C++ Programming

I have for years (about 38!) fiddled about with programming. First time was at Rolls Royce in 1968 when bored I played around with a machine about 20x6x4 inches in size programming it to solve quadratic equations.

Then in 1974 I joined IBM as a Systems Engineer (technical marketeer who kept the salesman on this planet - BTW I ended up as a salesman myself) where they taught me to write Assembler. Shame they did not teach me how to get the programs to work. Then had a play around with high level language PL1, good language but did not last. I even taught a class on CICS/VS (don't ask) programming.

So now retired with time to have another play especially as there is a wealth of free compilers, development environments, tutorials and documentation all at the end of broadband. For someone who started writing programs by using coding sheets which were sent to punch room (arghh - nice girls though) and then booking computer time feeding the cards in waiting for the compilation report, correct errors and send back to punch room so the new cards would be ready to do to do the same cycle next day. Today seems like sc-fi has become reality.

I decided to start with C++ and learn enough to be able to code a few sample mathematical exercises because .... strange as it may seem .... I wanted too.

First to select a reasonable, free, compiler that preferably work on Linux too, my longer term target environment. I looked at both Borland Turbo C++ and MS Visual C++, both worked but environment too sophisticated for my immediate needs as I want to be able to understand what is going on.

So I am using Bloodshed Dev-C++ which you can find at http://www.bloodshed.net/devcpp.html
and so far this has been fine.

To get me started I am reading "Using C++" by Julien Hennefeld and CharlesBurchard. It assumes you know little and approaches C++ from a traditional background of code examples and does not introduce Objects until mid way through book. It is published by PWS and its web pages seem to have disappeared so at first I could not get code examples but I found a site St Edwards who have put all the code up on their web pages at http://myweb.stedwards.edu/laurab/bookcode/

For online C++ Reference I currently use

• C++ QUICK REFERENCE summary http://sourcepole.ch/sources/programming/cpp/cppqref.html
• cplusplus for in depth reference at http://www.cplusplus.com/info/

I will put my code samples on the blog. They are of no consequence and put there mainly as backup and documentation for myself.