C++ where to go now

[alifffresto]

Okay so i'm in my mid 20s and just started picking up c++, though i do cover it briefly during poly days.

Bought the book c++ 11 primer for more in depth reading (though i dont really know what is the major difference between 98 03 and 11)

Right now i would say that im in the beginner stage.

Im using codeblocks and visual studio to execute simple programming code. Just see some easy projects online and try to recreate according to what i wanted.

My questions is, where do i go from here? My job doesn't require programming language. I just started c++ for leisure during free time but interested to go more in depth.

Have nothing in my mind on what i want to create, though it would be interesting if i could build "the machine" like person of interest.

To pros out there, any advise???

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[davidktw]

Okay so i'm in my mid 20s and just started picking up c++, though i do cover it briefly during poly days.

Bought the book c++ 11 primer for more in depth reading (though i dont really know what is the major difference between 98 03 and 11)

Right now i would say that im in the beginner stage.

Im using codeblocks and visual studio to execute simple programming code. Just see some easy projects online and try to recreate according to what i wanted.

My questions is, where do i go from here? My job doesn't require programming language. I just started c++ for leisure during free time but interested to go more in depth.

Have nothing in my mind on what i want to create, though it would be interesting if i could build "the machine" like person of interest.

To pros out there, any advise???

Sent from GAGT Android App

If you are a developer, I would have told you don't constraint yourself to what C++ can do. If you need to pick up another language to move on, then do it. What you should be learning is general computing skill set that can make you a versatile software developer, not just a C++ software developer.

There are numerous programming languages there to help get your work done. various industries have chosen a particular one for their own use, some due to natural progression, some for demonstration of the manipulator power, and some for the features in the language.

Choose one that you feel you can be most efficient and productive in your work and learn others as upside. So what is the common or popular programming language in your line of work ?

 

[alifffresto]

If you are a developer, I would have told you don't constraint yourself to what C++ can do. If you need to pick up another language to move on, then do it. What you should be learning is general computing skill set that can make you a versatile software developer, not just a C++ software developer.

There are numerous programming languages there to help get your work done. various industries have chosen a particular one for their own use, some due to natural progression, some for demonstration of the manipulator power, and some for the features in the language.

Choose one that you feel you can be most efficient and productive in your work and learn others as upside. So what is the common or popular programming language in your line of work ?

Ah yes, the great davidktw towkay replied. Follow your advise and drop that Java course a few months back.(though i'll certainly pick it up step by step)

Yes, that is what i'm aiming for. A versatile software developer,adequate in different languages, and not focusing to just one language. I know it is hard but hope it is achievable

Well i work in a research centre, and most of these engineers are equipped with c/c++, java,obj c,r, PHP, python etc ... quite diverse in language depending on which department you are in where the focused in at least 2 languages. I know i'm not really that interested on web development, more towards hardware / software development.

 

[davidktw]

Ah yes, the great davidktw towkay replied. Follow your advise and drop that Java course a few months back.(though i'll certainly pick it up step by step)

Yes, that is what i'm aiming for. A versatile software developer,adequate in different languages, and not focusing to just one language. I know it is hard but hope it is achievable

Well i work in a research centre, and most of these engineers are equipped with c/c++, java,obj c,r, PHP, python etc ... quite diverse in language depending on which department you are in where the focused in at least 2 languages. I know i'm not really that interested on web development, more towards hardware / software development.

Me not towkay, I get paid very month Drop the java course ? When did I advice people to drop courses ?

You better be equipped with web development because it is one good interfacing technique with users. Web development or software development, there isn't any real differences. Hardware development will need to learn about the piece of hardware you are interfacing with.

I really don't know what is the advantage to keep things apart, when they are all suppose to work together. It's all the same to me.

Foundation skill sets applies across all paradigm of technological development. After you have written good firmware operating with the hardware, you probably still need web development to design the user interface. Browser is one of the best and most versatile approach to create cross platform user interfaces. This is a great way to tackle across all industries and also a great client/server framework.

Take the router as an example, which router today doesn't have a good interface to allow easy configuration ? Even enterprise routers have web interfaces for quick configuration, and commandline for some programmatic ones or less seldom features.

