>  FM> Am I wasting my time - even if it IS only a hobby with no purpose
 >  FM> to make a career of it (I'm too old).
 > That depends what you want to do. If you want to learn, do so.
 > If you want to
 > learn a language to make some kind of programs on some known
 > platforms, you
 > better seek some info in that field, and learn the language you
 > could use for
 > that task. (But for dos and unix nowadays I doubt you'll find
 > anything
 > generally better than C++.)
    I agree and the observations evoked here to my post of Shammas' comment 
has clarified a great deal.  Since posting that, I have acquired a book by 
Michael Hyman who skips all of the abstract philosophy about the language and 
gets down to brass tacks with a series of programs gradually building up to 
longer and more complex structures in the area of making and selling pizzas 
with various toppings.  One of the best little books I've seen or used and 
was selling at CompUSA for only Ten dollars. The title is _Borland's C++ for 
Dummies_.  It is jam-packed with good hard information for the learner.  He 
substitutes concise explanation with examples for the usual HEAVILY VERBOSE 
poetic outpourings about encapsulation, polymorphism and the like which 
usually discourages the beginner.
Some of you have also pointed out to me the difference between "true" OOP and 
"pure" OOP, something about which I had not thought.
                            Sincerely,
                                            Frank
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