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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!dreaderd!not-for-mail Message-ID: <C-faq/learn_973504065@rtfm.mit.edu> Supersedes: <C-faq/learn_970824110@rtfm.mit.edu> Expires: 20 Dec 2000 09:47:45 GMT X-Last-Updated: 1999/08/26 Organization: none From: Sunil Rao <sunil.rao@ic.ac.uk> Newsgroups: alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.c.moderated,alt.answers,comp.answers,news.answers Followup-To: poster Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Organisation: ISE @ ic.ac.uk Subject: [alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++] - FAQ list Summary: This post contains useful information for anyone wishing to learn C and C++, listing online tutorials and resources, giving book recommendations and helping clear some common misconceptions. Originator: faqserv@penguin-lust.MIT.EDU Date: 06 Nov 2000 09:49:59 GMT Lines: 887 NNTP-Posting-Host: penguin-lust.mit.edu X-Trace: dreaderd 973504199 5711 18.181.0.29 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++:67556 comp.lang.c:460439 comp.lang.c++:514152 comp.lang.c.moderated:17039 alt.answers:52234 comp.answers:43028 news.answers:195539 Archive-name: C-faq/learn Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: 23 August 1999 URL: http://www.raos.demon.co.uk/acllc-c++/faq.html This document is a FAQ list for the newsgroup alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++. It provides readers with a framework and a set of guidelines for posting here, in addition to answering a number of questions newcomers here tend to ask. This FAQ is meant to be read in its entirety. It is posted monthly to alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++, comp.lang.c, comp.lang.c++, comp.lang.c.moderated, comp.answers, alt.answers and news.answers. This is the plaintext version of this list. An HTML version can be located at http://www.raos.demon.co.uk/acllc-c++/faq.html Compiled by Sunil Rao <sunil.rao@ic.ac.uk>. Comments, suggestions, corrections, constructive criticism and requests for clarification will be gratefully acknowledged. Last update: 23 August 1999 Last changes made: Updated and expanded the answers to questions 6, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19. To do list: To add answers to a number of questions and to update information regarding compilers. Special Thanks to... Dennis Swanson, Jim Gewin, Billy Chambless, Mark Brown, Dave Dunfield, Jack Klein, Steve Summit, Steve Clamage, Dennis Ritchie, Kaz Kylheku, Lars Hecking, Pablo Halpern, Jerry Coffin, Stuart Hall, Dann Corbit, Michael McGoldrick, Cameron Foster, Brody Hurst, Jabari Adisa, Wieland Stⁿbinger, Chris Newton and Bernd Luevelsmeyer for their helpful comments, suggestions, advice, corrections and constructive criticism, and (in the case of some) for permitting me to quote from their papers/posts. 1: What is the purpose of this newsgroup? alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ is an unmoderated newsgroup for the discussion of issues that concern novice and non-expert programmers in C and C++ who wish to *LEARN* more about one or both of these languages. That probably looks scary. Basically, anybody can post to the group. Provided the questions you post are on-topic and the answers you provide are accurate, you should not have a problem. If your question is off-topic, you will typically be redirected to a newsgroup that is more appropriate; if your answers are inaccurate, you risk being corrected with a flame. 2: What is C/C++? First of all, C and C++ are different languages. C was created by Dennis Ritchie as an efficient language for systems programming. Bjarne Stroustrup then extended C by adding features to support object-oriented programming. C++ can be considered to be a superset of C, but there are real differences between them. It can usually (though not always) be assumed that anybody who talks about "C/C++" as one language is no expert - this extends to book authors too. It is normally unclear whether somebody is referring to "C OR C++" or "C AND C++" when using this expression, so it is probably best avoided. 3: So, are C and C++ not so similar after all? They are indeed similar to a great extent. Incompatibilities do exist, though, and many idiomatic constructs used in C are frowned upon by C++ experts. C++ programmers generally consider code that does not exploit those features of C++ that make it possible to write better programs - programs that are more readable and easier to write and maintain - to be in poor style. The differences between the two languages are significant enough to ensure that one has to be clear about the language being used. However, it must not be forgotten that C++ is a largely a superset of C, and that it is possible (though perhaps not desirable) to write code that works correctly in both languages. A lot of people incorrectly believe that object-oriented programs cannot be written in C; this is not true. What is true is that C++ provides features that make it easier to write in a style that is object-oriented; in other words, C++ supports programming in an object-oriented style. 