 

[alifffresto]

Me not towkay, I get paid very month Drop the java course ? When did I advice people to drop courses ?

You better be equipped with web development because it is one good interfacing technique with users. Web development or software development, there isn't any real differences. Hardware development will need to learn about the piece of hardware you are interfacing with.

I really don't know what is the advantage to keep things apart, when they are all suppose to work together. It's all the same to me.

Foundation skill sets applies across all paradigm of technological development. After you have written good firmware operating with the hardware, you probably still need web development to design the user interface. Browser is one of the best and most versatile approach to create cross platform user interfaces. This is a great way to tackle across all industries and also a great client/server framework.

Take the router as an example, which router today doesn't have a good interface to allow easy configuration ? Even enterprise routers have web interfaces for quick configuration, and commandline for some programmatic ones or less seldom features.

True enough. Okay so lets say professionally is hardware, coz studied electronics, boss might ask whether i know VHDL, but lets put this aside.

Now that i have a bit knowledge on c++, how do i apply my understanding to real applications like software, OS, mobile, web. This is hard as, my current job doesn't requires programming language but down the road, it is quite a powerful add-on tool. Its like i know the words and alphabets but dont know how to put it in sentences/phrases.

what is in my mind is to learn C, you know like go back to the root and start form the bottom. Given that my program is more on electronics than computer science, there is a high chance of going into embedded system. That consist of hardware and firmware, which uses much of C (i think).

 

[davidktw]

True enough. Okay so lets say professionally is hardware, coz studied electronics, boss might ask whether i know VHDL, but lets put this aside.

Now that i have a bit knowledge on c++, how do i apply my understanding to real applications like software, OS, mobile, web. This is hard as, my current job doesn't requires programming language but down the road, it is quite a powerful add-on tool. Its like i know the words and alphabets but dont know how to put it in sentences/phrases.

what is in my mind is to learn C, you know like go back to the root and start form the bottom. Given that my program is more on electronics than computer science, there is a high chance of going into embedded system. That consist of hardware and firmware, which uses much of C (i think).

What's the main difference between computer science and electronics ? I don't see any differences, I only see different levels. Electronics meanwhile the foundation platform for computer science, but computer science is not limited to electronics. Even so, the techniques and skill sets in between the 2 faculties can be very much related in today's technologies since human haven't been able to operate computer science without electronics yet.

If your profession related largely to electronics, then I agree you should be good in that area and have the necessarily skill sets to execute your daily tasks fluently. That would include your VHDL, MEMS and all of these sort at your level. High level programming using languages like C/C++ is definitely very relevant since these languages normally operate at a level just above the electronics. If assembly language relevant to your hardware make sense, I say why not learn them too.

Java also operates at embedded system level and thus is also very relevant to you, I suppose. Should you then also learn even much higher level programming languages such as Python, Ruby, Go, Erlang, Haskell and so forth ?

Let me give you a primer. Look at Cloud-based Electronic-Design Tools Gain Traction - IEEE Spectrum, Development Tools Move To The Cloud | Dev Tools content from Electronic Design, Zentera Systems Takes Advantage of Cloud Computing for Electronic Design Automation Applications at the 2014 Design Automation Conference - MarketWatch.

What does it tells you ? Electronic design knowledge are also found in the cloud. Do you think such attempts are possible without talents that can understand web development knowledge and at the same time knows electronic designs ? Someone need to be the liaison between the 2 groups of people of different faculties. A web developer will not be able to pull of the feat. He/She needs to understand what kind of electronic behaviour need to be exhibited that is created using web technologies. Likewise the same person need to understand what kind of web technologies can easily or feasibly implement the electronic behaviour.

My point as always advocated in the forum is, you don't go and learn something only when you need it. There is never a penalty for knowing too much, there is only penalty for not knowing what is necessary and too little. Obviously there are importance areas that need to be covered first, but don't limit your venture to only these areas.

 

[muruku]

depends on what you want. Not saying that learning C++ is no use. Majority of the applications you see people use everyday is web based..and now the mobile market is also aplenty. What I suggest is you learn those languages that make these so common today..Java, Python, Ruby etc..C++ only if you want to create games or do embedded stuff. So, really, what is it you want is the more important question to ask yourself.

