11 replies to this topic

[bazso]

I need a display program that will allow me to see what I have done after I have typed in codeing i hope you all know what i mean.

I don't know my way around dos that much and I am fearfull that if I do something I could harm my pc.

[SamuraiCrow]

For a good free IDE, look at http://codeblocks.org/ . It will work on any major platform.

[alphadog]

No idea what you mean by "see what I have done"... IDE? Debugger? Profiler? Some sort of automated tester?

If Samurai Crow is right, then Visual Studio Express is an alternate choice for IDE. It's not cross-platform, but very useful...

[bazso]

Does ms do C++ and not its own version of C++?

[alphadog]

I will answer your question with a question. How important is it for you to target non-Windows boxes?

Cross-platform is hard, especially for n00bs to the environment/toolchain aspect of software development.

At any rate, VS 2008 is, surprisingly, pretty good with "doing" standard C++, if by "doing", you mean writing-then-quickly-running-to-test-then-debugging code. (Actually, that should not be a surprise as Herb Sutter, chair of the C++ Standards Committee, also works at Microsoft.) If you avoid the "wizards", and learn how to use the IDE properly for cross-platform, it can do that. Lots of other "rules", like use the correct libraries, avoid OS-specific calls, etc. There's tons of stuff on this on the net. VS is really one of the best all-around IDEs (intellisense, debugger, etc...).

The core problem is that, again unless you play with the internals of your toolchain, your compiled code will be Windows-only.

There are a million ways to skin that cat. You can do things like swap in Intel's compiler, or other hoop-jumping like passing your code through a different compiler to get around some of it. I've seen people use the post-build in a project settings to convert Windows source code files to Unix files (CRLF vs LF) and then fire off builds on Linux boxes. Another one is using CMake.

Or, you can consider using a different IDE like Eclipse, Code::Blocks, DevC (**shudder**) or Ultimate++ which wraps some of this cross-platform niceness with different disadvantages relative to VS.

[geon]

Visual Studio can edit and compile several languages, including standard C++. Sure, it has a few non-standard features, like all other compilers. But while you are learning, you wouldn't notice.

[SamuraiCrow]

geon said:

Visual Studio can edit and compile several languages, including standard C++. Sure, it has a few non-standard features, like all other compilers. But while you are learning, you wouldn't notice.

But not the Express edition which you have to choose in advance that you want C++ and nothing but C++. The full commercial version of Visual Studio can compile multiple languages.

Also, if you don't want to use .NET or multithreaded builds (if you've got a single-core or hyperthreaded microprocessor), I'd suggest getting the 2005 edition of Visual C++ Express edition instead of the 2008 version. It takes less memory than the later version, also.

The only reason I suggested going cross-platform with Code::Blocks is that I never use Windows anymore.

[bazso]

Ok I will make long story short my gameing engine is

http://www.3dgamestudio.com/

they have a part of there programming called C LITE I have been jogging down notes from C++ PDF books that I find useful to help me learn C++ my long term goal is to know what I am doing in C++ in order for me to learn what does what, what I can do and what I can't do, what something looks like after when I code and it compiles.

I am needing something to display after I have successfully coded something so I can see what it looks like so I can say ooo and ahh and how cool it is I am already seen some other stuff and felt it was to cool.

[bazso]

alphadog said:

I will answer your question with a question. :) How important is it for you to target non-Windows boxes?

Cross-platform is hard, especially for n00bs to the environment/toolchain aspect of software development.

At any rate, VS 2008 is, surprisingly, pretty good with "doing" standard C++, if by "doing", you mean writing-then-quickly-running-to-test-then-debugging code. (Actually, that should not be a surprise as Herb Sutter, chair of the C++ Standards Committee, also works at Microsoft.) If you avoid the "wizards", and learn how to use the IDE properly for cross-platform, it can do that. Lots of other "rules", like use the correct libraries, avoid OS-specific calls, etc. There's tons of stuff on this on the net. VS is really one of the best all-around IDEs (intellisense, debugger, etc...).

The core problem is that, again unless you play with the internals of your toolchain, your compiled code will be Windows-only.

There are a million ways to skin that cat. You can do things like swap in Intel's compiler, or other hoop-jumping like passing your code through a different compiler to get around some of it. I've seen people use the post-build in a project settings to convert Windows source code files to Unix files (CRLF vs LF) and then fire off builds on Linux boxes. Another one is using CMake.

Or, you can consider using a different IDE like Eclipse, Code::Blocks, DevC (**shudder**) or Ultimate++ which wraps some of this cross-platform niceness with different disadvantages relative to VS.

For now sir the plan is to stick to windows

[alphadog]

Sir?!? Yikes, I feel old now.

Well, although I don't deeply know Lite-C, it seems like it's basically C (not C++) with game-specific functions.

If you want to know how to code properly in C in general, looking at other code won't help because you don't know what to look for or why it was coded a certain way. Well, not that it won't help, but it's maybe not the best way to go about it at first.

What you want is to look for C best practices. With C being such an old and prevalent language, there's tons of material on the net. Just search for things like "C best practices" or "c tips".

[bazso]

alphadog said:

Sir?!? Yikes, I feel old now. :)

Well, although I don't deeply know Lite-C, it seems like it's basically C (not C++) with game-specific functions.

If you want to know how to code properly in C in general, looking at other code won't help because you don't know what to look for or why it was coded a certain way. Well, not that it won't help, but it's maybe not the best way to go about it at first.

What you want is to look for C best practices. With C being such an old and prevalent language, there's tons of material on the net. Just search for things like "C best practices" or "c tips".

Ahh ok I see what you’re saying I was also told that it did not have the memory leaks like C++ does and that it is more stable.

another question how far can I go with C lite what I am worried about there going to be something that someone is going to want and C lite might not be able to cover what I am getting at I know C++ is much better then C lite just not 100% sure how good C lite is..

Also is there some links that you know that can tell me the different?

And about the sir thing it was taught to me forcible by dad he was in the service also 2nd point just trying to show a sigh of respect and common curtsey

[alphadog]

bazso said:

it did not have the memory leaks like C++ does and that it is more stable.

Languages don't leak memory, people with languages leak memory.

bazso said:

another question how far can I go with C lite what I am worried about there going to be something that someone is going to want and C lite might not be able to cover

You can get very far. Lots of great games were/are coded in C. Lots of people use C++, but barely scratch the surface of what that language can do, and thus are just are somewhere between C and C++.

bazso said:

Also is there some links that you know that can tell me the different?

I can tell you the exact differences, but I'm sure someone on the 3DGS forums could.