Clotters

At the moment I'm progressing quite nicely through C++ with a book I recently purchased. I'm definately glad I did because looking back, it seems like I may have been wasting my time with Python and VB6 - maybe wasting is a bit extreme, on second thought.

Anyway, I have questions arising on what happens once I finish through the book. One of my issues is on databases. I know I could use text files as a database and use file i/o, but that's hardly practicle. Does C++ facilitate database software like that which can be found in VB6? I haven't hit that section in my book, so I'm not sure. If not what would be recommended. SQL? Oracle? How tricky would they be to learn?

Another issue I was thinking about is where to turn to to learn about graphics, mainly for games. I expect it's recommended to start 2D and then go 3D, but what programs would be best to start with? I was told to look at php, but is that only for online games or offline games, too? What books (or even online tutorials) are recommended?

I was also thinking about, after C++, looking at another language. C# or Java probably. Would there be much worth in this? I was personally thinking that C++ alone would give me enough to chew on, but I'm no expert ... yet anyway.

Finally, the book I'm reading covers beginner-intermediate level. Is it recommended to afterwards get an advanced book to play with ... any ideas? Also, on this forum I believe, someone was saying something about getting C++ books that will be more a reference than a how-to. Something that will clarify things for me. What exactly is meant by a book like this?

I realise there are quite a few subjects touched here and a lot of questions asked, so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

grumpy

Databases and graphics are both formally beyond the scope of C++ (i.e. the C++ standard says nothing about them). The way you will work with them in C++ is to use third-party libraries, that come (in some cases) bundled with compilers or (in other cases) you acquire then with another product (eg a database product may come with a library that allows you to work with in in C++).

As to where you go, it depends on what you want to achieve. If you need to work with databases, it will probably [given that you have some familiarity with C++] make sense to learn how to access them from C++ code, via some library. Similarly, the choice of another programming language will be influenced by what type of programs you wish to develop.

Clotters

Okay. At the moment I have Visual C++ as my main compiler. I haven't really explored it and don't know what it will facilitate in terms of internal databse products. Say I went and learnt SQL or mySQL and I create a database using that. Will it be self-explanatory (or even just relatively easy) to learn about using a SQL database for a C++ program?

Also, with graphics is it best to first look into SDL or Allegro before diving into Direct stuff (DirectX, Direct3D and so on)? And with something like OpenGL do you still have to use other graphic programs or is it all self-contained?

I think eventually I will use OpenGL. I heard there was almost no difference between OpenGl and DirectX apart from that Microsoft update DirectX more frequently. At least with OpenGL I'm not just a slave to Windows.

DaWei

Read Grumpy's response again. There is no direct DB support as part of the C/C++ language.

__________________
Abstraction doesn't make it impossible to write bad code; it makes it possible to write superior code.
Contributor's Corner: Grumpy on C++ Exceptions DaWei on Pointers