How difficult is learning Visual Basic and C ++? ten points to most helpful answerer! thanks a loT!?

Question

i'm in my senior year of high school and haven't taken math 12 or basic algebra yet but want to take a computer programming course. how difficult is visual basic and c ++ and what math concepts do you have to know? i'm not too keen with computers but am willing to give this a shot. i just don't want to make a mistake by taking it because i have to finish this course in 2-3 months, which means i have to learn visual basic and c ++ in 2-3 months. so please give me some tips and answer my above questions. thanks a lot.

Answer 1

If you want a real answer read on.



Your question is relevant to the individual asked, difficulty is relevant. No one else can give you a correct answer (or at least the odds are very slim). However I can tell you what I know from my education and experience.



I am sure many will agree with me and many others wont, but the higher levels of math are not required for "basic" programming (meaning pretty much anything that wouldn't be used by a corporation). That isn't to say you SHOULD NOT take the math courses. As I had to find out my own way, math is an abstraction for logic (just as words are an abstraction for ideas), pure logic is truth, therefore to understand the truth you have to understand the abstraction.



When I first entered college, I had never finished high school and never had gotten into higher math levels than Algebra 1. That isn't to say I don't understand the logic of higher math, programming typically helps that after you've been doing it a while.



Anyway, getting back to the language question. They weren't very hard for ME to learn, they could be different for you. I should tell you though that programming really doesn't stop and end at one specific language, and "true" programmers will never lock themselves into JUST one spefific language (there are exceptions, but few). If you truly want to succeed and become a programmer your goal should be to understand the logic behind programming; the "means to meaning" if you will. The languages will be nothing more than an abstraction to logic once you get past simple syntax (that is to say, the RULES of the language).



Lastly, let me say that the only real way your going to make a mistake (at least, in my own mind), is by NOT taking the course and seeing if you like it. Before I took my first programming course I thought I was stupid and would never amount to anything, and I "knew" I could never finish it. But because of my motivation (or arrogance, whatever), I stuck with it and found something true about myself and found something I truly enjoy doing.



Programming could be for you, or you could just be a codemonkey (that is a person that doesn't create algorithms, just writes and compiles code) or you could be as famous as one of my idols...Linus Torvolds or Richard Stallman. The only one that could possibly know is you.



"We are only bound to the restrictions that we set for ourselves"



-Me (or this may not be me, as I drink alot and it may be something that I heard while having a hangover)

Answer 2

I suggest trying to learn VB first before attempting to learn C++. You can probably learn VB and get relatively good at it in a few months even as your first language if you put your mind to it. C++ will be whole other story depending on how good you are and how good the site/book/teacher you are learning from is. I don't know what Math 12 encompasses but something like

a = 1;

b = 2*a;

should be at least obvious (b's value is 2).

Answer 3

You will not learn VB and C++ in 3 months.

You do not need anything past algebra 1 to be able to learn basics of programming.

Answer 4

It depends on what level you expect to reach. You can learn the rudiments of a language in a few months, but it takes years to become an accomplished programmer in any language.



You can start learning C++ with these video tutorials:

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/index.php



They are perfect for beginners. This one can get you started by showing you how to install a free compiler:

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/console/Lesson0.php



Here are some simple games with code downloads that you can use to get some ideas:

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/console/Lesson9.php

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/console/Lesson23.php

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/console/Lesson29.php



These tutorials can get you started with graphics programming in OpenGL:

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/opengl/index.php



You can go through the tutorials and if you have questions on them or anything else in C++, please post to me here:

http://xoax.net/forum/



Enjoy!