4: What is the difference between this newsgroup and comp.lang.c or comp.lang.c++? This newsgroup is primarily intended for discussion related to the LEARNING of C and C++. The other two groups are primarily intended for discussion of the features of the respective languages themselves. Naturally, some overlap does occur. This group does tend to be slightly (perhaps excessively so) more informal, though. Most regulars on this group show great patience with many common beginners' questions and will willingly expound on many topics of interest or particular difficulty, referring to appropriate reference material, either in printed or in electronic form, as necessary. 5: What kind of questions may be asked here? Any question relating to any aspect of C or C++ that you're having trouble understanding is on topic here. By C, what is meant is the language PROPER and its standard library as defined by ANSI and ISO. C++ discussions are about the proposed language standard (that recently passed its formal vote) and the library it defines. Any questions relating to specific compilers, third-party or non- standard libraries, compiler extensions etc are unwelcome here, and will probably be answered with a redirection to a more appropriate newsgroup. If you've been thus redirected, do not get miffed or upset and post an angry response - it will cut no ice with the regulars and will only label you as an unwilling learner. What's discussed in this group is rigidly defined to limit the traffic and make the group useful to as wide a possible audience as possible. 6: I have a burning question about XXX. What should I do first? First of all, do check to see if your question has not been been answered before. Look up any of the standard references on the language. If you can't find the answer, browse the group, lurk here for a few days, search the archives at Deja.com, read the relevant FAQs (including those of comp.lang.c and comp.lang.c++), and if you STILL can't find the answer, post by all means. Note that you might not be the first ever learner to have run into your problems. There is a good chance that your question has been answered before. Deja.com: http://www.deja.com/ C FAQ: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html C++ FAQ: http://www.cerfnet.com/~mpcline/c++-faq-lite/ 7: What other points should I make note of BEFORE posting here? Please observe basic Netiquette guidelines. If you're not sure of what these are, subscribe to news.announce.newusers, and read *ALL* of the posts there. A good reference is http://www.ezine.com/netiquette.html To summarise these points very briefly - ensure that your post is on topic. Do your homework before posting. Don't post the same question one hundred times. Don't troll. Don't post homework questions without anything to show your effort. Don't ask for replies to be sent by email. Don't post binaries. Make sure that your subject line is an accurate description of the problem/topic. Please do not ask for replies by email. If you haven't got the time or patience to read the newsgroup, that's tough. The answers you receive might benefit other readers of the newsgroup as well, and you yourself might learn more from the discussions your question might generate. If you have to reply, be accurate and precise - your reply is being read by LEARNERS, remember. If you are unsure or have nothing new to add, don't bother. For heaven's sake, don't get abusive when you are corrected or redirected. If you are unsure as to why you have been redirected, ask the person who did so *PRIVATELY* by email. There usually is a good reason - see question 9. Do not take any answers on trust. Sadly, many of those who post answers here know even less than the interested learner who posted the original question. Wait for a few days before relying on any posted code or answers, just in case they might be corrected by others. This is also why it is a very bad idea to email your questions directly to regulars; you have no insurance against any potential mistakes - remember that nobody is infallible. Please do not make any MIME or UUENCODED posts (this includes HTML). Many newsreaders cannot handle such posts correctly. You will only make it impossible for many to read your posts. And please try not to flame. This is a learners' group. Not everyone who posts here is aware of all the issues involved. A grumpy attitude only makes things difficult for everyone concerned. It usually helps if you indicate in somewhere in your post if you're expecting a C or a C++ answer - several techniques appropriate to C++ will not work in C, and some C programs will not work or are considered bad style under C++. It also makes it easier for other readers - they can then safely ignore your post if they cannot help you with it. If you're not sure as to which language you're learning, you probably need to get better resources to learn from. 8: I posted a homework question, but got no help; only sarcastic responses. Why? Homework questions are in general not welcome here - most attempts to disguise one usually do not work particularly well. You will typically receive no help unless you can demonstrate that you have made an honest attempt to solve the problem yourself, by posting some code you have trouble with, for instance. There is little point in a regular supplying you with code to fulfil an assignment if you are going to pass the course and come out and work on real-world projects without knowing how to even tackle a basic homework problem. See also http://home.att.net/~jackklein/ctips01.html#homework