 

[alifffresto]

What's the main difference between computer science and electronics ? I don't see any differences, I only see different levels. Electronics meanwhile the foundation platform for computer science, but computer science is not limited to electronics. Even so, the techniques and skill sets in between the 2 faculties can be very much related in today's technologies since human haven't been able to operate computer science without electronics yet.

If your profession related largely to electronics, then I agree you should be good in that area and have the necessarily skill sets to execute your daily tasks fluently. That would include your VHDL, MEMS and all of these sort at your level. High level programming using languages like C/C++ is definitely very relevant since these languages normally operate at a level just above the electronics. If assembly language relevant to your hardware make sense, I say why not learn them too.

Java also operates at embedded system level and thus is also very relevant to you, I suppose. Should you then also learn even much higher level programming languages such as Python, Ruby, Go, Erlang, Haskell and so forth ?

Let me give you a primer. Look at Cloud-based Electronic-Design Tools Gain Traction - IEEE Spectrum, Development Tools Move To The Cloud | Dev Tools content from Electronic Design, Zentera Systems Takes Advantage of Cloud Computing for Electronic Design Automation Applications at the 2014 Design Automation Conference - MarketWatch.

What does it tells you ? Electronic design knowledge are also found in the cloud. Do you think such attempts are possible without talents that can understand web development knowledge and at the same time knows electronic designs ? Someone need to be the liaison between the 2 groups of people of different faculties. A web developer will not be able to pull of the feat. He/She needs to understand what kind of electronic behaviour need to be exhibited that is created using web technologies. Likewise the same person need to understand what kind of web technologies can easily or feasibly implement the electronic behaviour.

My point as always advocated in the forum is, you don't go and learn something only when you need it. There is never a penalty for knowing too much, there is only penalty for not knowing what is necessary and too little. Obviously there are importance areas that need to be covered first, but don't limit your venture to only these areas.

Yeah, i think can start learning on python. Can see quite useful for web development while learning C during workdays. Thanks boss for the advice...

 

[Bonadaly]

Yeah, i think can start learning on python. Can see quite useful for web development while learning C during workdays. Thanks boss for the advice...

learn JavaScript......

the future of web development......

 

[exim22]

Or get Jolla tablet and start programming in Qt?

http://igg.me/at/jolla-tablet/x/8910602

 

[exim22]

depends on what you want. Not saying that learning C++ is no use. Majority of the applications you see people use everyday is web based..and now the mobile market is also aplenty. What I suggest is you learn those languages that make these so common today..Java, Python, Ruby etc..C++ only if you want to create games or do embedded stuff. So, really, what is it you want is the more important question to ask yourself.

Nope, there's a big community in Jolla that uses C++ powered by Qt or Sailfish SDK. Its claimed to be lightweight than Tizen and iOS. Yeah, that the huge opportunity for mobility market.

 

[shiodong]

i learnt c language and intro to c++ in my poly days which was in the early 90s. i'd say if you dont practise it frequent enuf, u'll likely forget whatever you learnt. so in the last few years while trying to automate something via computer, i have to search the web for very basic stuff like #include, void main(void) etc, basically relearn everything again. i proceeded to research io using parallel port(obsolete soon since lesser motherboards have parallel ports now), run programs from inside c etc for the same project.
moral of the story: find yourself some project and work from there. i guess learning piano is the same (wish to learn), find some songs and practice from there.

 

[exim22]

Yeah to the above, learning during school days doesn't make a great motivation if you guys depending on the lecturers to teach you rather than hacking and self research. I've always start picking up the technology while it's still work-in-progress before they become stable and widely popular, this way, you'll get depth knowledge and parts of the pioneering periods.

Precisely, not only Sailfish, there are other web programming languages are actively in development.

 

[alifffresto]

Wonder how do those young US guys able to code at a very young age. Do they teach them when they're in college?

 

[davidktw]

Wonder how do those young US guys able to code at a very young age. Do they teach them when they're in college?

I would believe it fundamentally has to do with the educational attitude differences between Singapore and US.

