Devc++ is free and also quite good(I use it) you can get it at www.bloodshed.net. You would need to know c++ fairy well before getting started on windows prgraming(Devc++ can create windows programs as well). You mentioned that you had a book you should really try and use this or try your local library if you find the book hard to learn from. If you get stuck you can always post messages on a forum such as this one to get help. BTW i proberly couldn''t help you because:

a) I am currently learning C
b) I am a beginner and wouldn''t want to teach any bad habits.

The game I teach everyone to start with - Guess the Number - can be written in DOS very easily. It''s a good place to start, especially if you want to feel that you''re "making games," but still learning the language, as it requires very few language constructs.

Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates
- sleeps in a ham-mock at www.thebinaryrefinery.cjb.net

Mags, I believe the reason you got such rude responses is that you're asking for a LOT here, probably a lot more than you realize. To sit down and teach someone to program (regardles of language) is quite a monumental task, especially to teach one who has no or very little experience. Since you only know basic Basic (pun intended), when you ask someone to teach you C++, you're actually asking for 2 things: to teach you how to program and how to use C++ (sure you can teach someone just C++ and not teach them how to program, but then knowing C++ is useless). That said, it still does NOT give certain people the right to respond to you so harshly.

Listen to Invader X and superpig. They know what they're talking about.

If you're intersted in joining a group, there's a very new group that just formed that superpig and I belong to. Though all the programming slots are pretty much full, you're welcome to come and observe and make any contributions you can (story, art, ideas, etc). You can find our message board at:

http://pub33.ezboard.com/bdigitaldegeneration

Our under construction website is here.

[edit] BTW, I learned a LOT of what I know about C/C++/Java/x86 ASM/FORTRAN/Lisp/Prolog at COLLEGE, though I did get all of my DirectX/Win32 knowledge from books and the web. Not everyone can just pick up a book and really learn from it.

/*=========================================*/
/* Chem0sh */
/* Lead Software Engineer & Tech Support */
/* http://www.eFaces.biz */
/*=========================================*/

[edited by - Chem0sh on July 14, 2002 11:57:42 AM]

And the other question that hasn''t quite been answered yet: Mags, where you keep pointing out that your book and the free compiler that came with it are DOS based... You''re going to want to start out with either DOS or Win32 Console programs anyway, so you might as well roll with what you''ve got. Console programs give you the chance to learn the fundamentals of C/C++ without getting bogged down in API calls and such.

Hey all!,
Thanks for your replies and I understnad the rude responces but thanks Michalson for doing what you did. I didn''t know if it woudl be to much or not and was my bad.

However I am learning using DevC++ so indeed I am going to the links provided and I have found a good tut on the net (actually someone form here gave it to me on MSN and I thank him sooo much for helping me). I thought maybe I''d use that for my leraning and then go on to the book. I''m doing good except for oen of the stupidest questions:

I screwed up iostream.h :-(..I thought somehting was wrong and took out a line and then compiled and forgot to copy the line and it saved it and now it''s screwed up. Does anyone have a copy of iostream.h that hasn''t been tampered with?
I did look in the search of www.google.com an dtried the following:

iostream.h
"Download iostream.h"

Neither helped much.

So thanks alot! oh and the thing about learning math and english..I learned through teachers ;-). They just gave me books and showed me things and such...but I understand.

Magsofwar