I want to learn C/C++.. But where do I begin?

**TheMagic** Mon Aug 10, 2009 12:24 pm

To start with, what do you want to use C/C++ for anyway?
If you want to start writing games, you're definately a far cry away from that. However, it wouldn't hurt to start now because it will take you time to learn anyway.

Game design/programming - To begin there have been a lot of suggestions by people, and the ones I consider reliable are real game programmers. From what GameDev.net, as well as a few programmers from Blizzard Entertainment have told me. They say your better off by just learning C++, mainly because that is the primary language for the graphical libs; DirectX, OpenGL, SDL, etc. However, it is true that C++ is a superset of C.

Also it has been recommended that before you get into DirectX and OpenGL kinda stuff, that you have a good undertanding of the Win32 API first, you don't need to know every little detail but it helps.

But lets get the party started by sharing a few very good C/C++ sites with extremely useful tutorials:

--- ALWAYS BEING UPDATED ---

Will be updated with more information, when information is found, or someone suggests a good link.

[Books]
The C Programming Language - Kernighan and Ritchie - Amazon.com - Google - PDF
Google - CHM
The C++ Programming Language - Stroustrup - Amazon.com -
Starting Out With C++: Standard Version - Gaddis - Amazon.com -
The Geometry Toolbox for Graphics and Modeling - Gerald E. Farin, Dianne Hansford - Amazon.com -
Programming Windows, Fifth Edition - Charles Petzold - Amazon.com -
Essential Mathematics for Games and Interactive Applications, First Edition : A Programmer's Guide - James M. Van Verth, Lars M. Bishop - Amazon.com -

[Newbie/No Programming Experience]
www.cprogramming.com -- Most commonly posted site for tutorials, decent in my opinion. It gives you a very quick and broad overview of the language.
www.cplusplus.com -- Decent beginners tutorials. However, like most books they use a lot of computer terms.
www.cpp-home.com -- Great site with lots of tutorials for all skill levels, when it's up that is...
www.morrowland.com - Same thing that GameTutorials.com was doing for free until they started charging you for the tutorials. The great part about this is you get them for FREE!
www.programmersheaven.com - Numerous tutorials that range from good to bad, and skilled to newbie.
www.programmingtutorials.com - Links to a LOT of other tutorials that are not yet listed here.
newdata.box.sk/bx/c/ - Site titled "Learn C++ in 21 Days"

[Intermediate]
NEHE.gamedev.net/ -- Decently written OpenGL tutorials, lacks a bit of function definition but good overall, and highly linked to. He has bad coding habits, so don't copy and paste the stuff, just use it for learning.
geosoft.no -- Once you've learned to program, you should start developing a good programming style so other programmers dont have to decode what you're trying to say. I agree with 80% of this document, so just use it as a guideline.
www.ultimategameprogramming.com - Very well written tutorials, they have a LARGE variety of them as well. Most of them are in the Demos section, they will be adding articles soon!
www.mevis.de/~uwe/opengl - Good reference for OpenGL Functions, similar setup to manpages.
www.glprogramming.com/red/ - Great site, full of content, and explains OpenGL VERY well.
www.glprogramming.com/blue/ - More technical than the red version, and again LOTS of content.
www.programmershelp.co.uk - Contains a lot of links to informational pages on the selected subject.
nexe.gamedev.net - NEWLY ADDED - The DirectX version of NeHe's tutorials.
www.xmission.com/~nate/ - An interesting way to teach OpenGL, havent tried it but I will soon. It's tutoring application that visually teaches you the library.
www.drunkenhyena.com - Great DirectX tutorials, however he uses a wrapper to teach you how to use them. So it's definately not a good way to learn.
www.glenmccl.com - NEWLY ADDED
www.codesampler.com - Decent place to get started on DirectX or OpenGL, coding by example, usually a bad way of learning, but thats why it's in the advanced section.
www.andypike.com - DirectX 8 Tutorials, however they are decently written. DirectX 8 was the last version to using the old fasion BitBlt() function.
msdn.microsoft.com - MSDN is ALWAYS a bookmark, and should be for ANY programmer.
www.opengl.org/resources/tutorials - OpenGL.org has a lot of resources, very helpful for OpenGL ofcourse.
www.eecs.tulane.edu/www/Terry/OpenGL - OpenGL tutorial that uses Language C.
www.humus.ca - A LOT OF TUTORIALS!
www.kegel.com/academy/ - NEWLY ADDED

[Advanced]
www.devmaster.net - Good tutorials, and very technical.
www.codeguru.com - A lot of topics are discussed here, very informational.
www.flipcode.com/tutorials/ - NEWLY ADDED - This one varies on skill levels, lots of advanced stuff here though.
http://mindprod.com/jgloss/unmain.html -- Programming as a profession? Want to keep your job? This documentation will help you write unmaintainable code, so if they fire you. They will have one hell of a time trying to figure out your code.

[Video Tutorials]
* I don't really think video tutorials teach a beginning user much, but some people might be able to learn from them. So, I decided to add this section to the list. *
ddrheaven.com/Tutorials - Video tutorial that is split into 16 parts. The guy has a UK Accent, and is not entirely boring to listen to. Submitted by kratos15

[C/C++ IDE's] - NEWLY ADDED
Codeblocks.org - Popular free IDE for both *nix and Win32
Microsoft Visual C++ Express - Another popular free IDE recommended, also if you plan on using this don't forget to download the Platform SDK
Eclipse - The famous Java IDE can also be a C/C++ IDE with a somewhat simple plug-in installation

[Graphic Libraries] - NEWLY ADDED
Game Hacking University - A great large listing of game hacking tutorials. Including tutorials on creating trainers in C/C++ as well as a few other hacks.

*** There is a variety of Game/Graphic Developement Engines and Libraries, I will just list a few that I have found ***

A lot more to come!

[Graphic Libraries]
LibSDL.org - Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) - Quick and easy to learn 2D Library, that also works very well with OpenGL
Allegro - Allegro - A lot like SDL, but not as "clean" as SDL

[Game/Graphic Engines]
Orge3D.org - Object-oriented Graphics Rendering Engine - 3D
Irrlicht.sourceforge.net - Irrlicht Engine Open Source - 3D
Alchemist's Game Library - Some what a library and somewhat an engine - 2D