In US, if the kid express interest in something, it is more likely the parents will say "go take a stab at it". On the other hand, if it will to happen in Singapore, you will observe parents will express "first you need to do this first, then that, follow by this, and so forth". It's like they have never felt their kind might be a prodigy whom might just surprise them being very good in something outside the norm but lousy in other areas that is deem "good" by the norm.

Singaporean kids in these few decades really go through what I would consider as rigorous educational path which I don't know if you call it educational. No doubt we learn stuffs, but we learn in a mostly unhappy manner.

After I have graduated from the university and stepped into the society, there are quite numerous times that I woke up from a nightmare thinking there is an examination coming and I have not studied for it, or I'm still struggling in my studies, only to find myself woke up knowing I have already graduated. As I relate this experience to one colleague, he says he had these phenomenal too.

Despite the fact I am very optimistic about the right path of education, I can't help to feel there is an unknown educational failure in Singapore. We don't observe these failures on surface because we find people are graduating annually and there are success stories all over the place. What we don't hear about are failures in education and how they failed. Just like we only hear startups that make their way to the top, get acquired for millions of dollars, but out of 10 startups, 9 of them failed either ended prematurely or were struggling in mediocre performance, still finding the right path.

I see so often students in these forum(especially) keep on talking about salaries and scores and how to pursue only in lucrative industries. All these talks with very little of asking oneself, what are you interested in ? What level of passion do you like yourself to be working as ? And what do you see yourself in as an asset to the industry. This is where the failure exactly is, which I don't know how many here actually realise it.

The foreigners are not good in everything, but we do find generally they have much better exposure of things around them. One such reason is on subtle notation. In Singapore, if it ain't explicitly mentioned you can do it, you shouldn't attempt to. In the foreign countries, if it ain't explicitly mentioned, that means you can do it as long as you like it since no one has objection towards it.

Much of the creativity we find in Singapore is inhibited by the need of realistic choices imposed on the young and that is the sad reason why no only computer science, in fact, there are other industries such as art and music and more idealistic pursue of career such as cosmology prohibiting.

 

[shiodong]

not only edu failing, others like lta, hdb etc as well, but to continue is another topic.
also i think our confusianism style of edu is showing its age.

computer magazines in us comes with shareware and freeware programming tools in cd. i used to browse through Dr Dobbs(i think, though its too chim) in our library during those poly days. and there are many magazines to choose from. i think that should be partly responsible for their early intro to programming. what im talking about is at the beginning of the internet revolution in the mid 90s. so self learning through books and magazines is definitely cheaper than attending a course.
now that we are in the internet age, you can learn programming much easily. i relearnt my c visiting websites.

 

[Bonadaly]

I would believe it fundamentally has to do with the educational attitude differences between Singapore and US.

In US, if the kid express interest in something, it is more likely the parents will say "go take a stab at it". On the other hand, if it will to happen in Singapore, you will observe parents will express "first you need to do this first, then that, follow by this, and so forth". It's like they have never felt their kind might be a prodigy whom might just surprise them being very good in something outside the norm but lousy in other areas that is deem "good" by the norm.

Singaporean kids in these few decades really go through what I would consider as rigorous educational path which I don't know if you call it educational. No doubt we learn stuffs, but we learn in a mostly unhappy manner.

After I have graduated from the university and stepped into the society, there are quite numerous times that I woke up from a nightmare thinking there is an examination coming and I have not studied for it, or I'm still struggling in my studies, only to find myself woke up knowing I have already graduated. As I relate this experience to one colleague, he says he had these phenomenal too.

Despite the fact I am very optimistic about the right path of education, I can't help to feel there is an unknown educational failure in Singapore. We don't observe these failures on surface because we find people are graduating annually and there are success stories all over the place. What we don't hear about are failures in education and how they failed. Just like we only hear startups that make their way to the top, get acquired for millions of dollars, but out of 10 startups, 9 of them failed either ended prematurely or were struggling in mediocre performance, still finding the right path.

I see so often students in these forum(especially) keep on talking about salaries and scores and how to pursue only in lucrative industries. All these talks with very little of asking oneself, what are you interested in ? What level of passion do you like yourself to be working as ? And what do you see yourself in as an asset to the industry. This is where the failure exactly is, which I don't know how many here actually realise it.

