When did you start learning c++?

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devonrevenge wrote:
BHSpecter dont listen to these people, i bet it was either yahoo or dream in code, somwhere theres no community or a community culture of unnecessary harshness.

It was Allegro members actually. Outside of this site, allegro is the only other site I go to now. I used to regular GameDev, Flipcode, and use Game Development Search Engine (but its resurrection has fell flat). I only posted once to stack overflow. I've made several Pong clones and I always had issues with the collision detection response when the ball caught the top or bottom front corners and the method I was told to use was to just ignore the top and bottom collisions which seems a poor method. Due to me not figuring out how to make it work so long that they said I obviously had no business programming and to stop trying.
@BHXSpecter,

Heh, the one pong clone I made for a final project in my intro to OOP class had that same collision problem. If the ball hit the corner of the paddle it would sometimes get stuck "colliding" back and forth on the paddle. I fixed that by adding a check if it had just hit the paddle, so it couldn't collide with it again. Was just a bool I set to true when it hit the paddle, and false if it hit a wall. Solved that issue just fine, but then I had another bug where when the ball got going at a decent speed, it would sometimes detect the collision a little late so the ball ended up going inside the paddle about a quarter of the way. After a few days of trying to fix that to no avail I gave up and turned it in.
I started C++ when I was 10. I am right now 10. I have a 1000 page text book, and research this site. I want to be a game developer. Stay tuned for the rest of the trilogy.
@BHXSpecter
If the Allegro.cc members aren't giving you constructive criticism or advise then you probably shouldn't ask them. Ask your questions here, you will certainly get helpful responses here with us.
I'd have to learn a different library as I've not seen many users here that use Allegro. Seems SFML and SDL are more dominant here (which is fine).
I don't think that switching libraries would be necessary, aside from Allegro specific issues game programming concepts are the same regardless of lib used. And I'm sure there are at least a few users here that know allegro
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I started C++ in 8th grade and I am now a senior in high school. I've read a book on C++, read the tutorial here, and programmed relentlessly. the first game I made was based purely on text, then i made a game with allegro. I recently used SFML to make my senior project and now i am trying to learn DirectX.

I love code because it makes me feel like im in control of my world.
@BHSpecter i didnt know what an int was four months ago im 28, i learnt from ignorance so will you so have they, theres always a point when you didnt know something, theres not even any logic in saying that if you dont know something then you shouldnt bother, that makes them hypocrites at some point dont it.

goes to show they didnt have a clue what they were talking about, what kind of person spews fourth pointless discouragement? theyre very sad.



whats far out is we are only born with the knowledge of how to absorb infomation.
...
I, in short started C++ when I was a child (exactly, 10). Alone, no network, no teachers, no professors.
In that moment by chance I had found a proper C++ compiler (Dev C++) and then downloaded it immediately. After that I never went to the office shop to learn anymore until the next year (because it was the only place which had Internet connection). While I was playing C++ code for fun with games, examples, samples and Dev documentation, I found how to use the functions by write something (such as Messagebox) on my first right function I had created before. And it... worked! That is the first thing I've learned by hand since this event!
In that time my biggest problem : Fixing the compiling syntax errors and (unknown hidden errors) linking errors, fighting strange messages and crashes... Oh Oh no need to say more... Say generally it's horrible!!!
Then curious, suddenly I wanted to learn more, such as array, class, enum... All are based on Dev documentation. I was learning as a child and many times I was so tired :) Then I started developing a very big console program project and called it "Guessing game" using Dev C++ when I was 11. It took four months to develop and the main.cpp 455 kb became a giant game!!! I called "giant game" because it now has dozens of functions and variables and by that time I still didn't know well how to use 'array' properly. So my variables usually were :
int a1,a2,a3,a4,a5,a6,a7,a8,a9,a10,a11...

And continuous...
My code now :
int a[size];

(So much better than the terrible one, right?)
Therefore it was too "giant", and I quickly closed the project. Now review the code... OMG! My memory...
So far I've been still learning programming (I got my own internet just one year ago) :), but not C or C++ basic, they are Windows API, DirectX. But certainly (alone)... :)
I love programming because ("With programming you can control everything...")

