Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!scea!greg_labrec@interactive.sony.com
From: matth@bellatlantic.net (Matthew Hulett)
Newsgroups: scea.yaroze.freetalk
Subject: Re: C versus C++
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 01:19:52 GMT
Organization: SCEA News Server
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 Doh!,
 O.k., I am going to try to clarify my question so that the
misinterpretations might be alleviated. Geez, I get all excited
someone else took the time to express an opinion, and I get nada.
   I want to know if the aspiring game developer should consider it
worth his time to learn C++. The time I would dedicate to such a
pursuit would take time away from advancing my C skills and from
learning my 3D modeler True Space 3. Time is a factor, I will
evenually fall from my father's grace and be forced to take some
repulsive retail management-type position. I joined this program 
for self-education after dropping out from The Chubb Institute.
I did not want to spend my life working with twenty year old
mainframes and I didn't like spending $9000 to learn Cobol II.
   I had a good amount of experience with computers back when the
Atari 800 was around. I already knew Basic before joining this
program. I just hadn't programmed seriously in ten years.
So, studying Pascal would be a waste of time. In addition, I am
learning C with Visual C/C++ by Microsoft. I am already typing in
in-line assembler from my tutorial programs, unfortunately I can't
compile and run them because Microsoft dropped support for in-line
assembler. And before one of you goes off on Microsoft, just drop it.
I don't have any more money for a better quality program, I have
already spent over $5000. 
   I have a notebook stuffed with about 200  practice  programs, and I
have  a basic grasp of C. The next chapter I will be doing is arrays,
the chapter after that introduces pointers. These are the two major
gaps in my learning curve that prevent me from fully understanding the
sample yaroze code I study.  Of course, there are many more topics to
cover, but I can't delve into my books on game programming recomended
by Sony until I cover those topics throughly.  
   So, having been painfully verbose on my situation in an attempt to
get rid of the b.s., I repeat the question: Should the aspiring game
developer consider learning C++ a worthy effort?
   Matt

   
   
>   Hello everyone,
>   I am actually going to try to start a conversation that I think
>will be beneficial to all newbies, like me. Since I have already
>witnessed some headbutting on the topic, I hope to get some
>interesting feedback.
>   Well, here I am, six months into my adventure, I had no idea how
>intricate a language C is, that the challenges it presents can
>basically keep you learning for a lifetime. 
>   Here's my beef: Did anyone miss that string up above between Mike
>Lee and Gil Jaysmith? Unfortunately, for someone like me, it seemed
>most members weren't going near that discussion, but I would really
>like to know your opinions. I have heard a few opinions, and as you
>can imagine, I am left clueless. 
>   Sure, my plate is full, but I am in this program for
>self-education, with the eventual goal of attaining an entry-level
>position in this field. When Ed Federmeyer wrote me a few weeks back
>about his experiences, he expressed the opinion that companies would
>want an entry-level candidate  to know C++, which makes it a
>meaningful issue for all members with a dream. 
>   I suppose what really gets me curious for your opinions is that Gil
>was defending the language up above, and then he said later on in a
>little reply to me, ".And it's still the GNU compiler, but you can use
>C++. If you're mad." Now, c'mon, you can't have it both ways!!!
>   I have encountered a number of statements that C++ is a waste of
>time, anything you can do in C++, you can do in C. Chris Blackwell
>obviously is a  fan of the language. Gil Jaysmith seems to believe
>there are advantages, but you must be mad to use it. Ed Federmeyer
>says you need the skills to land a job. Mike Fulton says it's just
>peachy if you use it properly with well-structured code and libraries.
>Phadip Fatehpuria said in our last auditorium meeting that C is the
>way to go...  I wonder why I am confused? It's a serious question, if
>I decide this is a language I need to learn, we are talking about a
>minimum six month additional delay to grasp the just the basics before
>I really apply my self to the yaroze beyond my little tinkerings.
>   So please, if you could, why should the aspiring developer  learn
>or ignore  C++? 
>   Cheers fellow members,
>   Matt
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