The foreigners are not good in everything, but we do find generally they have much better exposure of things around them. One such reason is on subtle notation. In Singapore, if it ain't explicitly mentioned you can do it, you shouldn't attempt to. In the foreign countries, if it ain't explicitly mentioned, that means you can do it as long as you like it since no one has objection towards it.

Much of the creativity we find in Singapore is inhibited by the need of realistic choices imposed on the young and that is the sad reason why no only computer science, in fact, there are other industries such as art and music and more idealistic pursue of career such as cosmology prohibiting.

Clap clap clap.....

 

[davidktw]

not only edu failing, others like lta, hdb etc as well, but to continue is another topic.
also i think our confusianism style of edu is showing its age.

computer magazines in us comes with shareware and freeware programming tools in cd. i used to browse through Dr Dobbs(i think, though its too chim) in our library during those poly days. and there are many magazines to choose from. i think that should be partly responsible for their early intro to programming. what im talking about is at the beginning of the internet revolution in the mid 90s. so self learning through books and magazines is definitely cheaper than attending a course.
now that we are in the internet age, you can learn programming much easily. i relearnt my c visiting websites.

Would what you mean confusianism way of learning as to completeness and a proper approach to learning ? If so, I still feel there is a need for such learning approach. But it shouldn't be the only approach because very often this result in an individual only good in one thing and only one thing and thinking he/she is meant to do that one thing in life only.

For example, in another thread in the forum, the PM has reinforce a direction in secondary school students learning programming, which this idea was thrown out early this year. I myself have also advocated that everyone should knows programming. However in the thread, you find a lot of posts question about the future of IT and that programming has no future for the younger generations having the industry is saturated. This is a good sign of a failure in education. It's like if you learn law, you must be a lawyer, it can't be that you can be a very good businessman knowing how to craft out legal documents that may be helpful in your line of work. If you know programming, you must be a programmer in the IT industry, it can't be that you knows a bit of programming and can write good macros helping with your sales calculation in the excel form. That is the kind of stagnant brains the educational system here in Singapore has produced.

The kind of pessimism towards your skill sets and what your career ought to be is in a new low. There seems no juice available for these brains to think further than that.

The completeness and proper education is still very much required since it reinforce a structure in common knowledge and knowledge that progress from one age to another. This structure must be reviewed from time to time, so that the contents are kept as updated as possible to the relevance of the society. However individuals should be instil from young that knowledge while acquired from a formal education, shouldn't be limited by it. There should be a large portion like 40% or more that comes from self improvements and searching for knowledge outside the syllabus of the formal education. Whether it should be tested or not really depends on situation, but it seems if it's tested, parents get really uptight blaming the system for testing something their kids of not taught. I can understand why, because the society takes too much a troll on the need to conform to standards and not being a norm makes your kid a losing end in the society. However such a line of thought also set forth a very rigid society with only one kind of mind, the kind that as long as you fit into the norm, you are successful. Lesser question if the knowledge they possess is sufficient for your own creativity needs, they only think as long as it's good enough to function daily, it's good enough.

 

[alifffresto]

For example, in another thread in the forum, the PM has reinforce a direction in secondary school students learning programming, which this idea was thrown out early this year. I myself have also advocated that everyone should knows programming. However in the thread, you find a lot of posts question about the future of IT and that programming has no future for the younger generations having the industry is saturated. This is a good sign of a failure in education. It's like if you learn law, you must be a lawyer, it can't be that you can be a very good businessman knowing how to craft out legal documents that may be helpful in your line of work. If you know programming, you must be a programmer in the IT industry, it can't be that you knows a bit of programming and can write good macros helping with your sales calculation in the excel form. That is the kind of stagnant brains the educational system here in Singapore has produced.

Its hard to imagine the future without IT and programming. Do the younger generation really keen in pursuing lucrative salary rather than passionate field? Really being brainwashed but who can blame their thinking.

 

[Bonadaly]

Its hard to imagine the future without IT and programming. Do the younger generation really keen in pursuing lucrative salary rather than passionate field? Really being brainwashed but who can blame their thinking.

It's always difficult to generalize. Many of the skilful people are leaving for Silicon Valley as they cannot learn much from their 'seniors'.