How to learn C++


  • The only way to learn how to program is to write programs. You'll learn a lot more by writing and debugging programs.
  • When doing the exercises keep good programming style in mind.
  • Always comment your programs, even if you're doing the exercises only for yourself.
  • Commenting helps you organize your thoughts, and commenting your own programs is good practice for when you go into the "real world."
  • Don't let yourself be seduced by the idea that, "I'm only writing these programs for myself, so I don't need to comment them."
  • First of all, code that looks obvious to you when you write it can often be confusing and cryptic when you revisit it a week later.
  • Writing comments also helps you organize your ideas.
  • If you can write out an idea in English, you are halfway to writing it in C++.
  • Finally, programs tend to be around far longer than expected. I once wrote a program that was designed to work only on the computer at Caltech.
  • One of the major goals of the C++ language is to organize instructions into reusable components.
  • After all, you can write programs much faster if you "borrow" most of your code from somewhere else.
  • Groups of reusable modules can be combined into a library.
  • C++ is widely used in industry for commercial software development.
  • It is an industrial strength programming language used for developing complex systems in business, science, and engineering.
  • Professional software developers enjoy the flexible design options that C++ permits, but beginners need more structure and fewer options so they can master simpler concepts before moving on to more complex ones.