http://members.xoom.com/jshiva/hw.txt 9: Why are questions relating to Windows, Graphics, Sockets etc. off- topic here? Questions on these topics come up every so often here. C and C++ are languages, not operating systems. They come with limited, though highly useful, standard libraries. While any question relating to these libraries is relevant and most certainly on topic, a question relating to MFCs, for instance, is of absolutely no interest to a Unix expert, and vice-versa. There exist newsgroups DEVOTED to these non-standard additions. It certainly makes more sense to post a question in a place where there is a greater chance of it being answered, and answered correctly. As a beginner, it probably makes more sense to concentrate on the core language itself and master that before branching off to learn system-specific tricks. See also http://members.xoom.com/jshiva/offtopic.txt 10: What are some other related groups where I might post questions? (Answer adapted from the regular "Welcome to comp.lang.c" post by Billy Chambless and Tim Behrendsen) You *really* ought to be able to work out where to post by yourself. Please, please, please, for heavens' sake read the FAQs and lurk for a while before posting your questions. Please do not post to more groups than are necessary. Think carefully about the relevance of your post before you post to any of the newsgroups mentioned below. If you decide that your question is indeed relevant to more than one newsgroup and is not a FAQ, please cross-post rather than multi-post. Remember that many regular readers of this newsgroup also follow several of the other groups mentioned below. Note: if your news server does not carry the borland, microsoft or watcom newsgroups, you might find it necessary to connect to forums.borland.com, msnews.microsoft.com or forums.sybase.com instead. See also http://www.borland.com/newsgroups/ http://sdn.sybase.com/sdn/appdev/newsgroups.stm * Language Issues C comp.lang.c, comp.lang.c.moderated C++ comp.lang.c++.moderated, comp.lang.c++ x86 assembly comp.lang.asm.x86 * Non-language-specific Issues Algorithms comp.programming Graphics comp.graphics.algorithms Another avenue worth exploring for general algorithms questions might be the bulletin board at the Analysis of Algorithms homepage based at http://pauillac.inria.fr/algo/AofA/ and mirrored at http://www.cecm.sfu.ca/mirror/INRIA/algo/AofA/. There is a real difference between an algorithm and an implementation thereof. A question regarding an algorithm itself is, strictly speaking, off-topic though issues do get raised here in the absence of any good newsgroup to discuss them in. Questions relating to implementations are of course on-topic here. * Compilers/Libraries The gcc compiler gnu.gcc DJGPP (gcc for DOS) comp.os.msdos.djgpp Borland C++ borland.public.cpp borland.public.cpp.language Borland C++Builder borland.public.cppbuilder borland.public.cppbuilder.language Visual C++ microsoft.public.vc.ide_general microsoft.public.vc.language Watcom C/C++ powersoft.public.watcom_c_c++.general CodeWarrior comp.sys.mac.programmer.codewarrior MFC microsoft.public.vc.mfc comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.tools.mfc OWL borland.public.cpp.owl comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.tools.owl VCL borland.public.cppbuilder.vcl * Operating Systems/System Specifics DOS issues comp.os.msdos.programmer MS Windows comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.misc microsoft.public.win16.programmer.* microsoft.public.win32.programmer.* OS/2 comp.os.os2.programmer.misc Macintosh comp.sys.mac.programmer.misc General UNIX comp.unix.programmer Amiga comp.sys.amiga.programmer 11: HELP! My program does not work correctly. What do I do now? Before posting code here, try and make sure that it at least compiles correctly, even if it does not quite behave the way you intended it to. Try and localise your error to a particular function or section of code - most readers have no time to wade through pages of code (If you are unable to do this, you probably need to start again from scratch anyway.). Do NOT under any circumstances post all of your code as an attachment - many will simply ignore your post. Please also specify if your code is C or C++. Essentially, post the smallest complete program that manifests the problem. This makes it easier for the reader to answer your question. You might find that doing this enables you to answer your question yourself! Read the answer to the above question as well. And do learn how to use the debugger that came with your compiler. It usually helps if you set the warning levels to the highest possible for your compiler - let the compiler pick out any errors and warn you of any potential problems. And if you post any errors or warning messages with your code, it makes it that much easier for a regular to see what's wrong with your code - any need to compile it yet again will be minimised, especially if the error is a common one. 12: What online tutorials exist for learning C and C++? The best online tutorial for C I have come across has got to be Steve Summit's class notes for the C courses he teaches. http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/cclass/cclass.html There are references to other C tutorials in his C FAQ as well. Vinit Carpenter maintains a list of resources for learning C and C++. Do note, however, that a fair number of the tutorials placed online contain mistakes and/or are out of date. http://www.cyberdiem.com/vin/learn.html Ted Jensen's tutorial on pointers and arrays in C can be found at http://pweb.netcom.com/~tjensen/ptr/cpoint.htm Tom Torfs has written an excellent, complete tutorial, meant to complement a good introduction to C. It's not primarily intended for the complete beginner to the language, though. http://members.xoom.com/tomtorfs/cintro.html See also the answer to question 18. 