Focusing on the concrete skills, rather than abstract, in C++
July 7, 2010 1:04 PM Subscribe
Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python is mentioned a lot as a great way to learn the Python programming language. Does something comparable exist for C++?
I've looked through Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python, and it's clever and well-written. The problem is that I'm trying to master C++ right now, and Python will have to wait.
However, I really like the approach, which is starting with the basics and adding more details in order to solve new problems, culminating in a solid foundation of the way the language works.
I'd like to find something similar for C++. It doesn't necessarily have to be games - anything that focuses on a single, concrete area of study would be welcome.
Right now I'm chewing my way through C++: A Beginner’s Guide by Herbert Schildt, which seems good, but a little un-focused. A book or website with a focus on a single applied set of skills would be nice.
A focus on games, music, or graphics would be nice, but not a prerequisite.
I've looked through Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python, and it's clever and well-written. The problem is that I'm trying to master C++ right now, and Python will have to wait.
However, I really like the approach, which is starting with the basics and adding more details in order to solve new problems, culminating in a solid foundation of the way the language works.
I'd like to find something similar for C++. It doesn't necessarily have to be games - anything that focuses on a single, concrete area of study would be welcome.
Right now I'm chewing my way through C++: A Beginner’s Guide by Herbert Schildt, which seems good, but a little un-focused. A book or website with a focus on a single applied set of skills would be nice.
A focus on games, music, or graphics would be nice, but not a prerequisite.
Response by poster: I'd seen that book before, and looking through the chapters, it looks exactly like Games with Python, almost chapter-for-chapter. I was hoping for some personal recommendations, but I guess that'll have to be the one.
posted by lekvar at 8:59 PM on July 7, 2010
posted by lekvar at 8:59 PM on July 7, 2010
Best answer: When I did this, I looked at books that gave me grounding in some fundamentals I could use anywhere. I learned a lot from Robert Sedgewick's data structures books. YMMV.
http://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Parts-1-4-Fundamentals-Structure/dp/0201350882
posted by kjs3 at 6:02 PM on July 14, 2010
http://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Parts-1-4-Fundamentals-Structure/dp/0201350882
posted by kjs3 at 6:02 PM on July 14, 2010
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I find that with notable exceptions, reactions to programming books are pretty personal. I've hated books that many people liked and vice versa. I've had excellent success getting books through Interlibrary Loan, why not try that (assuming your local library offers such a service), find out which one(s) you like, and buy it/tem?
posted by Deathalicious at 5:54 PM on July 7, 2010