Visual or no?(C++)

im currently learning visual C++ and i want to know if i should start learing Visual C++ or just plain old C++? what would be the benefits of the better choice? thanks!

You should learn plain old C++. Most text books that I have (I have a lot of them) teach plain old C++. Visual C++ is a compiler. In order to execute your code you need a compiler. To learn how to use this compiler itself is a challenge. So, you better start with C++ first before you learn how to use all the features in your compiler.

To use "plain old C++" that is in your text book, all you need to do is to open your new file in your Visual C++, click File, then click C++ source file. You can type all your C++ codes here & compile & execute it.

I have Microsoft Visual Studio 6 Enterprise Edition & now they come out with Microsoft Visual.NET. I bought the enterprise edition also. Damn it! I haven't mastered the old version & now they want us to learn the new one like C#.

I agree with Shakira, and would simply add that if you intend to be a straight-up Windows coder, then it doesn't hurt to start learning the (dark and obfuscated... :) ) Win32 API and MFC, most Windows programs of any value written in C++ will use either or both of these.

Good luck.

well both of these languages are great i believe you should learn both but i would be better for you to learn c++(plain)first as far as vc++ is concerned it is simply wonderful for windows OS.from network programming to system programming from hacking tools to antihacking tools you can create every possible application including virus.but if you want to program in linux or unix OS i will say c++(plain) is the best choice.

Since it seems you already have, or have access to visual C++, I would recommend starting with Console applications and leaving the visual windows stuff until you have a very firm and comfortable understanding in basic C++. Since the "(dark and obfuscated... ) Win32 API and MFC" is nothing but a specific extension of C++, it's only natural to learn the base, then the extentions. This way, if you decide to move to other platforms like *nix (you will if you konw what's good for you :D ) you should have little problem, as you will only be learning another extension to the foundation of knowledge you've already created.

hope that helps.

The win32api is not based on c++ but c. Most people access it from a c++ environment, though. Shakira: Visual C++ is not a compiler but an IDE.

UpperCell's adivice is a good one, start with creating console applications in Visual C++. Then, when you know the basics of C++ (control structures, object orientation, inheritance etc.) you can move on creating graphical applications using MFC or the win32api. Maybe you at that time want to move right on to the .Net extensions in Visual C++, that might be a good choice. After all, Microsoft say they will abandon MFC in a few years.

First console, then graphics is the usual way of learing c++ in any university I've heard of, and should be a good choice.

Its easy to go from knowing C++ to VC..its significantly harder to go the other way. So if you only ever want to learn one lang go with VC, otherwise go with c++.

Also watch your focus, don't worry as much about syntax at first, you need to learn how to program, for most professional programmers the lang is irrelevant and they can pick up a new lang. in a week to a month(a month if you are going from a functional background like c or perl to say a procedural like LISP). This is because the underlying principles of all langs are the same its just the syntax you need to figure out.

proactive is right...Visual C++ is not a compiler but an IDE. First start off by learning C++. Then when you feel that you have mastered the basic concepts, and feel prepared for the next level, you should get into vc++ and master that...

I agree with most of the programming geeks here, that one should learn c/c++ first then go to the Visual one. I believe that the libraries of Visual C from M$ is not upto the task, so if you really want the real strength---------go for c++.
VC is good to have for some extra advantage for your help and ease, but you should first learn the rules to break them properly. Now, go to the market and buy a good book on C++... I think a month is enough to learn basics of C++, extra hard can pay you off...
If you ask me, I'll always say, learn C++ first. It's easy!
Good luck...

C language is great language .. i agree with shakira either to start learn from old C and then Vs C . you can use cprogramming.com to learn more about that .

Aloha,
well I totally agree with what everyone here is saying.
However what I would suggest as well is to first read some of the books/articles on the basics of programming. The books that dont exactly focus on a language but on how to construct a program. There is a book called How computer programming works. I wish that i had a book like that when i started out.
I believe that you need to understand programming, essentially how to think like a computer in order to write a program that will speak with a computer correctly. because its great if the graphics are nice, and all that, but if the computer is having problems understanding your code, then that program pretty much sucks.
I would suggest this to anyone who wants to learn how to program in any language, if you can learn to speak with your computer through whatever language you choose, and you become fluent, then you can ask it to do anything within our world.
-=Levi=-

I would tend to agree with most of the previous posts. C and its spawn are still very important and must be learned. Additionally, M$'s release of .NET should not be dismised, for better or for worse, M$ is extremely important, especially in business. The propaganda on the .NET development environment is that it levels the programming field as a result of using an intermediate compiler that takes various languages (C, JAVA, FORTRAN, etc...) to a common language (prior to compiling the code to machine code) [cough cough overhead cough cough]. The idea being that this would allow various programmers who know different languages to work together on the same project. It is my opinion that C is probably the best to start of on as good C programmers generally has a better understanding of the nuts and bolts of programming as it hides less of the routines that are generally done behind the scenes in languages like JAVA and C++. Therefore, a good C programmer will generally produce much "tighter" code than someone who started on a more "friendly" language - I have personally seen a great deal of this among among JAVA coders who because the language has automatic "garbage collection" produce really messy code because they do not think about memory handling when writing a program. Finally, once you have a firm grasp on one language it is easy to pick up other that are similar (e.g. C++, C#, VS C, Java, etc.).