13: What should I look for when picking a book to learn from? Opinions vary widely. Most readers recommend the book(s) they learnt from, regardless of whether or not they might actually be suitable for the learner. The fact that many commonly recommended books are either full of errors or hopelessly out of date (or even both!) makes matters worse. Beware of books that claim to teach you both C and C++ - they might end up teaching you a horrible hybrid instead. It is also probably better to stick to books that conform to the C and C++ standards, at least while beginning. Many compiler-specific books do not go into sufficient depth regarding important language issues and usually fail to be clear as to whether something is specific to the compiler under consideration or not. Some texts come bundled with compilers - it's usually worth checking to see how out-of-date the compiler actually is. For C, this is probably less of an issue than it is for C++, simply because compiler writers have had over a decade to catch up with the standard. It pays to keep more than one good book handy; many books known for their technical accuracy can seem dense and unreadable in places, and you might at times need to back up a primer with a reference. Do make sure that you get the latest edition of any of these books you decide to purchase. Also please check to see if there is an errata list available online for any book you decide on; this is particularly important for programming language texts. It pays to be suspicious of books for which such lists cannot be located online for whatever reason. The Association of C and C++ Users maintains a collection of book reviews taken from its journals. Many of the reviews are fair and excellent in their criticism, though there are a few minor inconsistencies and a number of truly awful books have escaped with favourable reviews. It's a useful starting-point, though. http://www.accu.org/bookreviews/public/ Many C and C++ experts recommend against using ANY book written by a certain Herbert Schildt. To see why, read the answer to question 16. The "Dummies" series of books is not particularly well-regarded either in general. 14: What are the best books I can learn C from? If you wish to learn C, the classic text - the "Bible" - is "The C Programming Language", 2nd Edition, by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie. This hallowed text describes and explains ANSI C. K&R2 is renowned for its brevity, clarity, elegance and completeness; but these very factors can make it heavy going for the beginner. http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/cbook/ K N King's "C Programming: A Modern Approach" is another text frequently recommended on comp.lang.c. This book is a good, thorough introduction to C that is a lot easier to work with from a beginner's perspective. http://knking.com/books/c/ Another frequently recommended book on C is "C - How to Program", 2nd Edition, by H M Deitel and P J Deitel. Please note that I have not had a chance to read this book, and include the reference on the strength of the the recommendation of a number of regular posters to comp.lang.c. http://www.deitel.com/products_and_services/publications/chtp2.htm 15: What are the best books I can learn C++ from? Before going further, I should mention that I am not a C++ programmer myself, and the recommendations listed here are based on positive comments I have heard from others. The C++ equivalent of K&R2 is "The C++ Programming Language", 3rd Edition, by Bjarne Stroustrup. Experienced C++ programmers love it; however, many beginners seem to find it very hard going indeed. Like K&R2, it assumes basic familiarity with programming concepts and is not really intended for the absolute beginner. It does not assume any previous knowledge of C. http://www.research.att.com/~bs/about_3rd.html A more accessible book that is intended for beginners is "C++ Primer", 3rd Edition, by Stanley Lippman and JosΘe Lajoie. This book is thorough, and conforms to the C++ standard. It is reportedly extremely clear and detailed, and, again, does not assume any previous knowledge of C. http://cseng.aw.com/bookdetail.qry?ISBN=0-201-82470-1&ptype=0 Another text I've seen seen particularly recommended is "C++ - How to Program", 2nd Edition, by H M Deitel and P J Deitel. Again, this text does not assume prior knowledge of C. http://www.deitel.com/products_and_services/publications /cpphtp2.htm Other texts I have seen recommended a number of times on the C++ newsgroups include the badly-named-though-often-recommended "Teach Yourself C++ in 21 days" by Jesse Liberty, "C++ Primer Plus" by Stephen Prata, and "Thinking in C++" by Bruce Eckel. http://www.libertyassociates.com/book_edit.htm#21 Days http://www.bruceeckel.com/books.html#ThinkingInCPlusPlus Bruce Eckel has also placed a "beta" of the second edition of his "Thinking in C++" online as well. Do remember that it isn't the final version and that there might remain some as-yet undetected errors. http://www.eckelobjects.com/ThinkingInCPP2e.html The C++ FAQ contains some recommendations for C++ books as well. 16: Why do many experts not think very highly of Herbert Schildt's books? A good answer to this question could fill a book by itself. While no book is perfect, Schildt's books, in the opinion of many gurus, seem to positively aim to mislead learners and encourage bad habits. Schildt's beautifully clear writing style only makes things worse by causing many "satisfied" learners to recommend his books to other learners. Do take a look at the following scathing articles before deciding to buy a Schildt text. http://www.lysator.liu.se/c/schildt.html http://herd.plethora.net/~seebs/c/c_tcr.html The above reviews are admittedly based on two of Schildt's older books. However, the language they describe has not changed in the intervening period, and several books written at around the same time remain highly regarded. The following humorous post also illustrates the general feeling towards Schildt and his books. http://www.qnx.com/~glen/deadbeef/2764.html There is exactly one and ONLY one C book bearing Schildt's name on its cover that is at all recommended by many C experts - see Q 25. 17: Where can I get a free C or C++ compiler? (Answer adapted from Joe Buck's FAQ for g++ and libg++.) * gcc gcc is a free C and C++ compiler from the Free Software Foundation available for many Unix-based systems. Its ports for other systems are also freely available. http://www.fsf.org/software/gcc/gcc.html ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu/pub/gnu/ egcs (the experimental gnu compiler system) is another free project (based on gcc). Check out http://www.cygnus.com/egcs/ The MS-DOS port (DJGPP) of gcc runs on a 386 or higher, and is a full 32-bit compiler. Make sure you read the FAQ thoroughly first, however, and post any questions you have regarding its setup to comp.os.msdos.djgpp, not here. http://www.delorie.com/djgpp/ For a port of gcc that works on 32-bit Windows, look at http://www.cygnus.com/misc/gnu-win32/ Also, for another port, see http://www.xraylith.wisc.edu/~khan/software/ gnu-win32/egcs-mingw32.html You could also get hold of Bloodshed Dev-C++, which is essentially Mingw32 bundled with an editor, packaged in an easier-to-use form. http://www.bloodshed.nu/devc.html For the Amiga, BeOS, and pOS, look at the GG port of gcc at http://www.ninemoons.com/GG/ EMX is a port of gcc to OS/2 that also works on DOS. http://www.os2ss.com/unix/emx09c/ * lcc lcc-win32 is a free C compiler available for 32-bit Windows. http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~lcc-win32/ It is based on the retargettable lcc system. http://www.cs.princeton.edu/software/lcc/ * Pacific C The Pacific C compiler is available for free for personal use. You can download it from http://www.hitech.com.au/products/pacific.html * MPW If you're programming under the Apple Macintosh, you can obtain the Macintosh Programmers' workshop for free. http://developer.apple.com/tools/mpw-tools/ * Turbo C Inprise (formerly known as Borland) have commenced making older versions of their software available for free download. This includes older (possibly pre-standard) versions of their Turbo C compiler. http://community.borland.com/museum/ * Micro-C If you are looking for a free C compiler for MS-DOS that is easy to install and use, take a look at Micro-C, available from http://www.dunfield.com/ Do bear in mind that it is not wholly compatible with the standard. The incompatibilites are well-documented, however. 18: What good websites/online references exist for C and C++? http://www.lysator.liu.se/c/ is an excellent resource for C, containing a number of extremely useful links and pointers. For beginners to C (and C++), Jack Klein has put up an excellent page with tips, suggestions and expanded answers to a number of commonly asked beginners' questions. http://home.att.net/~jackklein/c/c_main.html The Comeau Computing web site features several highly informative and useful resource pages, including http://www.comeaucomputing.com/resources/litsuggs.html http://www.comeaucomputing.com/faqs/cppfaq.html Steve Summit has archived some of his longer and more informative Usenet posts at http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/readings/index2.html Check out the C++ Virtual Library for some useful C++ links. http://www.desy.de/user/projects/C++.html You may wish to look at the C Language Online Journal at http://www.cs.wustl.edu/~jxh/CLOJ/ For some useful code snippets (some portable; others not), check out Bob Stout's SNIPPETS archive at http://www.snippets.org/ Karim Ratib's well-indexed code page has links to many useful resources. http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~ratib/code Martin Leslie's C Programming reference site is at http://www.gator.net/~garyg/C/c.html Jamie Blustein's C Programming Language resources are at http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~jamie/.Refs/C-refs.html Scott McMahan's C Programmer's Notebook, which discusses a number of issues C programmers encounter as their experience grows, is at http://www.skwc.com/essent/prognotebook.html Some questions relating to what standard C is all about are answered