, magnificently powerful and efficient language. However, it can be very daunting taken in its entirety. My advice is to take one step at a time. If you learn to walk properly before you start running, you won't simply become another mediocre programmer, you'll become an expert ;)

Once you have mastered a language and learned the principles of programming, that's when the real creative fun begins! Good luck! B)
 
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