Maximum PC

Ok, i didnt want to have to scour these threads just to find an answer that doesnt fit me. I want to learn how to program, i want to bulid little programs that will run on Windows and maybe learn how toi make some lunix programs if i could. the issue is i have NO money to spend on this, so i am asking you guys if there is a way i can learn how to program (i prefer to learn C or C++) that wont cost me ANY money! Thanks guys, and if you need to, send me some info at timmersoft@live.com, thanks guys!!

John Boy

http://tinyurl.com/nwulws

IDEs
http://www.microsoft.com/exPress/
http://www.codeblocks.org/

Without asking something more specific you are on your own. We have a thread stickied for how to get started and you basically told us you were too lazy to read it. Learning to program is learning to program.

http://www.maximumpc.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23833

BTW... http://tinyurl.com/cctpty

There are loads of free IDE's. I would check out Visual Studio C# Express, and its C++ counterpart. Those will suffice for your needs.

Was the 'Where to start' thread that is stickied at the top of this folder not helpful enough? What information do you need that you didn't find in there?

I agree with the previous post. C# Express 2008 is likely a good fit. It provides a drag & drop form-building interface. There is a bit of a learning curve in writing the code in response to use inputs (double-click a given control for the default behavior), but there are a lot of tutorials for C# online. Simply choose an application you want to create, look for a tutorial that matches that. Likely you will hit on something.
C# exhibits features similar to those found in C++ (out parameters, for instance), is modeled after Java in that it runs in a virtual environment, the Common Language Runtime, and like both in that it' libraries contain pre-built data structures such as generic type lists and maps.
Concentrate on understanding the fundamentals at first; what are variables for, how does a routine (method, function, operation) operate on data to produce a given result (look up selection, iteration, sequence). Later, classes (and the objects that are instantiated from them) should be examined, since the majority of C# functionality is housed in them.

Editorial note: learning C++ to create Windows applications is a difficult task. The Microsoft Windows API was originally a set (a huge set) of C functions, later wrapped into C++ classes, but still with the difficult to understand API lurking underneath. C# offers many advantages such as resilience against memory leaks (the garbage collector nabs orphaned objects eventually), a robust interface and excellent debugging tools. Good luck