Diary of a C++ Programming Novice

April, 2003

I've been assigned a role as a programmer on a project that requires object-oriented programming skills. Specifically, C++. I am a mainframe programmer and have been for 22 years now. I'm bored with assembler, anxious to augment my skills, and hopeful of advancing my career. I welcome the new project as a good opportunity. All I have to do is learn C++ programming as quickly as my brain and fingers can pick it up. A tall order. This web page documents my efforts to learn C++ on both Microsoft Windows and Linux platforms. You'll get to guage my progress, laugh at my mistakes, marvel at my stupidity, notice the things I do well, perhaps even applaud the things I demonstrate a flair for. I'd like this page to mix a few laughs with possibly timesaving nuggets of technical advice. If you want to comment on this web page, I welcome your thoughts. My email address is cochranb@speakeasy.net. For convenience, it's repeated at the bottom of the page.

The Challenge: Learn C++ Without Spending A Fortune

My goal is to learn C++ programming as cheaply as possible, without spending exorbitant sums on tools. I'm constantly on the lookout for free or low cost tools to use on free or low-cost operating systems. Yes, I use Linux. I'll pay to learn if I have to, but I'd like to keep costs down. I'm not a no-cost hardliner, though. I realize there will be some costs. When I originally fooled with 16 bit macroassemblers back in the 1980s, I was too chicken to dabble with then-emerging 32 bit programming. That was a mistake. I should have bought one of Petzold's books and dived in. Instead, I essentially abandoned the Windows programming field for many years. This time I want to leap firmly into 64 bit programming, perhaps even make the leap to 128 bit programming! You know it's starting to get a little late in the learning roadmap day if Microsoft already includes 64 bit headers in it's public software development kits. But I digress, Let me return to C++, painting a few broad brushstrokes of project parameters to outline my learning challenge.

• Visual C++ is the programming language.
• In the project context, C++ will probably be used for web services-related processing.
• My employer is a government agency. This means funding for toolsets will be approved with glacial slowness.
• If I want to learn C++ well, it is entirely up to me to accomplish it. My employer won't fully support the retraining. It will to some extent, but not fully.

If you have comments just click my name below to send me one:

Robert L. Cochran (cochranb@speakeasy.net)

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