Best Way to learn C++

[engggirl3000]

Hello, does anyone have tips or suggestions as to the best way to learn C++ and become good at it? I have a text book, but I find reading straight from that doesnt help me learn HOW the programs work, I just see lots of different code. I know practicing will help me, but can someone give me some ways to practice so that I will learn quickly and understand and remember what I learned?

[sicarie]

Hello, does anyone have tips or suggestions as to the best way to learn C++ and become good at it? I have a text book, but I find reading straight from that doesnt help me learn HOW the programs work, I just see lots of different code. I know practicing will help me, but can someone give me some ways to practice so that I will learn quickly and understand and remember what I learned?

Try to program an app you use regularly. Definitely program every day, but mainly work on the problem-solving. Taking a general problem and breaking that down into an algorithm, then creating a program from that algorithm. I think approaching the problem is a better skill to have than knowledge of exact syntax (though that's definitely something that should come with experience - you need to have *some* of that....)

I'd recommend checking out sourceforge and freshmeat, looking at the code of the smaller projects, and trying to develop one on your own.

[weaknessforcats]

What I did was to take any C++ courses that I could find. That turned out to be a four quarter C++ Certificate from the University of Washington.

During one of those courses, an instructoir said that I should read 10 pagaes a day from a C++ texrbook or related programming book AND that I should enter all the examples into C++ programs that I could compile and verify the output matched the book. Further, he said never to read the same book twice and to keep this regimen up forever.

Today, I spend two hours daily answering C++ questions. In addition, I have become a C++ instructor.

Bottom line: Do a little each day forever.