at http://lglwww.epfl.ch/~wolf/c/ Also, check out The Mining Company's C/C++ site, http://cplus.miningco.com/ Jon Morris Smith's C++ resources directory, http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~jdm/cpp.html Robert Davies' list of online C++ references, http://nz.com/webnz/robert/cpp_site.html The #C++ site, http://www.cl.ais.net/morph/c++/main.html and Simo Salminen's Programmers' Oasis C and C++ page. http://www.utu.fi/~sisasa/oasis/oasis-cc++.html 19: Should I learn C before learning C++? According to a number of C++ experts, including its creator Bjarne Stroustrup, and Marshall Cline (the author of the C++ FAQ), the answer is a firm no. Look up the C++ FAQ to see why Cline thinks you do not need to learn C before C++. A post by Bjarne Stroustrup to comp.lang.c++ addresses this point too. http://www.research.att.com/~bs/learn.html "Learning Standard C++ as a New Language" - a paper by Stroustrup available from http://www.research.att.com/~bs/papers.html - examines this much-debated issue in great depth, but the paper is aimed more at educators than at beginners. 20: What is the difference between C++ and Visual C++? C++ is a programming language. Visual C++ is Microsoft's implementation of it. When people talk about learning Visual C++, it usually has more to do with learning how to use the programming environment, and how to use the Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFCs) for Windows rather than any language issues. Visual C++ can and will compile straight C and C++. 21: What is portability? Why are so many people concerned about it? C and C++ are languages that are not tied down to a particular platform. This means that, with care, it is possible to write useful code in either of these languages that will run on different platforms without modification. That is not to say that ALL code written in these languages must conform strictly to the standards - in practice it is sometimes neither possible nor desirable to achieve this aim. However, the job of porting code is made easier when any system-specific stuff is carefully packaged or abstracted away, so that it is clear and straightforward to make the necessary changes during a port. In order to be able to do this effectively, it is important to be aware of what can and can not be done within the realms of the standards set by these languages. That is why a lot of importance is placed on adhering strictly to the standards, at least while learning. 22: How do I BEGIN to write C or C++ under Visual or Borland C++? This question is, strictly speaking, off-topic, but is answered here since it's one that seems to plague many beginners. To start with, you need to make sure that you are not writing a Windows application. Try creating a new project or application to target MS-DOS, QuickWin or Win32 Console depending on your compiler version. You can then use the Standard C and C++ libraries to write strictly conforming programs. It's best to learn to write standard-conforming programs first before branching off into writing Windows programs. If you find that you are having a lot of trouble setting up your compiler, a good place to ask questions is a newsgroup devoted to your compiler. See Question 10 for a list of such groups. 23: HELP! My program seems to compile correctly, but when it runs, a DOS window flashes and then vanishes. This can sometimes occur when you are developing programs using an IDE. A command prompt window opens and displays the output, and control is passed back immediately to the IDE. To get around this, you can look through the various menus to find a "View Output Screen" option. Alternatively, you could open a command prompt window and change directory to the one your executable is going to end up in and run your executable directly from there. The solution of using a non-standard function to keep the executable running until a key is pressed is not a very good idea - especially if you are going to run your program outside of the development environment. 24: Why doesn't this FAQ cover language issues? This is because other better, more comprehensive resources exist for this purpose. See the answers to questions 12 and 18. 25: Where can I obtain a copy of the standards for C and C++? You cannot obtain copies of the standards for free. This is because the standards organisations earn a large part of their revenue from selling printed copies. The C FAQ tells you how you can obtain copies of the C standard. You could also buy "The Annotated ANSI C Standard", by the afore-mentioned Herbert Schildt (question 16). Make sure that you ignore the annotations completely, however. The C++ standard can be obtained online directly from the ANSI Electronic Standards store . After registering yourself for free, you can download the document in Adobe PDF format on payment of $18.00 (US) by credit card. http://webstore.ansi.org/ansidocstore/default.asp The standards documents can be daunting at first sight; meant, as they are, to be as formal and precise as possible. They are NOT suitable for learning from, but are intended rather to be used as the ultimate authority to check with on any language issue. Also, check the comp.std.c++ FAQ. http://reality.sgi.com/austern_mti/std-c++/faq.html 26: HELP! I get errors when I try to compile "hello, world"! Check your source to make sure you haven't missed any semi-colons or braces. Also remember that C and C++ are case-sensitive - Main() and main() are completely different, for instance. If you are satisfied that the program source is all right, then you probably have not set your compiler up properly. You might need to ask one of the experts in a newsgroup devoted to your compiler about this - see the answer to question 10. The sole reason for redirecting compiler setup questions to other groups is to reinforce the point that a language is inherently separate from an implementation of one. There are simply too many different implementations of C and C++, and too many subtleties involved in the actual learning of C and C++ for all of them to come under the banner of this newsgroup. 