Continue the story... (Very long long story...)
Begun as 14 or 15, now 17 - My first time i've seen a line of C++ (C actually) code was on a magazine about robotics programming - Then i looked up the IDE/Compiler setup they had (Dev-C++) and started programming. Once I noticed it used to be called outdated I looked up other environments like CodeBlocks and Visual Studio.
The first projects I followed was NeHe's OpenGL Tutorials.
I started at 23 and I am now 24 so I guess it's been around 7 to 8 months for me. To get to where I am I tried to implement everything I read in books, google, youtube, making games, etc... I got into c++ after I worked in the construction industry for a while and realized I was wasting my time because I wanted to make games since I was young. So after finding out that a programming language was like a game designers tool of the trade, I bumped into c++ and SDL and have not stopped learning. Have to say, this is much better than throwing steel around all day...you get all the creativity in the World without the aches and pains of the job...minus a little back pain here and there :)
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Started at 19, I'm now 22. I picked computer engineering at university where they taught me basic C (I used the Kernighan&Ritchie book), but didn't go much far. Then I learned some python. So thanks to the C classes and studying OOP with python I had a relatively easy time when learning C++. I used (and use) the documentation on this site

Of course having dropped out of university it will probably be close to impossible for me to get a job in this field, but I'm still trying to make a game engine, because it's "fun"
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I finished my degree, but it is still close to impossible to get a job in this field. All the negatives have added up to make me doubt my abilities all the time. I have bouts of depression due to all of it. Now my son's health makes my dream career seem more like a dream than reality. Nothing has gone in my favor it seems so it is no wonder I have depression issues due to it.
closed account (ETAkoG1T)
Is it really that hard to get a job? An IT person is needed in most companies, even small ones. If you mean a programming job like in game development or something I think I understand!
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I finished my degree, but it is still close to impossible to get a job in this field. All the negatives have added up to make me doubt my abilities all the time. I have bouts of depression due to all of it. Now my son's health makes my dream career seem more like a dream than reality. Nothing has gone in my favor it seems so it is no wonder I have depression issues due to it.


It could be that potential employers check your online profile and get turned off by your lack of confidence. You should "sanitize" your online profile.

Employers want people with a can do attitude. Stop doubting yourself. Do some research. Figure out what kinds of skills are in demand. Learn those skills. Keep applying for jobs until you land one.

Forget about game dev for a while. You can try and get into game dev after you have more experience.

You may be able to find job where you can work from home and be close to your son.

There is a book, called "Programming Interviews Exposed", that you might want to read.
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Shouldn't have too much of my negativity linked to my professional profile as I have a false name and address attached to one email which I use to join most of the forums I post to and then I have a regular email linked to me where I stay positive. Though, my facebook profile would make them think I'm crazy as it is a pic of me wearing the Green Lantern googles from McDonalds leaning down by my son smiling. My lack of confidence is from feeling lost, but problem is that every site lists different skills needed. I mean, I have a book about getting a job in the game industry as a programmer and it claims you need umpteen different math skills, written skills, etc. Can't ever think of a thing to program to build my skills and don't know where to go for trying to make applications that can load sound files/image files/etc. College didn't really give me a direction for learning or continue learning. Disappointing really.
I started programming at the age of 12, when my English teacher gave me a choice to learn python or pearl (thank the heavens I chose python!) [PS: I have nothing against pearl other that is is very complicated]. I then programmed in python for the next 3 years, then started C and then C++.

@BHXSpecter: I was also stuck as how to develop myself, but then I began doing past programming contest problems, and they are really helping a lot. Otherwise I would try learning a graphics lib, and make a couple of games. And do not care what anybody else says, do what you love.

Now my son's health makes my dream career seem more like a dream than reality


I do not know what is wrong with him, but I am praying all the same :)
closed account (ETAkoG1T)
What kind of c++ job would you choose if you could choose anything?
closed account (3hM2Nwbp)
What kind of c++ job would you choose if you could choose anything?


R&D -- specifically lock-free concurrent constructs.
I started with Visual Basic 6 in 1999. I was at my job, bored because business was slow, so i started learning how to make VB applications. I started getting into it and one of my achievements was an email program that converted the users text into the binary equivalent and then sent the email. It was great, because my emails were being monitored, so i had to find a way to hide the messages.

So i decided to try my hand at c++. I picked up the book by Sams, called Teach Yourself C++ in 21 days. I started buying a lot of game programming books at the time, mostly Prima Techs Game development series. I also purchased this colossal book 3D Games: Real-Time Rendering and Software Technology, Volume 1, which I didn't understand. I tried, but I didn't understand. My life at that point consisted of going to work, coming home, smoking weed, and programming. Then i would fall asleep to Art Music piped from England. On the weekends we would go snowboarding, smoke weed, and then come home where I wold work on the programming again. I then enrolled in DeVry, but lost my place to live because i smoked too much weed. I moved back home with my mother, and decided to pursue my BA music. Then i went on journey of drugs and tuba. It was awesome.

Anyway I'm here now, and im programming again.

So there.

3D Games: Real-Time Rendering and Software Technology, Volume 1 :
http://www.amazon.com/3D-Games-Real-Time-Rendering-Technology/dp/0201619210/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
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