Borland C++ or MS Visual C++?

[King of CaveMen]

Heres my background I know little about programming, I understand html throughly, I tried php, but failed, will try a new approach by reading more and doing things in order, but I want to move beyond web based programming...

what tool will help me learn C++ better...? Borland C++ Personal or MS Visual C++
? Or should I learn visual basic? Let me know on pros and cons please, price is about the same for both products, tho Borland is slightly cheaper.

[mathgirl32]

Unless you are going to be taking a c++ class, and because you indicated you failed with php, I would suggest NOT buying either one until you know you will be able to understand the language. You can find many free compilers for c++ on the net.

Free compilers:

Bloodshed

gcc


There are hundreds of these threads on AO. Just do a search and you'll find a lot of answers.

If you are determined to pay $$ then I use and recommend MS Visual C++ 6.0

[cgkanchi]

Frankly, if you just want to learn C++ and not GUI programming, toss both products and get Bloodshed Dev C++ from http://bloodshed.net/ . If you do want to get one of those two, they're pretty much on par, so I'd say get the Borland product simply because it's cheaper.
Cheers,
cgkanchi

Edit: MG32: I guess the both of us were typing together.

[mrleachy]

if you're only new to the programming thing, as was suggested, get one of the free C++ compilers, borlands free command line tools is quite good for windoze stuff, along with using textpad as your editor (sorry i dont know the site for it as i got it froma friend, google for it and you'll find it soon enuf)

retail C++ packages are very expensive and if it turns out you cant pick it up it would be a very valuable mistake

my advice, leanr with a free compiler and then if you feel like you'll start making useful software, then get yourself a packaged version of something

[[WebCarnage]]

I usually don't post if somebody has already said my opinion for me.

But in this case I would really recommend Dev C++by http://www.bloodshed.net just because it owns. :-P

And besides, its free, smaller, and easier to use than both Borland and Visual C++. Not to mention it compiles both C and C++ code, while I'm not too sure about Borland or Visual C++ (they may have a whole different set of IDE's devoted to ONLY C... meh?).

[smirc]

Unless you are going to be taking a c++ class, and because you indicated you failed with php, I would suggest NOT buying either one until you know you will be able to understand the language. You can find many free compilers for c++ on the net.

Last time I checked, you could get the Borland C++ compiler free from their web site.

ftp://ftpd.borland.com/download/bcpp...dLinetools.exe

Also, if you're looking for other free compilers, take a look at djgpp.

Heres my background I know little about programming, I understand html throughly.

HTML is not a programming language, hence the name Hypertext Markup Language.

[jdenny]

So what you guys would choose:
- Borland C++ compiler
- Bloodshed Dev C++
- cygwin gcc
- MinGW gcc
- other free compiler

I need to have ntop up and running on a windows box (don't ask why windows). In their website, MinGW is recommended to compile the ntop source, but I can't get it compiled properly. I'll look at it in more detail when I'm free, but in the mean time, if you can tell me your preferred compiler... Thanks.

Peace always,
<jdenny>

[Chinchilla06]

start with bloodshed dev C++, i was using borland 3.1 (net was down at the time) and later made a move to dev C++, it took me a couple hours to figure out that cpp modules used .h and c modules are just files..

[shadow_dancer]

C++

Introduction to C++
C++ Variables
C++ Function
C++ Conditional Statements
C++ Construction expressions
C++ Classes

#include <iostream.h>

int main()
{
char SittingDown;

do {
cout << "Are you sitting down now(y/n)? ";
cin >> SittingDown;

if( SittingDown != 'y' )
cout << "Could you please sit down for the next exercise?";
cout << "\n\n";
}
while( !(SittingDown == 'y') );

cout << "Wonderful!!!";
return 0;
}

#include <iostream>
#include <iomanip>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
// Define the characteristics of a shoe box
// The following characteristics are COMPLETELY random
double Length(12.55), Width(6.32), Height(8.74);
string Color("Yellow Stone");
float ShoeSize = 10.50;

// Display the characteristics of the shoe box
cout << "Characteristics of this shoe box";
cout << setiosflags(ios::fixed) << setprecision(2);
cout << "\n\tLength = " << Length << "\n\tWidth = " << Width
<< "\n\tHeight = " << Height << "\n\tVolume = " << Length * Width * Height
<< "\n\tColor = " << Color << "\n\tSize = " << ShoeSize << "\n\n";

return 0;
}

The program would produce:
Characteristics of this shoe box
Length = 12.55
Width = 6.32
Height = 8.74
Volume = 693.22
Color = Yellow Stone
Size = 10.50

Press any key to continue...

or u can see whole tutorial here

for downloading the free Dev C++ u can find in :
http://www.borland.com/products/down..._cbuilder.html
http://www.bloodshed.net/download.html

Visual C++

Visual C++ Tutorial
Visual C++ Information

i think both of them ( C++ and Visual C++ ) are great ... i am not an expert on those things but i love that ... so if u ask me which is better ? i will say Both

[Mahdi]

Learning C++ is not a very easy thing. Everybody speaks now about visual programming languages, but I prefer the old style of programming. My favourite programming language is C (not C++). For the begining I sugest you to learn Pascal (just enter www.freepascal.org and you'll find there a compiler and lots of units and examples). This is because writing in Pascal is just like writing pseudocode and programming means not knowing one or another programming language, but knowing how to make an algorithm.