Help with programming?
 

Im attempting to get myself to program for a few hours every dayto script with G.exe files, I have Downloaded Microsoft C++ 2010, basics?

Not really sure what you mean by "script with G.exe files"... But anyway, if you're looking for basics, the best place to start reading about C++ is here: http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/

If you've scripted in GS2, then you're going to find it slightly easier to pick it up rather than learning it from scratch, as a lot of the keywords you used in GS2 are used exactly (or near enough) the same in C++, and you'll find it easy enough to write a few basic console applications using this knowledge.

If you've got any questions and you can't find an answer to them by using Google, I'd be happy to help.

Do you prefer C++ over Java? If so, why?

(I have started learning both of them recently, and wish to focus on one at a time, but unsure which is more useful for my goals.)

It all depends on what you do. Java is better for cross-platform development whilst C++ offers more power in what you code.

Yeah I assumed so, I want to make small (mini)games that'll be portable to most OS's and devices (Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android).

Should be achievable with C++ too right? How big is the compromise in "power"?

More work. A lot more work.

If you're looking for portability and haven't chosen a language to learn yet, use Java. It's primarily used in development for Android and will make your life a whole lot easier when porting it to each OS. Three out of the four you mentioned (Windows, Mac, Android) use Java to develop applications. I can't remember what Apple's attitude to Java for iOS development is.

Cheers. Java it is then.

Thank you, I'll sens a Private message if I have any difficulties.

Thanks =)!

Don't start with C++. It's the hardest language to start out with. Yea, try Java.

No. Java is bad for portability. You can run it on all major platforms with no modification, yes, but should a platform emerge without Java's VM ported to it or with licensing terms that prevent you from using it (see: iOS) then you're dead in the water. C++ is portable at compile-time. If you don't use anything platform specific except in small wrappers, then you can port to other platforms in a matter of days. However, with Java, you're at the mercy of whatever platforms will allow you to run it. You can compile C and C++ with GCC for all modern platforms and run them in all modern OSes.

C#.

Syntax will kill you. Just sayin.

I understand where you're coming from about the absence of a VM on a new platform, but most platforms are probably going to incorporate it anyway. In any event, at present, most major platforms will run Java with the exception being iOS afaik.

Also, if you're developing anything in C++ which you intend to be portable, it almost certainly would take you longer and would require more work than writing it in Java - which, with its standard libraries - allows for easier porting.

Before you take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to contradict you in any way, I'm just throwing out the point that at present, Java is probably going to benefit someone more than C++ when it comes to portable applications.

You'll be portable to all the big desktop platforms and that's about it. You can't guarantee that the JVM ports will be maintained across any platforms, and you don't wan to have to maintain a port yourself because now you just took on a larger project. I like programming for low-power and mobile devices, as well as microcontrollers that sometimes don't even have C rigged up to them correctly.

I guess it's a matter of what you're really trying to do, but I like to:

A) Own my code from top to bottom, no dependencies that a user must install or dependencies that have licensing terms that I can't work with.

B) Be able to deploy to any platform I'd like to without any restrictions placed by runtime dependencies like JVM.

C) Have native code that runs fast.

If I'm building something that I need to get done quickly and requires heavy GUI elements, that isn't something that's easily to do in a portable fashion with something that's compiled to native code without abstracting. That's something I'd just Java for. But we're talking about games that require high framerates and a good user experience. They don't have heavy native GUI usage, if anything all your GUI will be ingame and completely portable. For games, native code is the way to go every time.