On (11 May 97) JAKKI SOARES wrote to DARIN CROSSLAND...
 JS> Thanks, but not knowing much yet about programming, I think I need to 
 JS> ask a few more questions, if you don't mind. For a beginning
 JS> programmer, is C++ the recommended starting place?
One of the few things you can accurately predict in the computer world
is disagreement.  You can pretty much pick a language, and be accurate
in stating that some people will reccomend it as the best one to start
with, and other people who will say it's the worst possible one to start
with, and just about anything in between.
With that said, a great deal depends on how you think and how you learn.
There's no one best or worst language to learn with, or use for a
particular purpose, but there are a lot of people who will tell you that
things that suit them are wonderful, and things that don't suit them are
terrible.
If you already have an implementation of some language (and most people
at least have some sort of BASIC), I'd start with that and decide
whether programming suited me well before spending much money on
something else.  However, if you decide you do like programming, I'd
then spend some time figuring out what language you want to use
relatively quickly.  You'll likely find QBASIC quite limiting and will
most likely want to progress to something else quite quickly.
 JS> I know that there
 JS> are a multitude of languages, etc. , will C++ be compatible(is this a
 JS> silly question?) with my packard smell(oops bell..heheh). Is C++ what
 JS> most on-line games, and education programs are written in? That is
 JS> what I am most interested in learning to program for, I tutor adults
 JS> who are attempting to get their GED's, and most education programs
 JS> that would be most useful to the adults, I am finding are geared to
 JS> small children.
Getting a C++ compiler to run on your computer shouldn't be terribly
difficult.  The brand isn't very important compared to the basic
characteristics of the machine - if you have something like a 386 with 1
meg of RAM, you may have to pick your compiler pretty carefully.  If you
have a relatively new machine with more memory, you should be able to
use about any compiler you like.
However, I'd advise that using C++ well will take quite a bit of time
and effort.  If your primary interest is in getting tutorial programs
working quickly and easily, it probably isn't your best choice.  C++ is
intended primarily for people who are more or less full-time programmers
rather than people who primarily do other things, and program only
incidentally as part of doing other things.
    Later,
    Jerry.
... The Universe is a figment of its own imagination.
--- PPoint 1.90
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