I want to learn VC++, what's a good book?

driftinsupra · Post by **driftinsupra** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 5:26 pm

OK so I decided tht I wanted to get really into learning VC++ so many someday I can actually help you guys with the code. I dont know hoe in depth the MQ code is but what i am looking for is a good book that will get me started. I learned C through the "C for Dummies" series a while ago (have forgotten everything) and I like those books but at Amazon.com they didnt come highly recommended. I am sick of being a newbie so what any good learning books that you guys could point me to? Maybe I will be able to help write a MacroQuest for when EverQuest 2 comes out!

And someday I will spell check my post before I post em.

kaz · Post by **kaz** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:17 pm

ok there is a difference between Visual C++ and C++, the first is a compiler, the second is a language.

you may want a book specifically on Visual C++ and how to use your IDE (Interactive Development Enviroment) and compiler but I suspect what you really meant was : books on C++. Also, note that MacroQuest is written 99% in C, not C++ and although C++ is a superset of C, reading a C++ book may not help you understand alot about MacroQuest.

This may go beyond the scope of your request but perhaps other people will find these picks useful too...

I reccommend the following:

For C:
(The C Programming Language)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 83-1190458
For C++ I reccommend the following books

For C++
begining C++:
(Essential C++)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

(Accelerated C++)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

intermediate C++:
(Exceptional C++)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

(More Exceptional C++)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

(Effective C++)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 83-1190458

(More Effective C++)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

(Effective STL)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

(The C++ Programming Language)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 83-1190458

advanced C++:
(Modern C++ Design)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 83-1190458

ASM:
(Assembly Language Step-by-Step)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

Other Useful Material, not all language specific but fairly advanced:
(Advanced Windows)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

(Design Patterns)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 83-1190458

(Introduction to Algorithms)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 83-1190458

(Game Programming Gems 1)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

(Game Programming Gems 2)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

(Game Programming Gems 3)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

Mckorr · Post by **Mckorr** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:44 pm

Here:

Learn C++ in 21 Days (ebook, html format)
http://www.roylemotorworks.com/archives/C++.zip

That will get you started.

kaz · Post by **kaz** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 7:25 pm

macroquest has about 10 lines of C++ code out of around 12,000 lines EQlib.cpp, the rest is C.

So I'd start with a C book if you want to learn something that will help you work on MQ code.

here is another good beggining C book I forgot to mention

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/pcp3/

and btw, as a rule of thumb any OReily book with an animal on the cover (yah I know that sounds funny) is usually pretty good.

driftinsupra · Post by **driftinsupra** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 7:48 pm

Well I still have that C for dummies book and I supposed I could go over that again but the thing is, working with the Visual C++ compiler is giving me alot of trouble.

Also Mckorr, the book you sudgested was the exact book i own for C++, I have been going over it abit.

Is there any book that will teach me C with the visual compiler? I suppose not. I guess I will start reading over my dummies book again.

kaz · Post by **kaz** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 11:59 pm

yes there are book that will teach you how to use your compiler and mix in a bit of C/C++, which compiler do you have?

driftinsupra · Post by **driftinsupra** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 2:01 am

I have Visual C++ 6.0

kaz · Post by **kaz** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 2:47 pm

Ok I looked around online, practically all of the Visual C++ 6.0 books are out of print (it is a 7 year old program) but you can still get used ones, the problem I saw was that those books seem to have a large focus on teaching you to use Visual C++ to do MFC stuff with the built in class wizards etc, which I doubt is something your interested in at this point.

My advice, learn how to make new "console application" projects, its pretty easy (pull down file menu, new project, console application) and then just use any C or C++ book to teach yourself how to write code.

Valerian · Post by **Valerian** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 3:12 pm

once you know the basics of C, a bit about structs and pointers, browse through the MQ source and try to figure out what it's doing (start with something simple, like a few of the commands, /target, etc)

you'll pick it up quicker looking at ready-made code and using the MSDN library (hit F1 while over most function names) to figure out what certain parts are for...

icon · Post by **icon** » Thu Mar 13, 2003 6:58 pm

"C++ in 21 days" and "C/C++ for dummies" are horrible books to learn programming in. They are chock full of misconceptions, errors, and bad teaching styles. Books like that are why many programmers, although they may know alot, use awful programming habits. They churn out the buggiest code, full of memory leaks, global variables (yuck!!), bad practices, and slow, inflated functions.

I found a really really good website that rated and judged programming books, and was really accurate. The books were rated by a really good programming instructor from Harvard or Stanford or somesuch, and pointed out exactly, in depth, what was wrong with those books.

A search on Google might yeild some nice results for pages like that, and give you a good idea what books you should really learn on. Learning how to code is one thing, learning to code nicely is quite another.

And like someone else said, looking at existing code is a great way to grasp a tough concept.

- Icon

tuxracer · Post by **tuxracer** » Thu Mar 13, 2003 10:36 pm

http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial.html

driftinsupra · Post by **driftinsupra** » Fri Mar 14, 2003 8:17 pm

Ok this may seem like a strange questions but how hard core is the MQ code? I mean how much of an "elitist" do I gotta be to where that magic lightbulb appears over my head and I can dive into the code I mean I can do basic stuff now. I worte a program that does all my math homework for me. Lots of math and variables but still not too hardcore. SO how far off am I?

kaz · Post by **kaz** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 12:37 am

MQ code is extremely simple in my opinion.

rizwank · Post by **rizwank** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 1:16 pm

I've got a reasonable, but not massive understanding of C/C++ and the MQ code is mostly readable to me... Detours are the hardest part imho.

driftinsupra · Post by **driftinsupra** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 7:33 pm

Well I started going throuh my C++ book again and have just been skimming over some over the C syntax as I go. The code still looks incredibly strange to me. Will keep studying though....