Anyone here learn JAVA and C++ on their own?
 

I've always been fascinated with coding my own stuff. Anyone here learn Java and C++ on their own? How long did it take? Any pointers? Plus, any online resources for self-learners?

Thanks in advance

I think you post a lot of cool stuff here and I appreciate it regularly.. But it also makes me feel like you aren't actually looking for the answer to this question?

I learned several languages on my own including C back in the day BUT just knowing how to code in a language doesnt make you a good coder....you can so a task twenty different ways in C or any language but only one is going to be the right way for a particular app and thats where a formal education really really helps....it isnt the language its the methodology

the concepts are not difficult , the problem is the motivation and alloting the time needed.

if know how to write code , its just a matter of syntax

Pointers are an amnesic nightmare.

Learning to program is hard because how bad are most of the Java and C++ books: absolutely confusing, boring and too long, esp. those made for schools/universities by professors, let you hate coding and give up.

The best C books are from 10-15 years ago so may teach outdated standards and practices, agreable list here:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5...guide-and-list
--> 1.The C Programming Language (Second edition) - Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie

For C++ specifically the list here is also agreeable:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3...guide-and-list
--> 1.C++ Primer -> nice for first part, but confusing for OOP second part (is several authors in a book... not all same style). Advanced C++ books are all complicated.

I can help: I've (re)read several of the C/C++ books in the lists above a year ago (just so I don't forget C++), and wrote a tutorial as a result (my mainstream job includes writing tech books/manuals). I do not want to release it in public (I copy pasted too much stuff, is just mine study summary), but I will email it to the GFY guys who will send a mail to info [4t] chatgf,com or info [4t] tubecamgirl,com with topic/text: "Go fuck yourself C++". I'll reply with the attachment.

For Java: learn javascript instead. Or Python. Java it was cool 10 years ago. Even for Android you can use C++ (NDK) instead of Java anyway. About iOS: this is objective C, is a little different than C++, but if you know C++ is no big issue to see difference (function parameters etc.).

Actually, I am quite passionately interested in this question because the main reason I work for myself is my passion for turning my ideas into reality. I have tons of software ideas and maybe if I know C++ and Java, I can make more prototypes of these ideas, see if they fly, battle test them a bit, then invest more in having other more experienced developers take them to the next level. Basically, I'd like to learn enough to build prototypes. I've been looking at online resources but would like to hear about other people's self-learning experiences before making a decision. This is all part of my efforts at making an informed decision.

If you're doing stuff server side on a website, rather than wanting to run an app on a mobile, PHP can be a good 'toy' language to get started with. It has similar syntax to C and Java, and is fine for many things. I often prototype something in PHP then rewrite it in C. A lot of the time I don't even bother rewriting: there's no point having something run twice as fast in C when it only takes 2 seconds under PHP.

I learned Qbasic on my own, and forgot it in the same year.

no, but php,mysql,html,javascript yes...

check out lynda.com

I did that.

All the time you are using those languages. As longer you code as more you learn :2 cents:

I know enough c++ for my needs,i made a console program which ask for input and then execute system commands with that input.Same thing can be done with batch scripting and even much easier but i wanted to have binary version.I think that is best way to learn any language - create a program which you want to make on paper,and then start learning what you need to make that program possible.

Thank you for this insight. You learn and finetune as you go along. Got it.:thumbsup

For prototypes learn Python (for any type of soft/site) and use Eclipse+Pydev or PyCharm IDE. If you want to do web sites only, do not learn C++ or Java, but PHP + Javascript perhaps. I mailed you my C++ tutor file anyway (more than a tutor is a reference with examples).