Learning C++

[James Isaac]

Ok, so I'm considering learning C++ so that I can code for my own mod. I already know some languages, such as php and mySQL, and I know the basics of C++ (DOS stuff like classes, for loops, variables etc.).

So, where can I find some good tutorials for learning C++ for windows which would later help me to code for the HL2 SDK? I already have Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003, and I can compile mods, so all I need is to learn.


Thanks in advance,
James

 

[JellyWorld]

If you want a WinAPI tutorial try
http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/

 

[VigilanteP]

There's really no reason to learn Win API programming for making a mod since you never actually work with windows code. The code you will work with frequently is source's own API entity classes, macros, vectors, etc etc. What you are best off doing is learning object oriented concepts pretty well like inheritence and polymorphism and all that fun stuff because i found that i use that stuff frequently when programming for the SDK, you obviously have to know control structures, loops, and other basic programming techniques but it sounds like you're already there.

What i would recommend next is reading some more indepth Object Oriented C++ tutorials and practice and make sure you know the foundation of the language well, you'll learn it a lot more as you go along, i sure did. If you know the syntax and the concepts well then learning the SDK's own quirks is much easier. Then you should take up a few of the nice coding tutorials of which there are more than enough around, so i won't bother linking you. Follow them carefully and eventually you will get good enough that you can do your own thing without explicitly following a tutorial. Then you can just think of what you want to do and explore the source code until you figure out how to do it.

It sounds difficult because it is, working with thousands and thousands of lines of source code from a top-shelf game programmed by proffessionals is a daunting task for any amateur but once you get started I trust you'll pick it up in no time.

 

[James Isaac]

Thanks both of you for the help

 

[desty]

I'd start by learning C, then move on to C++ - but that's just me :cheers:

desty