27: Which language should I learn first then - C or C++? The answer to this depends on your own inclinations. C is a smaller, less complex language than C++, and is consequently easier to master. However, it is probably easier to get up to speed with C++, if you make effective use of the standard library. Some find C to be more elegant than C++, others think it to be too "unsafe". C++ programmers generally feel that it has features that make it easier to write good, robust, readable and maintainable code in than in C. If you do decide to learn C++, there is little point in learning C itself first. See also question 19. If you have little or no programming experience, be prepared to face a real challenge. C and C++ have enough quirks and subtleties to catch out even expert programmers in other languages. It's not impossible to learn to program with C or C++ as a first language, just more difficult than with Turing, Pascal or a structured BASIC, for instance. Programming in C or in C++ is generally considered to be a more pleasureable experience than doing so in beginners' languages by those experienced in either, but the very fact that your freedom is limited and restricted by these languages makes them easier to learn. 28: Why are C and C++ so popular and widely-used? (First part of answer adapted from a March 1998 comp.lang.c post by Kaz Kylheku on "Why Has C Proved To Be Such A Succesful Language") C has always been a language that never attempts to tie a programmer down - it allows for easy implementation, it comes with a genuinely useful standard library that can itself be implemented in C, and it is both efficient and portable. C has always appealed to systems programmers who like the terse, concise manner in which powerful expressions can be coded. C was widely distributed with an Operating System (Unix) that was actually largely written in C itself. Also, C allowed programmers to (while sacrificing portability) have direct access to many machine-level features that would otherwise require the use of Assembly Language. As Dennis Ritchie writes in his paper, "The Development of the C Language", C is quirky, flawed, and an enormous success. While accidents of history surely helped, it evidently satisfied a need for a system implementation language efficient enough to displace assembly language, yet sufficiently abstract and fluent to describe algorithms and interactions in a wide variety of environments. C++ has its basis in C - extending it by supporting features meant to encourage and support the development of large programs. Perhaps most importantly, it supports object-oriented programming in a familiar setting and framework (that of C). When C++ was created, one of the initial aims was to retain compatibility with C to as large an extent as possible, and retain its spirit and efficiency. It was possible to convert from C to C++ gradually, thus making use of C++ (initally, at least) as a "better C", and moving on to using other features. This allowed many C programmers to learn C++ quickly (though using C++ effectively requires a major mind-shift for many C programmers). 29: Why is this FAQ so grumpy/terse/curt/unfriendly? A lot of questions posted in alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ are posted by people who are generally unsure about what they are learning. Many beginners fail to appreciate that C and C++ are used on a number of platforms, and that what works with a particular compiler is not necessarily going to work with another, even on the same platform. It is important that a learner be clear about the differences between programming in standard C or C++, and programming using platform- and compiler-specific extensions. In the long run, this approach - that of separating the idea of "language" and "platform" - leads to a better understanding of both the language and the platform. It is generally accepted that the sooner this is appreciated by the learner, the better. Usenet style in general tends to be terse and to-the-point and this FAQ reflects that, while attempting to be as fully informative as possible. This is the only reason for grumpiness - most interested learners find alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ a very pleasant and helpful place once they understand this. The newsgroup is nowhere near as grumpy as this FAQ might suggest - certainly not towards someone who has read and understood all it has to say! -- { Sunil Rao } "...certainly no beast has essayed the boundless, infinitely inventive art of human hatred. No beast can match its range and power." - Arundhati Roy, "The God of Small Things", 1997.