Hey, Ive read a few C++ books, but ive stoped reading many of them because i dont understand what i first start reading. Like in the first chapter im way in the dark.... Should I continue on in the book because its suppose to do that to me? Or should i go back and restudy my C++ and try to figure out where i need to go from my current posistion? GIMPS

I'd suggest that if a the beginning of a beginner's C++ book is putting you in the dark perhaps you aren't suited to programming (some people just aren't). Out of curiosity, could you give an example of something that don't understand? Maybe we can help you.

Another reason might be that you just need some time to work yourself into the API When i first started about 3 years ago I had a similar problem. I understood the books well enough but when it came to coding something myself, my mind always blanked out and i came up with the weirdest code that would never work because i couldnt piece the basic coding elements together. I'd suggest coding lots and lots of simple programs like asking a person to enter their name and age and than display it on the screen. Than make it a little more complex for instance using an array and input buffers etc. It helps to lay a good foundation and understanding for any programming language Just my two cents :) ~Tugg~

In my opinion, just because the book is difficult does mean you can't learn how to code. If the book is too difficult to follow, grab another one. If you run into problems... you can always ask us here.

A lot of books spend up to half the book describing how to use the compiler (specifically, the VC++ books) - you can skim these, just be sure that, at first, you know how to create a new file and compile it. Otherwise, if you have any specific questions, there's no better place to ask ^_^ AKhalifman@hotmail.com

Well right now im reading Programming Windows with MFC 2nd Addition, and the first chapter i understand to an extent, like how the basic window is setup and stuff, but itll describe some things like, do i need to start memorizing all this mfc stuff like #include <afxwin.h> #include "Hello.h" CMyApp myApp; ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // CMyApp member functions BOOL CMyApp::InitInstance () { m_pMainWnd = new CMainWindow; m_pMainWnd->ShowWindow (m_nCmdShow); m_pMainWnd->UpdateWindow (); return TRUE; } ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // CMainWindow message map and member functions BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP (CMainWindow, CFrameWnd) ON_WM_PAINT () END_MESSAGE_MAP () CMainWindow::CMainWindow () { Create (NULL, _T ("The Hello Application")); } void CMainWindow::OnPaint () { CPaintDC dc (this); CRect rect; GetClientRect (&rect); dc.DrawText (_T ("Hello, MFC"), -1, &rect, DT_SINGLELINE ¦ DT_CENTER ¦ DT_VCENTER); } at the very beggining and figure out what ever little bit of it means? Because when i read my primer it took me through every little aspect of what i was coding and every character i typed had some sort of job to do and it was thuroughly explained.... Am i getting into way more than i can handle? If so im just gonna stop trying to learn programming all together. GIMPS

It's good to know what everything does, and how it works, so that you can later look at the code and change it (or understand others' code). However, you shouldn't have to memorize the exact format for everything - things like flag names and function variables are can be set from the MFC wizard. However, if you want to start some *real* programming (as I've mentioned before, I'm not one for MFC..), you should look into just hardcore Windows API programming (the programs are usually less complex, although it usually requires more work on your part). AKhalifman@hotmail.com