C++ better language for animation / direct3d?

[AaronL]

I just lost a big software project because someone told my client that C++ is a better language for graphics animation programming and direct3d.

I'm just wondering if this is true, if so, is there a good site to learn the language from because I don't want this type of thing to happen again. What version of C should I learn?

Thanks!

[Banfa]

Better than what?

if C++ is the better language then why would you want to be learning C?

Generally the place to start would be a book, there are a number of fairly good tutorial books. If you look on the web what you will find is all the half-baked tutorials of people you have just finished learning C++ and are trying to advertise themselves. needless to say these tutorials often contain quite serious errors.

Unfortunately I am unable to recommend a book as that is not how I learnt C++.

[hype261]

@chelf
There is no "best" programming language. If there was then there wouldn't be as many programming languages about. Each language offers different strengths and weaknesses.

I would first suggest you learn C++ and then learn a graphics api. Having a strong understanding of the language is key because most graphics api expect you to. They are quite complex. As Banfa mentions no website is going to be complete because C++ is a complex language. There are some good reference sites that I have found, but those aren't going to teach you C++. They just contain information on how the STL works.

[donbock]

There are different axes along which to measure better-ness. It is hard to imagine any one language coming out ahead in all categories. Here are just a few:

• Cost of initial implementation.
• Efficiency of execution (speed and/or program size).
• Cost of future maintenance.
• Sustained availability of programmers able to do the future maintenance.
• Portability to other platforms.
• Hype factor (leads customers to believe you are on the cutting edge, or at least in the mainstream).

General-purpose languages (such as C or C++) can handle just about any problem you come up against. Specialized languages typically take less effort (cost) to solve problems in their particular domains; but can really become difficult if requirements-drift stretches the problem beyond that domain.